Systems for Action (S4A) is a signature research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that builds a Culture of Health by rigorously testing new ways of connecting the nation’s fragmented medical, social, and public health systems.

This call for proposals (CFP) will provide funding for new research to rigorously test and evaluate innovative solutions to the wrong-pocket problem that persists across health and social service systems.

Each study funded under the S4A program will undertake the following activities:

• Design and implement the proposed study that evaluates the impact of an innovative solution to a wrong-pocket problem involving social service systems, medical systems, and/or public health systems.
• Engage local, state, and/or national stakeholders in the design, implementation, and translation of the research project.
• Work collaboratively with the S4A national coordinating center and other S4A research investigators to identify and leverage potential synergies across research projects and to disseminate results broadly.
• Participate actively both in research dissemination and translation mechanisms organized by the national coordinating center and RWJF, including research-in-progress webinars, blogs, podcasts, research meetings, and policy briefings.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for research expansion, replication, and follow-on studies from RWJF and other research funding agencies.
• Attend RWJF’s Annual Sharing Knowledge Conference and 4Action Conference each year the grant is active.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be 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 nonfunctionally integrated Type III supporting organizations. The Foundation may require additional documentation from applicant organizations. 
• Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories. Awards will be made to organizations, not to individuals. 
• Multi-organizational consortia are encouraged to apply as long as a single eligible organization is designated as the primary applicant responsible for maintaining consortium agreements with other participating organizations. The primary applicant organization must have a demonstrated history of successfully managing funds awarded by foundation or government sources.
• The Foundation welcomes applications from organizations whose staff on the project includes people of all personal and professional backgrounds. They especially encourage applications that include:
  • Individuals having backgrounds and life experiences that are underrepresented on research teams.
  • Individuals and institutions who are new to RWJF and have not received funding previously.
  • Individuals from disciplines outside of the health professions and medical sciences, including but not limited to: architecture; business; communications; computer science; criminal justice; design; economics; education; engineering; finance; geography; law; political science; psychology; public administration; public policy; social work; sociology; transportation; urban and regional planning.
  • Individuals from nonacademic settings including government agencies, professional associations, and community-based organizations.
  • Interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research teams that include individuals with both scientific expertise and operational experience.

For more information, visit RWJF.