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

Deadline: 01-Oct-2026

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is supporting research centers at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in the United States and its territories to strengthen their capacity to conduct health equity research. Each award provides up to $350,000 for 24 months, with up to eight awards available for activities such as research training, faculty release time, staffing, mentoring, professional development, and collaborative capacity building. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is providing targeted support to health equity research centers at Minority-Serving Institutions. The opportunity is designed to address gaps in research capacity and infrastructure that can limit the ability of MSI-based centers to generate evidence and develop actionable solutions related to health equity. The programme focuses on strengthening the research infrastructure, skills, networks, and institutional capacity needed to conduct high-quality health equity research. Funding can support a broad range of research capacity-building activities.

Eligible activities include:

The funding is intended to help research centers develop capabilities that can support both current and future research. Each award will provide up to $350,000. The funding period is 24 months. Up to eight awards will be made under this funding opportunity. Research centers should develop activities and budgets that are appropriate for the two-year award period and clearly connected to their capacity-building objectives. The programme encourages cohort-style peer learning among participating research centers. This approach can provide opportunities for MSI-based centers to exchange knowledge, develop professional networks, share research practices, and learn from one another. The broader goal is to strengthen the ability of participating centers to conduct health equity research and compete for future research funding. The opportunity recognizes that strong research requires more than individual researchers. Research centers can use the funding to strengthen institutional capabilities through training, staffing, mentoring, research support, and collaborative activities. These investments can help centers improve their ability to develop research projects, generate evidence, establish partnerships, and pursue future funding opportunities. Eligible applicants are research centers based at designated Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in the United States or its territories. Eligible centers must demonstrate a documented track record in: The center’s existing experience should demonstrate meaningful engagement with issues related to health equity or racial justice. Eligible research centers must focus on areas such as: The research center should have a clear connection to health equity research and related community or social justice issues. Research centers whose primary focus is biomedical or pharmaceutical research are not eligible. The programme is focused on strengthening capacity for health equity research in social, public health, humanities, and social justice contexts. No. Individual researchers cannot apply independently. The applicant must be an eligible research center based at a designated Minority-Serving Institution. This means that researchers interested in the opportunity should apply through an eligible research center rather than submitting an individual application. Yes. Collaborations between research centers are permitted. However, participating centers in a collaboration must be MSI-based. Collaborative applications can provide opportunities for centers to combine expertise, share resources, strengthen research networks, and develop collective capacity in health equity research. A documented track record in community-based or community-centered initiatives is an important eligibility requirement. Applicants should be able to demonstrate previous work that advances health equity or racial justice and explain how the proposed capacity-building activities will build on that experience. A strong application should clearly explain the research center’s current capacity, existing gaps, and plans for strengthening its ability to conduct health equity research.

Applicants should address:

The proposed activities should demonstrate a clear connection between investment in capacity and the center’s longer-term ability to generate useful health equity evidence and solutions. An important goal of the programme is to help MSI-based research centers become more competitive for future funding opportunities. Capacity-building activities can strengthen research skills, methodologies, professional networks, staffing structures, and institutional systems. Applicants should therefore explain how the proposed investment will continue to benefit the research center beyond the 24-month funding period. Research institutions play an important role in generating evidence about health disparities and developing solutions that can improve health outcomes. Strengthening research capacity at Minority-Serving Institutions can support greater participation in health equity research and expand the range of institutions contributing evidence and community-informed solutions. The RWJF opportunity focuses on building the infrastructure, skills, relationships, and resources that enable MSI-based research centers to undertake this work and pursue future research funding. It is a funding opportunity from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation designed to strengthen research infrastructure, capacity, networking, and professional development at Minority-Serving Institution-based research centers working on health equity. Each award provides up to $350,000 for a 24-month period. Up to eight awards will be funded under the opportunity. Research centers based at designated Minority-Serving Institutions in the United States or its territories can apply if they meet the programme’s research focus and community-based or community-centered experienc