Developing Recommendations for Disaggregating Data Within the Asian American Population

Overview

Since 2015, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has supported research efforts and advocacy to update policies that dictate minimum standards for the collection, analysis, and reporting of race and ethnicity data. RWJF funding has aimed to advance data equity—especially to make more visible populations that have been historically underrepresented in data—and to more fairly consider such groups in the creation of policies, allocation of resources, and design and implementation of programs.

Current federal minimum standards for collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data place people under broad categories that mask significant heterogeneity within those groups. Asian Americans, for example, account for 20 million people who have origins from dozens of countries in East, South, and Southeast Asia with distinct cultures, languages, and histories, and are one of the most economically divided racial groups in the U.S. Without nuanced data collection and disaggregation beyond broad racial categories, the research from which we draw policies and strive to influence better health outcomes can be dramatically misinformed.

This funding opportunity will support a multifaceted research project that yields recommendations for actionable Asian American subgroup categories to be applied in the collection and analysis of race and ethnicity data. The goal of this award is to develop community-informed and evidence-based recommendations for how researchers should cluster the diverse Asian American population into smaller subgroups in ways that are feasible for real-world implementation. Advancing systematic disaggregation—whether it is at the collection, analysis, or reporting phase—can improve the health and social services fields’ ability to target their resources where they are most needed in communities experiencing significant disparities.

Proposed research studies should take the following three-pronged analysis approach.

• Cultural and Historical Analysis
• Quantitative Data Analysis of Health and Wellbeing Indicators
• Community Engagement

In addition to the three research components above, proposals must also describe: 

• A strategy for translating and disseminating research findings to reach key policy and research audiences. 
• Project team qualifications related to expertise in the culture and history of the diverse Asian American population, quantitative skills related to the proposed health and wellbeing indicators, and experience in meaningfully engaging communities in research. 
• The project team’s history in successfully collaborating (if multiple organizations will be partnering).

Preference will be given to applicants that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. The Foundation may require additional documentation.

Award Duration: The award will be for a maximum funding period of 24 months.

There are two phases in the competitive proposal process: 
Phase 1: Brief Proposals: Applicants must submit a brief proposal that provides a high-level description of the research study, the qualifications of the research team as described in the selection criteria, and a high-level preliminary budget that shows how grant funds will be allocated across the three main project components: the historical analysis, the quantitative data analysis of health and wellbeing indicators, and community engagement. Brief proposals can be up to three single-spaced pages, using 11pt Calibri font with one-inch margins. The budget is not included in the 3-page limit. Brief proposals will be reviewed by RWJF staff.

Phase 2: Full Proposals: Up to five Phase 1 applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal accompanied by a detailed budget, budget narrative, and CVs or resumes of key project staff.