Policies for Action: Public Policy Research to Advance Racial Equity and Racial Justice

Overview

<p>Policies for Action is issuing a call for proposals to build the evidence base exploring how national, state, and local policies can help advance racial equity and justice in the United States. We are particularly interested in understanding how, and how well such policies work to address racial disparities in health and well-being. For more than 45 years, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has worked with others to address the major health and health care issues of our time. A constant cycle of research, evaluation, and learning has always driven our work. RWJF’s vision of a Culture of Health is rooted in our collective belief that everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to be healthier. RWJF recognizes the significant role that racism plays in the American landscape—undergirding entrenched policies and practices shaping virtually every aspect of life, opportunity, and well-being across the country. The effects of racism in federal, state, and local policies on the lives of people of color are profound and enduring. Racism in policies can make it more difficult for people of color and immigrants to secure quality housing, health care, early care and education, and wealth and income.</p> <p><strong>Purpose</strong></p> <p><strong></strong>Achieving racial equity and justice in the United States requires a sustained, multipronged intersectional policy approach that addresses both the immediate social conditions leading to poor health outcomes, but also the long-standing structures fostering such conditions. The goal of the Policies for Action call for proposals is to build the evidence base about how national, state, and local policies can improve racial equity in health and well-being in the United States. RWJF’s commitment to advancing a bold research agenda helps bring evidence to bear on some of the most complex health and policy issues facing the United States today. Together, we can make progress toward a Culture of Health by transforming policies to expand access and opportunities.</p> <p>We welcome applications from all investigators. The following are especially encouraged to apply:</p> <ul> <li> interdisciplinary research teams;</li> <li> community-partnered research teams;</li> <li> investigators from diverse backgrounds or with diverse life experiences (e.g., race, gender, class origin/first generation college, LGBTQI, disability, ethnicity, national origin);</li> <li> investigators from a wide range of disciplines;</li> <li> first-time applicants for an RWJF grant.</li> </ul> <p>Applicants also may represent partnerships between service providers or practitioners and researchers. We strongly encourage applications that include researchers who are from groups that are underrepresented in policy research and/or who are affiliated with institutions that serve underrepresented groups.</p>