Learning from Abroad to Reimagine Health Knowledge Systems for Equity and Wellbeing

Introduction & Purpose

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to dismantling structural racism and eliminating barriers to health equity by working alongside communities, practitioners, and institutions. One way we support this mission is by investing in the knowledge of historically marginalized communities and deepening the relationships that build community power, evidence, and systems of change. Another way we do this is by looking beyond the U.S. borders. The Global Ideas for U.S. Solutions team looks abroad for ideas to improve health equity, justice, and wellbeing in the U.S.  

This funding opportunity invites organizations to learn and produce solutions to build a more inclusive and equitable health knowledge system, inspired by other countries that have faced or are currently facing similar health equity challenges. It allows organizations to learn from efforts outside of the U.S. to reimagine and rebuild the health knowledge system in ways that can withstand systemic threats while advancing health equity and wellbeing for the future. Among many other characteristics yet to be identified, our learnings to date suggest that the following contribute to this reimagined version of the health knowledge system:  

• The experience of people most affected by health inequities is centered in the generation of data and evidence and in policymaking;
• Health is more than the absence of disease. It is about individual and collective healing and wellbeing;
• Mis- and disinformation are eliminated and public trust in science and evidence is restored;
• History, culture, and language are preserved and protected, and ecological and biomedical sciences are braided with Indigenous, traditional, holistic, and community frameworks; and
• Cross-sector approaches and global learning networks break down siloes and allow for more effective and equitable solutions. They leverage lessons from resistance movements and connect artists, researchers, public health, and civil society.

The purpose of this CFP is to support organizations in pursuing action-oriented projects that leverage learning from outside the U.S. to create a more durable and equitable health knowledge system in the U.S. These efforts will advance health equity, justice, and wellbeing through community-driven knowledge generation, preservation, and narrative. Together, these actions lay the foundation for a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient health knowledge system in times of crisis and beyond. 

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

• All organizations based in the U.S. or its territories are eligible to apply. Submissions from teams that include both U.S. and international members are eligible, but all projects must focus on improving health equity in the U.S. Projects that solely focus on improving health equity outside the U.S. are ineligible for funding. International applicants are eligible to apply, and if selected, will be recommended for an award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Global Ideas Fund, a donor-advised fund of Charities Aid Foundation of America (CAF America). Please see FAQs for more information located on the CFP landing page. 
  
• We welcome applications from organizations with principal investigators/project directors/leads of all personal and professional backgrounds.
  
• We especially encourage applications from project director(s) and teams having backgrounds and life experiences that are under increased threats in the current political climate, including Indigenous, Black, Latino, and other persons of color; LGBTQ+ community members; people whose country of origin is not the U.S.; and other historically marginalized groups.  
  
• RWJF will not select, exclude, or prioritize applicants based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or other protected characteristics.
  
• For this funding opportunity, we are prioritizing organizations that are new to RWJF. Organizations are not eligible if they have been awarded any funds from RWJF since January 1, 2021. Your organization is not eligible if it has received any awards from RWJF, whether directly or through a fiscal sponsor, as a grant, program contract, or other type of award since January 1, 2021. If your organization served as a fiscal sponsor since January 1, 2021, please see the FAQ that will become available on 3/6 regarding your eligibility.
• Biomedical, clinical, and bench science projects, as well as medicinal remedies, are not eligible for this funding opportunity.
  
• If necessary, the applicant organization may utilize the services of a fiscal sponsor to support the project’s financial management, grants management, and reporting activities.  

Key Dates & Deadlines

• March 6, 2026 (11:30 a.m. ET) 
  Optional applicant webinar. Registration is required. 
• April 13, 2026 (3 p.m. ET)  
  Deadline for receipt of brief proposals.
• May 28, 2026  
  Invitations extended to select applicants to submit full proposals.
• July 9, 2026 (3 p.m. ET)  
  Deadline for receipt of full proposals from select applicants.
• September 21, 2026  
  Applicants informed of outcomes of full proposal phase.
• November 15, 2026  
  Start date of grants. 

Total Awards

Type of Award: Awards will be structured as grants and will be made to organizations, not to individuals.

Number of Awards: Up to 15 awards will be funded.  

Amount of Award: Awards will be up to $500,000 each. 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). See more information on RWJF budget categories and allowable costs here.  

Award Duration: Awards will be up to 36 months.  

Use of Funds: Award funds should cover actual costs of the project, including personnel and other direct costs. If the grantee is a public charity, grant funds will also cover indirect costs to support the applicant organization’s general operations. In keeping with RWJF policy, funds may not be used to support clinical trials of unapproved drugs or devices, to construct or renovate facilities, and for lobbying or political activities. 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 (not invoices).