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What
kinds of projects does HCFO fund?
We fund innovative research and policy analysis, evaluation, and
demonstration projects that will produce information that is useful
for policymakers regarding major changes in health care financing.
We hope to stimulate projects that: (1) examine the effects of current
mechanisms for, and proposed major changes in, the financing of
health services on health care costs, access, and quality; and (2)
develop and test new ways to finance care that have the potential
to improve access to more affordable and higher quality health services.
Ultimately, we hope the results of these projects will be timely
and useful for policymakers, both public and private.
Three
types of projects will be considered for funding. In each of the
categories, the emphasis is on the ways that current public and
private mechanisms for, or proposed major changes in, financing
health care affect costs, access, or quality:
-
Research and policy analyses to design and analyze major health
care financing strategies, including strategies where financing
and organization are integrally related;
- Demonstrations
to test new strategies; and
-
Evaluations of major strategies already in place.
How
will my proposal be evaluated?
Small grant and large grant proposals will be evaluated for each
of the following:
- the
policy significance of the health care financing mechanism
or issue being assessed or tested;
-
the timeliness of the project for informing policy or practice;
-
the technical quality of the application, including the
degree to which the applicant demonstrates a thorough understanding
of the problem and has developed a research, demonstration, or
evaluation design that addresses this problem;
-
the strength of the proposed methodology, and the quality
and availability of data to be used (depending on the focus of
the project, the use of secondary data may be acceptable);
-
the extent to which the applicant has clearly described the
tasks that are to be undertaken and the milestones to be met
in the completion of the proposed project. Reviewers will consider
the reasonableness of the budget and the feasibility of achieving
the project's objectives within schedule and on budget;
-
the uniqueness of the project; and
-
the applicant's experience and qualifications for conducting
the proposed project and the time commitment of key project staff
who have the skills and expertise to perform various operations
and analytic tasks.
All
proposals will be judged on the quality, clarity, and completeness
of the written application. For proposed demonstration projects,
site visits may be conducted during the selection process.
Where
do I go to find out if my idea fits within HCFO's scope?
As a first step, take a look at our Web site. Hopefully, reading
about us, our meetings, publications,
and current and past grantees will
help give you a sense of the program and the research we fund. Our
grantee database is a great resource
that keeps track of the projects we have supported to date, and
it is completely searchable. If you would like further assistance,
please contact our staff by phone or e-mail.
Is
staff available for consultation before I apply for funding?
HCFO staff are available for general guidance. We are happy to talk
to prospective applicants but cannot review written documents or
officially recommend or reject an idea over the phone. We can, however,
provide a sense of the questions reviewers will ask to assist you
in deciding whether to prepare an application, and we can guide
you to additional resources.
Will
I receive specific comments on my proposal after a decision is made?
Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we are unable
to provide individual critiques of brief proposals. In many cases,
blinded reviews of full proposals are included with letters to the
applicant.
Do
I have to submit my application online?
As of January 21, 2003, all applications must be made through The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's online submission process. This
new system will help streamline the application procedure. If you
have any questions about how to apply online, please contact a member
of the HCFO staff by phone or e-mail.
How
long does the application process take?
If you submit a brief proposal, it takes between two and three months
for us to get back to you with a decision. Once you submit a full
proposal, three and four months may passbefore you hear from us.
Generally, it takes between six and eight months from the time a
brief proposal is submitted until a decision is made as to whether
to fund a grant.
What
are my chances of being funded?
Historically, we invite approximately 40 percent of people who submit
brief proposals to submit a full proposal. Of the full proposals
we receive, about 50 percent become grants.
What
is a brief proposal?
A brief proposal (formerly known as a letter of intent) is a four-page
document that outlines the basic structure of a research project,
including the project's principle objectives, the significance of
the project, how it fits with ongoing/existing work in the area,
and the basic methodology that would be used. Click
here to read the application instructions for brief proposals.
How
can I submit a letter of intent to HCFO?
Brief proposals have replaced letters of intent for the HCFO program.
Please refer to the previous question.
What
is the difference between a small grant proposal and a large grant
proposal?
In short, time and money are the two distinguishing factors between
small grant proposals and large grant proposals. Projects that require
up to $100,000 and are projected to take 12 months or less require
small grant proposals. These projects do not require you to submit
a brief proposal first. Large grant proposals are for projects requiring
$100,000 or more and/or projected to take longer than 12 months.
To apply for this level of funding, you must first submit a brief
proposal and receive a letter inviting a full proposal.
What
is your deadline for applications?
We do not have application deadlines. Our call for proposals is
ongoing. We accept brief proposals and small grant proposals on
a rolling basis.
How
can I check the status of my proposal?
We try to keep you informed of the status as often as possible.
You will receive an e-mail from the online grantmaking system confirming
that you have submitted your proposal successfully. After that,
you are welcome to call us to check in, but keep in mind that the
process takes time. We receive a lot of proposals, all of which
must go through the same review process. If you have a question
about a specific proposal, send an e-mail to hcfo@academyhealth.org
or call (202) 292-6700. Please be sure to include the name of the
institution and the principal investigator in your communication.
Is
there a maximum budget amount or time frame for HCFO grants?
No specific funding limit is set for an individual proposal. The
funding level must be commensurate, however, with the size and scope
of the proposed project. Grant periods are flexible and should be
appropriate to the scale of the proposed project. Generally, they
will not exceed three years. Please note that the application process
differs depending on the proposal's budget and timeline.
Is there a specified indirect rate?
Indirect costs may be calculated up to 12 percent of the total budget. However, some adjustments may be made for the indirect costs allowed for consultant/contractual agreements if this represents a significant portion of the budget. More detail can be found at rwjf.org/applications/faqlist.jsp#10.
What
can grant funds be used for?
Grant funds may be used for project staff salaries, consultant fees,
data processing, supplies, and other direct expenses, including
a limited amount of equipment that is essential to the proposed
project. In keeping with a longstanding policy of The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, grant funds may not be used to subsidize individuals
for the cost of health care, to support clinical trials of unapproved
drugs or devices, to pay for patient care, for the construction
or renovation of facilities,
international programs, or as a substitute for funds currently
being used to support similar activities.
What is required of HCFO grantees?
Project directors may be asked to attend periodic meetings and to
give progress reports on their grants. At the close of each grant,
project directors are expected to provide a written report on the
project and its findings in a format and style, and of a quality,
that would be suitable for publication in a refereed scholarly or
policy journal. Grantees will be expected to meet The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation's requirements for the submission of semi-annual
and final progress and financial reports. Additionally, we require
grantees to submit a one-page summary of the findings from a grant
that are particularly relevant to policymakers to be posted on our
Web site.
Is
preference given to any particular institutions?
Preference will be given to applicants that are public agencies
or are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Service Code and not private foundations as defined under Section
509(a).
Who
will review my proposal?
All proposals will be reviewed by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
staff and AcademyHealth staff. In addition, proposals may be peer
reviewed by selected external reviewers who have extensive technical
knowledge or expertise on the particular topic or methodology. There
may be a limited number of applicants who, in the opinion of the
technical reviewers and in consultation with AcademyHealth and the
Foundation, meet the selection criteria but would benefit from assistance
on the proposed project's methodology. Outside expertise on research
design and methodological matters may be made available to these
applicants.
Will
you award grants to multiple institutions?
In some instances grants may be awarded to single institutions or
agencies undertaking the development, implementation, and documentation
components of a single project. In other cases, grants may support
collaborative efforts among individuals housed at multiple institutions
or agencies. When the latter is the case, however, grants will be
made to a single institution that assumes overall responsibility
for a collaborative effort through the use of subcontracting arrangements.
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