Deadline:

Apr 28, 2009 - Closed

Program Area:

Childhood Obesity

Purpose:

Active Living Research supports research to inform policy and environmental strategies for increasing physical activity among children and adolescents, decreasing their sedentary behaviors and preventing obesity. A special emphasis is placed on research focused on racial/ethnic populations and children living in low-income communities who are at highest risk for obesity. Findings will advance RWJF’s efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

Approximately $3.3 million is available in this round of funding for research grants as well as Dissertation Awards. Proposed studies must address one of the topics identified below. Target populations include children and adolescents ages 3 to 18, especially those who are at greatest risk for obesity, including racial/ethnic populations and children living in under-resourced and low-income communities.

• Topic 1—Evaluations of policy or environmental interventions and strategies for increasing physical activity and/or reducing sedentary behaviors among youth. (Four 12- to 36-month awards of up to $400,000 each)
• Topic 2—Studies of the economic determinants and/or impacts of environments and policies that affect youth physical activity or sedentary behaviors. (Five 12- to 24-month awards of up to $100,000 each)
• Topic 3—Analyses of macro-level policies and environmental change strategies with strong potential to increase physical activity and/or reduce sedentary behaviors among youth. (Five 12- to 24-month awards of up to $50,000 each )
• Topic 4—Pooled analyses of associations between the built environment and physical activity or the built environment and obesity. (Two 12- to 24-month awards of up to $100,000 each)
• Topic 5—Measurement development and evaluation. (Five 12- to 18-month awards of up to $50,000 each)
• Topic 6—Health impact assessments. (Four 12-month awards of up to $100,000 each)

Detailed descriptions for each topic are provided in the complete call for proposals. Studies need not be limited to these examples. We rely on the expertise and creativity of researchers to generate the best ideas for policy-relevant studies.

Program Information:

• Call for Proposals


• Overview (PDF)

Eligibility & Selection Criteria:

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. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories at the time of application. The focus of this program is the United States; studies in other countries will be considered only to the extent that they may directly inform U.S. policy.

All proposals will be assessed by a committee composed of RWJF staff, national program office (NPO) staff at San Diego State University, a national advisory committee (NAC) and other expert reviewers from diverse disciplines.

The NAC makes recommendations about grants to RWJF staff. All funding decisions are made by RWJF. RWJF does not provide individual critiques of proposals submitted.

Key Dates:

• March 4, 2009 (12 noon PT) and April 1, 2009 (12 noon PT)—Optional conference calls for potential applicants. Details and registration information are posted on the program’s Web site at www.activelivingresearch.org.
• April 28, 2009 (1 p.m. PT)—Deadline for receipt of full proposals.
• September 2009—Finalists notified.
• December 2009—Funding initiated.

Total Award:

Approximately $3.3 million will be awarded for research grants exploring six topics, as well as Dissertation Awards.

Contact:

Chad Spoon, research coordinator (Active Living projects)
cspoon@projects.sdsu.edu
Office: (619) 260-5539

Related Materials:

• View National Program Office


• View Program FAQs


• Active Living Resource Center (Grant Results Reports)