Research to Advance Racial and Indigenous Health Equity- Rapid Response Research Grant

Research to Advance Racial and Indigenous Health Equity- Rapid Response Research Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Amount: US $50,000 - US $200,000
Last Updated: December 28, 2025

Summary

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Rapid Response Research Grant aims to enhance health equity in the U.S. by funding community-driven research that addresses structural racism. With awards ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 over two years, the program supports organizations whose projects were impacted by federal funding cuts. It encourages the participation of underrepresented researchers and prioritizes actionable studies that empower marginalized racial and Indigenous communities to create solutions for health disparities.

Overview

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to improving health equity in the United States. RWJF has deepened its focus on partnering with affected communities to promote health equity and combat structural racism as the most fundamental barrier to health in America. One of the ways the Foundation does this is through Evidence for Action (E4A), a national program that funds action-oriented health equity research, which prioritizes community knowledge and facilitates the relationships and governance structures that build community power, ownership of research, and systems change. Research that is centered in and directly partnered with affected communities is a vital step toward shifting power imbalances within the system of knowledge production, policy advocacy, and issue prioritization. The purpose of this call for proposals is to meet the current moment through two approaches: to support timely, actionable health equity research that has been interrupted by shifts in federal funding; and support community-driven research that uplifts the knowledge, expertise, and power of historically marginalized racial and Indigenous communities to develop or test solutions that advance racial and Indigenous health equity. Type of Award: Awards will be structured as grants and will be made to organizations, not to individuals. Amount of Award: Awards may range from $50,000 to $200,000. Please request only what is necessary to allow us to fund as many recipients as possible. We expect larger awards to correspond with more distributed funding (e.g., multiple people’s salaries or multiple activities). Award Duration: Awards may be for up to two years (24 months) in duration. Use of Funds: Grant funds should cover aspects of research previously funded through a federal grant, including salary support for research staff, students, and trainees; funds for community partners, participant incentives, consultant fees, data collection, analysis, interpretation, travel, dissemination, meetings, supplies; support for intellectual contributions (e.g., review sessions, advisory board service, community prioritization and input processes); or for research capacity-building, among a variety of other costs related to the research. Grant funds will also cover indirect costs to support the applicant organization’s general operations. Additional budget guidelines are provided in the online application materials. Payment of Awards: Payment of the award generally will be based upon spending against approved budgets or milestones, rather than through invoices.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants whose health equity research projects have lost federal funding are eligible to apply. Documentation demonstrating impact is required (e.g., a termination letter).  We welcome applications from organizations with Project Directors of all personal and professional backgrounds.We especially encourage applications that include:  ­Project Directors having backgrounds and life experiences that are underrepresented on research teams, including Indigenous , Black, Latino, and other persons of color ;  All organizations based in the United States are eligible to apply. Submissions from teams that include both U.S. and international members are eligible, but the lead applicant organization must be based in the United States or its occupied territories and the research must focus on improving health equity in the U.S.

Ineligibility

E4A primarily funds social science-oriented and applied research; i.e., biomedical, clinical, and bench science are not eligible.As a research funding program, E4A does not fund the costs of nonresearch activities, including program implementation or operations. In keeping with RWJF policy, funds may not be used to support clinical trials of unapproved drugs or devices, to construct or renovate building facilities, or for lobbying or political activities.