Data Visualization of Structural Racism and Place – Jun 2

Posted by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on May 9, 2023

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has issued a Data Visualization of Structural Racism, and Place call for proposals.

The RWJF, its grantees, and partners have demonstrated the impact of using data to communicate and increase understanding of how the conditions of place impact community health. Structural racism produces a complex set of barriers (often invisible) that undermines many communities’ health and well-being opportunities. Yet researchers and data producers—especially those with vital comprehensive, nationwide data that include findings at smaller state and local levels—often struggle to communicate their findings in ways that resonate for policy makers, community partners, and others best positioned to make decisions informed by this information. Data visualization, or tools that make it easy to visualize complex measures, can be a powerful means to communicate data showing structural racism’s impact on communities and contextualize the legacy of racism.

This call for proposals will fund up to eight interdisciplinary teams consisting of researchers/data producers, data scientists, communications experts, designers, and national social change networks/alliances or national-level social change organizations. Funding will support the creation of data visualizations as tools to understand structural racism’s impact on place, health, and well-being.

Because organizations in individual sectors may find it difficult on their own to communicate an effective understanding of the impact of structural racism to diverse audiences (e.g., policy makers, advocates, funders, investors, or the media), collaboration is needed across organizations and/or disciplines such as academia, design, media, policy, public health, and social services. Together, these sectors can combine their relevant expertise to design new ways to understand and communicate the impacts of structural racism.

The total funding available for grants through this proposal call is $2 million, with individual grants typically ranging from $100,000 to $250,000; however, higher requests will be considered.

A collaboration of multiple organizations or parties is required. The collaboration must include at least one individual or organization in each of the following sectors: 1) researcher/data producer; 2) communications expert (e.g., generalist, creative lead, or graphic designer); and 3) national-level social change organization, network, or alliance committed to advancing racial and health equity, who have relationships and/or reach to engage aligned community organizations or affiliates. Preference will be given to applicants that are 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 Type III supporting organizations. Members of the collaboration can be from for-profit organizations.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.

Deadline: June 2, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. ET