Learning from Abroad to Reimagine Health Knowledge Systems for Equity and Wellbeing
RWJF funds U.S. projects with international partners to reimagine health knowledge systems for equity and wellbeing by integrating global, community, and Indigenous approaches.
Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Due Dates: April 13, 2026 (brief proposals) | July 9, 2026 (full proposals by invitation)
Funding Amounts: Up to $500,000 per award | Up to 36 months | Up to 15 awards total
Summary: Supports U.S.-based organizations to leverage global learning and partnerships to reimagine health knowledge systems for equity and wellbeing.
Key Information: Lead applicants must be new to RWJF (no direct awards since Jan 1, 2021) and must include an international partner.
Description
This funding opportunity from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is designed to help U.S.-based organizations draw on global learning and international partnerships to reimagine and strengthen the U.S. health knowledge system. The goal is to advance equity, justice, and wellbeing by centering the experiences of communities most affected by health inequities, restoring trust in science, and integrating diverse knowledge frameworks—including Indigenous and community-based approaches. Projects should be action-oriented, foster cross-sector and global collaboration, and contribute to more inclusive, equitable, and resilient systems for producing and sharing health knowledge.
Two focus areas are supported:
- Knowledge Generation and Preservation: Projects that produce, share, or preserve knowledge, science, and data for health equity and wellbeing, or protect ways of knowing currently under threat.
- Knowledge Activation: Projects that use creative and narrative strategies to mobilize communities, reclaim erased histories, and strengthen collective identities.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to propose systems-level change and ensure meaningful community engagement.
