Interdisciplinary Research Leaders
Solicitation Title: Interdisciplinary Research Leaders
Funding Amount: varies; see Other Information
Sponsor Deadline: Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Solicitation Link: http://interdisciplinaryresearch-leaders.org/about-the-program/
Overview
<p>Interdisciplinary Research Leaders (IRL) is a three-year national leadership development program that aims to foster and support new interdisciplinary, action-oriented research collaborations. Achieving health equity—especially for communities of color, those in low socioeconomic positions, and Native populations—is a core value of the program. The aim for the 2021 IRL program is to generate high-quality, community-engaged research useful for dismantling structural racism and improving health and health equity. Structural racism is manifested in policies, practices, and programs in ways that segregate populations based on race and ethnicity, and create barriers to social opportunity and upward mobility. There is an urgent need to identify solutions for eliminating and reversing the devastating effects of structural racism.</p> <p>Each cohort focuses on a different designated topic area, called a theme, which is announced in each year’s call for applications. The 2021 themes are “structural racism in health care” and “structural racism and community health and well-being.”</p> <p><em><strong>Theme 2: Structural racism and community health and well-being</strong></em><br>The IRL program seeks leaders who will conduct rigorous research focused on solutions to, and remedies for, racially charged policies, practices, and programs that negatively impact community health and well-being. The IRL program is specifically interested in project proposals that seek to better understand the processes and mechanisms through which policies, practices, and programs uphold structural racism in institutional systems beyond health care. Such systems include access to housing; education; employment; criminal justice; political participation; and economic systems broadly. More research is<br>needed on solutions to reduce and eliminate less explicit barriers, including but not limited to, systemic disenfranchisement of political and social involvement for Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, as well as demolishing the historic and devastating impact of redlining on Black communities. </p> <p>The following research projects are examples of potential research topics for this subtheme. These examples are merely illustrative, and we welcome proposals on a range of topics and approaches, provided they are consistent with the discussion above.</p> <ul> <li>A natural experiment assessing self-reported mental health among formerly incarcerated individuals as a function of neighborhood-level voter participation and civic health (measured by the Civic Health Index) after the 2018 Florida Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative.</li> <li>A study of the differences of drug sentencing based on existing drug policies in white and Latinx communities in New Mexico.</li> <li>A policy analysis assessing the relationship between hiring and promotion practices and employee benefits, programs (e.g., sick leave and worker’s compensation) and the incidence of COVID-19 in Midwestern meat processing plants.</li> <li>A study evaluating unintended mental health consequences of a jobs program among adolescents across communities of differing racial/ethnic composition.</li> </ul> <p>For the 2021 cohort, we will select up to 15 teams of three midcareer individuals each (45 fellows; two researchers and a community partner) from diverse disciplinary backgrounds or scientific perspectives. Applicants are strongly encouraged to propose scientific research that reveals actionable solutions for improving the health of populations through public or private sector policy and/or programs. Achieving health equity—especially for communities of color; those in low socioeconomic positions; and Native populations—is a core value of the program. To support these objectives, IRL prioritizes credible action-oriented research.</p>
Solicitation Limitations: <p>The Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program is a team-based program. Teams must be comprised of three midcareer individuals: one community partner: individuals with close ties to a community of interest who do not regularly engage in research as a main function of their job; these individuals must have the potential to take action on the issue themselves or have relationships with entities that can take action; and two research partners: people with a terminal degree and demonstrated expertise in their field (e.g., PhD, ScD) or an individual with extensive (e.g., 10+ years) experience leading research or large data-driven evaluations.</p> <p>We encourage researchers who do not have prior direct experience in health research to apply. Research partners:</p> <ul> <li>Should come from diverse disciplinary backgrounds or scientific perspectives; we are particularly interested in novel interdisciplinary partnerships (e.g., engineering and anthropology);</li> <li>Do not need to be located in the same geographical area, but should articulate a plan for maintaining team cohesion as part of the application and selection process;</li> <li>May hold academic appointments or positions in applied research firms or community organizations;</li> <li>Should not be within three years of their terminal degree graduation date.</li> </ul> Other Information:<p>Travel expenses for all required program meetings and trainings will be paid directly by the national leadership program center or RWJF. Additional resources—in the form of training, collaborative opportunities, and travel expenses—are also provided independent of this award.</p> <p>Grant funds from RWJF will include a 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 organization’s administrative costs of managing the grant will be available. No other indirect costs will be allowed.</p> <p>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. The research component of IRL will support research activities only; it is not intended to support program development or implementation. 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.</p>Last Updated:
RODA ID: 1317