The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to building a Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. Achieving this vision requires health systems to address the full set of interrelated medical (e.g., physical health, mental health, substance use disorders) and nonmedical needs (e.g., social, functional, economic) of the Medicaid-eligible individuals they serve.

The Health Systems Transformation Research Coordinating Center (HSTRC)—a partnership between Avalere and RWJF—aims to transform health system care to promote health equity for Medicaid-eligible individuals. Through this call for proposals, we will fund research on health systems models of care to better understand which model components are essential to promoting health equity.

The HSTRC’s Research Collaborative includes stakeholders from health systems, research institutions, patient advocacy organizations, other foundations, and thought leaders, to change the ways in which research is generated, funded, and used to transform health systems. The Center’s Research Agenda was developed to strengthen evidence examining health system models of care that address the interrelated goals and needs of Medicaid-eligible individuals.

The goal of the program is to conduct original research and evaluate the extent to which health system models of care are advancing health equity for the Medicaid-eligible populations they serve. Projects may be generated from health systems—defined as facility-based provider organizations, or other provider organizations (e.g., public or essential hospitals; federally qualified health centers; integrated delivery systems; community-based organizations)—which primarily serve a high percentage of Medicaid-eligible individuals. Researchers, as well as practitioners and public and private partners working with researchers, are eligible to submit proposals through their organizations.

Researchers do not have to be affiliated with a health system but are expected to partner with a health system for the purposes of this project.

Projects may be generated from health systems—defined as facility-based provider organizations, or other provider organizations (e.g., public or essential hospitals, federally qualified health centers, integrated delivery systems, community-based organizations)—which primarily serve a high percentage of Medicaid-eligible individuals. Researchers, as well as practitioners and public and private partners working with researchers, are eligible to submit proposals through their organizations. Researchers do not have to be affiliated with a health system but are expected to partner with a health system for the purposes of this project.

Preference will be given to applicants that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. The Foundation may require additional documentation.

Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories.

• September 2, 2020 (3 p.m. ET)
  Deadline for receipt of full proposals.
   
• October 15, 2020
  Selected grantees notified.
   
• December 15, 2020
  Grants start.

• Up to $2.7 million will be available under this CFP.
• Project funding for each grant can be up to $300,000 each to accommodate grants between 12–18 months.
• Up to nine studies will be funded.