incubating a public health institute in New Jersey – Apr 13

Posted by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on March 29, 2022

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation issues RFP for incubating a public health institute in New Jersey

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has issued a call for proposals for incubating a public health institute in New Jersey.

According to RWJF, public health institutes are unique nonprofits that work closely with governmental public health agencies and others to complement health improvement efforts, increase multi-sector collaboration, and leverage new resources to advance population health and well-being. As one of just a few states without a public health institute, New Jersey also has chronically underfunded public health systems—leaving state and local health departments without adequate resources to manage routine matters, including a wide-scale pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a unique opportunity for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help advance a 21st-century public health system for New Jersey—creating a public health institute (PHI). A PHI is a critical, long-term strategy to improve the state’s public health infrastructure, address its wide racial disparities for maternal and infant mortality and racial wealth, and advance racial equity and well-being for all New Jersey’s residents.

RWJF will make one award of up to $1 million to support an incubating organization to cover the first phase (24 months) of work. The incubating organization will develop and launch a public health institute during that time. The incubating organization will be expected to engage in the following areas of activity: serve as an administrative, operational, and temporary financial home for a public health institute; and support connections to potential partners across the state within diverse sectors.

A commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and more specifically, health equity, should be reflected through all aspects of this work, including but not limited to communications about the work and hiring and engagement practices for staff, board members, and contractors. All activities of this project will be supported with technical assistance from the National Network of Public Health Institutes—an active, successful network in 33 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

An optional applicant webinar will be held on April 1, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. ET. Registration is required.

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. Applicant organizations must have a physical location and established relationships in New Jersey.

For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and to register for the applicant webinar, see the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.

Deadline: April 13, 2022 3:00 p.m. ET