Policies for Action: Policy Research to Advance the Inclusion of Immigrant Families and Children

Overview

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to building a Culture of Health rooted in equity that provides every individual and family across the nation with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or where they were born. While we all have dreams for ourselves and our families, we don’t all have the same opportunities to make those dreams come true. Many policies, regulations, and legal structures unfairly advantage certain groups of people and places, while unfairly disadvantaging others; and these policy drivers in turn affect how well individuals, families, and communities can benefit from what they need to thrive in the United States today. 

The goal of this CFP is to fund research on policies that can advance the full social, economic, and civic inclusion of immigrant children and families. The intention is to spotlight policies that can transform systems/structures that ensure equal access to (and take-up of) goods and services, including public benefits, irrespective of immigration status. The proposed research can cover a wide range of service systems, and related policies, including but not limited to the following:  

• Early childhood care and education (including informal and home-based care) and access to subsidies and unbiased quality standards;  
• Publicly funded healthcare services, such as Medicaid, public health services, school- and community-based health services, maternal and child health services, sexual and reproductive health services, psychological counseling, and trauma-informed behavioral health (mental health and addiction) services;
• Publicly funded social services, such as food and nutrition programs, out-of-school programs for children and youth, community safety and interpersonal violence prevention programs, and disability- and aging-related services and supports;  
• Other safety-net programs such as TANF, SSI/SSDI, unemployment insurance, utility assistance, emergency food and shelter, and public benefit navigator programs;
• Safe and affordable housing options and supports, including those relating to tenant rights, eviction prevention, first-time home-buyer credits, and homeowner assistance;  
• Community development, communication, connectivity, transportation, and public health emergency-, climate change-, and disaster-related supports;  
• Civic engagement, driver’s licenses (and alternate IDs), language access, access to job training, entrepreneurship, and business development opportunities, and other welcoming and inclusive policies;  
• Legal and financial services, including those related to immigration, lending/borrowing, tax filing (e.g., ITIN) and tax credits (e.g., EITC and CTC), and other public or private benefits and protections.

The research funded under this CFP should also:  

• Focus on one or more policies at the federal, state, or local level;
• Be intentional about applying an equity lens, especially a racial equity lens, to the policy research question, methods, and process, centering the experiences and priorities of immigrant communities most distant from power and justice; and
• Include immigrant community groups and/or members, especially those most marginalized, as leaders or partners in all stages of the research.  

The policies being considered can be ones that have been implemented or proposed and whose impacts can be simulated or estimated through equity-oriented processes and methods. Methodological approaches that have been used in previous research have included case studies, focus groups, ethnographic studies, mixed methods, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, and simulation models. We also welcome policy research that simulates the impact of polices that are more conceptual in nature but have the potential to support policy reform, creation, or implementation in ways that can significantly boost improvements in immigrant justice and health equity.  

We seek to support research that generates actionable evidence and information on transformative policy solutions that address systemic barriers affecting the full inclusion of immigrant children and families. We are also interested in understanding ways such policies (and their impacts) have been framed and communicated to policymakers, their influencers, and the community at large. We would like research findings to inform and guide legislators; public agencies; public policy advocates; racial, and other justice organizations; community organizers; and others who are developing, implementing, and advocating for policies to create equitable, inclusive communities for immigrant children and families. 

Applicants who are current principal Investigators or co-principal investigators of P4A grants OR who have finished their P4A funding within the past two years are not eligible to apply. (If your P4A grant was extended, the end of the extension period is considered the end of the award.) This does not prevent other researchers at the home institution of a P4A grantee from applying.

Key Dates & Deadlines

• December 15, 2023 (12 p.m. ET)
Optional applicant webinar.  Webinar registration is required.

• February 16, 2024 (3 p.m. ET)
Deadline for receipt of letters of intent. 

• July 23, 2024 (3 p.m. ET) 
Deadline for receipt of full proposals.