Interdisciplinary Research Leaders

Sponsor: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Solicitation Title: Interdisciplinary Research Leaders
Funding Amount: varies; see Other Information
Sponsor Deadline: Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Solicitation Link: https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/funding-opportunities/2022/interdisciplinary-research-leaders.html

Overview

The broad goal of the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders (IRL) program is to develop and support research leaders to conduct and apply high-quality, community-engaged, action-oriented research to promote health. The IRL fellowship emphasizes a shared leadership approach to research. IRL is committed to deep community collaboration to build credible evidence that drives equitable change. The IRL program will select up to 15 teams of three people—two researchers and one community leader—to become IRL program fellows. During the three-year program, fellows will participate in: <ul> <li>Leadership training</li> <li>Community-academic partnerships and training in community-engaged research and equitable collaboration</li> <li>Mentoring to build translation, communication and dissemination skills • Opportunities to develop and grow networks</li> <li>Expert consultations on research methods</li> <li>Training to enhance community organizing and engagement skills</li> <li>Designing and implementing action-oriented research projects</li> </ul> Teams will receive both fellowship and research funds to support leadership development and projects in their communities. The IRL program is interested in proposals based in institutional systems beyond health care. Projects that address historic and long-term discriminatory policies and practices that have increased and/or perpetuated segregation, health inequities, and wealth disparities are strongly encouraged. Additionally, the IRL program is interested in projects that explore strategies and interventions in social and economic systems, including transportation, land use, education, employment, and digital connectivity. The IRL program seeks applications that address questions such as: <ul> <li>How can systems be changed to reduce the impact of racist, discriminatory, or exploitative practices, policies, or actions? </li> <li>How can systems be dismantled with additional information that is generated through systematic research? </li> </ul> Program Activities Each of the three fellows on a team should expect to spend at least eight hours per week on program-related activities during their time as an IRL fellow. During the first four months, the team will get oriented to the IRL curriculum and experience, refine their research plan, and gain approval to conduct their proposed research project. In the subsequent two years, the team will implement their research project and participate in research leadership development activities. The final six months will be for dissemination and translating research findings into action. Throughout the program, fellows will be introduced to approaches for dissemination of evidence arising from their research project. Program experiences will include weekly online learning activities, networking and collaborative opportunities, and up to three in-person or virtual meetings each year. Teams will develop a detailed proposal for a specific research project, execute the research project, and disseminate findings. This research project is the core activity of the IRL fellowship and will provide an emergent learning experience for teams. The goal of this work is to advance a Culture of Health and contribute to the scientific knowledge on the chosen topic. Team research projects will focus on issues for which there is potential for action and change. They must be methodologically rigorous and properly scaled for a two-year study and budget constraints. Research questions should be developed using a community-engaged process and provide results for actionable change. Research conducted by IRL teams can draw from multiple scientific disciplines. We encourage inclusion of disciplines that are not typically represented in health research (e.g., engineering, anthropology, transportation, urban planning). Research designs may utilize quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. Types of research projects can include evaluations of interventions; longitudinal and experimental designs, financial, economic or cost-effectiveness studies; natural experiments; policy analyses; existing (secondary) data analyses; or other action-oriented designs. Studies generating evidence with causal inference will be prioritized. Applicants are asked to describe how their research will reflect engagement of community members throughout their project. Community input is vital to the identification of research questions, data collection, data interpretation, and dissemination of findings. The community engagement will inform how the research is used for meaningful change that improves health. Leading this work is the collective responsibility of all three team members.

Solicitation Limitations: <ul> <li>Individuals must apply as part of a team of three—two mid-career researchers and one mid-career community partner. Teams can be newly formed or already existing.</li> <li>Researchers must have a terminal degree in their field (PhD, MD, DrPH) or extensive research or evaluation experience.</li> <li>Community partners must have close ties to a community of interest and must have the potential to take action on the issue themselves or have relationships with entities that can take action.</li> <li>Teams must include members from diverse disciplines and perspectives. We seek innovation and novel partnerships, including people from diverse perspectives or fields that traditionally do not study health (e.g., engineering and anthropology).</li> <li>Teams do not need to be located in the same geographic area, but should articulate a plan for maintaining team cohesion. Fellows do not need to relocate; they will continue working in their home communities</li> <li>The research component of IRL will support research activities only; it is not intended to support program development or implementation. </li> </ul> Other Information:Grant funds from RWJF will include: Stipend: $25,000 per fellow for each year of the three-year program, $75,000 in total. These funds are meant to support time for participation in the IRL program, including completing the program curriculum, national meetings, and dissemination activities, and will be paid to the sponsoring institution(s) as described below. An optional administrative fee of $1,000 per year, $3,000 in total, to cover the sponsoring institution’s administrative costs of managing the grant will be available. No other indirect costs will be allowed. Research project grant: $125,000 for the specific research project that each team will carry out. The team will apply for the research project grant after the fellowship begins and, at that time, will select the organization that will receive and manage the research project grant. We anticipate that the total 24- to 30-month budget, including indirect costs/overhead for the project will be up to $125,000. Research grant funds can be used to cover additional effort as needed; purchase data or supplies; cover support staff; collect data; or pay for travel necessary for the project’s execution. Travel expenses for all required program meetings and trainings will be paid directly by the national leadership program center or RWJF

Last Updated: 05/17/2022

RODA ID: 1618