Seeding Research, Networking, and Capacity Building at Minority-Serving Institutions

Introduction & Purpose

RWJF is committed to ensuring everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. To achieve this goal, we support research that examines the historical and systemic factors that cause health inequities. Some of those determinants are poverty, discrimination, and limited access to quality education, housing, safe environments, and healthcare. As attacks on data and academic freedom and ongoing funding cuts to federal health equity research and programs continue, philanthropy’s work to achieve fair and equitable health, including a more equitable research funding ecosystem, is more important than ever. While philanthropic support for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) has increased in recent years, there is more to be done to rectify historical disparities in funding. 

This call for proposals (CFP) provides support to health equity research centers at MSIs to strengthen research infrastructure and capacity-building. Capacity-building will help develop staff, skills, culture, resources, and systems that enable research to happen effectively. Specific work that RWJF may fund under this CFP includes specific skill or methodology training; faculty release time; support for research assistants, advisors, and project staffing; mentoring, professional development and collaboration, and more.

Through this CFP, RWJF will expand its efforts to transform deeply rooted beliefs about which data and research methods are valued, whose perspectives are prioritized, and which populations deserve resources. By supporting the infrastructure and capacity-building needs of MSIs, this opportunity strengthens their ability to generate critical evidence and to cultivate transformative, actionable solutions toward health equity. 

RWJF believes in health equity research that is grounded in systems thinking; supports and disseminates evidence identifying and implementing structural solutions to racial and health inequities. This CFP seeks mission-aligned institutions to participate in cohort-style peer learning to advance their ability to engage in health equity research and apply for competitive funding opportunities in the future.

Although no single philanthropy can fill the gap left by federal funding cuts, this CFP demonstrates strong support for research, historically underrepresented researchers, and research centers that are positioned to pave the way toward a future where health is not a privilege, but a right.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

• We welcome Letters of Intent (LOIs) from designated MSI-based research centers that interrogate health equity. This includes both those approved by a university or college board and those established through previously funded research collaborations, initiatives, and/or ongoing partnerships. Individual researchers are not eligible for this opportunity. 
• Strong applications will have a robust and documented track record of working on community-based and/or centered initiatives that strive to advance health equity or racial justice. 
• Centers that leverage community-based methodologies and approaches should have demonstrable, authentic, and well-established relationships with community partners. Previous community relationships can be shown by strong letters of support; co-authored publications (citations only) or co-presentations; previous funding or budgets that name the collaboration; or co-branded websites, events, or social media. Previous or existing materials are encouraged, and newly created materials and/or formal memorandums of understanding are not required.
• This funding opportunity targets research centers whose work and community health equity efforts center on social sciences, humanities, public health, and/or social justice. Centers that principally support biomedical and/or pharmaceutical research are not eligible. 
• Centers that have a documented and established history of cross-center collaboration (e.g., co-authored publications, shared funding with at least one principal investigator per center) may apply together. Applications from single centers and multi-center collaborations will be given equal weight, and collaboration with other centers is neither required nor preferred. Centers may be included in only one application. Duplicate applications will be marked as ineligible. Centers are encouraged to apply in the way that best matches their capacity. All centers included in a collaborative LOI must be MSI-based. 
• We welcome applications from project directors representing any personal and/or professional background. We especially encourage LOIs from research centers whose lead researchers and staff include persons with backgrounds and life experiences representing historically marginalized communities and communities of color, including Indigenous, Black, Latino, and other persons of color. RWJF will not select, exclude, or prioritize applicants based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or other protected characteristics.
• Multiple research centers at a single MSI may submit an LOI. However, no more than two research centers per institution will be invited to the Phase 2 Presentation round (described below), and no more than one research center per MSI will be selected for funding. 
• Research centers must be based in the United States or its territories.
   

Key Dates & Deadlines

• September 10, 2026 (9 a.m. ET) 
  CFP release.  
• September 15, 2026 (1 p.m. ET) 
  General webinar. Attendance optional. Register now.
• October 1, 2026 (3 p.m. ET)
  Phase 1: Deadline for receipt of Letters of Intent.
• November 6, 2026 (3 p.m. ET)
  Invitations extended to select applicants to participate in Phase 2 (presentations). 
• December 1, 2026–January 15, 2027 (3 p.m. ET)
  Phase 2: 75-minute presentations from research centers held. 
• January 28, 2027 (3 p.m. ET)
  Invitations extended to select applicants to participate in Phase 3 (full proposals).
• February 18, 2027 (3 p.m. ET)
  Full proposals due for selected research centers.
• March 22, 2027 (3 p.m. ET)
  Notification of award. 
• Spring/Summer 2027 (3 p.m. ET)
  Anticipated start of awards.
   

Total Awards

• Type of Award: Awards funded under this opportunity will be structured as grants. 
• Number of Awards: Up to eight awards will be funded. 
• Amount of Award: Each award will be up to and including $350,000.
• Award Duration: Awards will be 24 months.