New Funding Opportunity Designed to Develop New Generation of Public Health Services & Systems Researchers

Posted: May 19, 2013

A new round of funding from the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) will support up to eight grants to emerging researchers exploring the effect of the organization, financing and delivery of public health services on population health – a field called public health services and systems research (PHSSR).

The Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards of up to $100,000 each for two years will support early-career investigators and enable them to establish independent research careers in PHSSR. The awards are designed to enhance the researchers’ career development experiences, help them attain advanced research skills in PHSSR, and position them for other funding opportunities.

“To have good research we must have good researchers. Developing and nurturing those people is a high priority of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Coordinating Center for PHSSR,” said F. Douglas Scutchfield, MD, director of the National Coordinating Center for PHSSR, which is funded by RWJF and housed at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. “This is another of our efforts to bring on new cohort of outstanding researchers to our discipline."

In the 2012 round of funding, four researchers received Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards to examine a wide range of public health-related topics, demonstrating the breadth of the field of PHSSR: policies regarding Health Information Exchange; disparities in access to public water and sanitation; costs of public health investments in controlling tuberculosis; and local health departments’ use of social media tools. Read more here about the researchers and their projects.

Applicants must be affiliated with either public entities or tax-exempt academic institutions that are able to provide an intensive, supervised career development experience in PHSSR. Supporting institutions must demonstrate support for the applicant through matching funds and protected time for the applicant’s research. Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards require candidates to devote a minimum of 50 percent of full-time professional effort to conducting PHSSR. The applicant must have a PHSSR mentor, preferably on-site, who has demonstrated research expertise and experience. The applicant must also have a working relationship with a practice mentor.

Proposals must be submitted via RWJF’s online application and review system. Visit www.rwjf.org/cfp/phssrms2 and use the Apply Online link. You may be required to register at http://my.rwjf.org before you begin the application process.

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About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measurable and timely change. For 40 years, the Foundation has brought experience, commitment and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit http://www.rwjf.org.

 

About the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research

The goal of the National Coordinating Center is to grow the field of PHSSR by coordinating current PHSSR investments, supporting real-world applications, and strengthening the capacity of researchers and practitioners. The Center also works to determine the future direction of the field’s research initiatives; translate that research into practice; increase the visibility of the work; and attract other funders to the field. For more information, visit www.publichealthsystems.org.

 

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