• The focus of this program is the United States; studies in other countries will be considered only to the extent that they may directly inform U.S. policy.
• Eligible applicant organizations include academic institutions, public entities and private nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies, and for-profit organizations. 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. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories.
• The applicant team must demonstrate the ability to conduct the proposed research. Entities that do not have in-house research capacity are strongly encouraged to partner with qualified researchers who have established track records in the topical area and research methods proposed.
• 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, such as historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), academic institutions serving primarily Latino students, tribal colleges, and other similar institutions. We also encourage applicants from diverse geographic areas and a range of disciplines that are relevant to policy research, including public administration, sociology, psychology, economics, community development, public health, education, social work, nutrition, and others.
• We encourage applications that incorporate approaches that are aligned with the principles of equitable evaluation, as described above. These approaches may include participatory research,
  • community-based research, and other methods that enable individuals from groups who are the focus of research to be involved in defining and answering research questions.

  Key Dates

  • June 25, 2019 (3 p.m. ET)
    Optional applicant webinar. Registration is required through this link.
  • June 19–July 31, 2019 (3 p.m. ET)
    RWJF online system available to receive concept papers from applicants for small-scale and large-scale grants. Concept papers submitted after July 31, 2019 (3 p.m. ET) will not be reviewed.
  • Mid-August 2019
    Applicants notified whether they are invited to submit a full proposal.
  • October 2, 2019 (3 p.m. ET)
    Invited full proposals due in the RWJF online system.
  • Early December 2019
    Notification of finalists.
  • February 1, 2020
    Awards begin.
  • March 4–6, 2020
    Healthy Eating Research Annual Meeting.

Total Awards