Policies for Action: Policy Research to Advance the Inclusion of Immigrant Families and Children

Introduction & Purpose

The goal of this CFP is to fund research on policies that can advance the full social, economic, and civic inclusion of immigrant children and families. The intention is to spotlight policies that can transform systems/structures that ensure equal access to (and take-up of) goods and services, including public benefits, irrespective of immigration status. The proposed research can cover a wide range of service systems, and related policies, including but not limited to the following:

• Early childhood care and education (including informal and home-based care) and access to subsidies and unbiased quality standards;
• Publicly-funded healthcare services, such as Medicaid, public health services, school- and community-based health services, maternal and child health services, sexual and reproductive health services, psychological counseling, and trauma-informed behavioral health (mental health and addiction) services;
• Publicly-funded social services, such as food and nutrition programs, out-of-school programs for children and youth, community safety and inter-personal violence prevention programs, and disability- and aging-related services and supports;
• Other safety net programs such as TANF, SSI/SSDI, unemployment insurance, utility assistance, emergency food and shelter, and public benefit navigator programs;
• Safe and affordable housing options and supports, including those relating to tenant rights, eviction prevention, first-time home buyer credits, and homeowner assistance;
• Community development, communication, connectivity, transportation, and public health emergency-, climate change-, and disaster-related supports;
• Civic engagement, driver’s licenses (and alternate IDs), language access, access to job training, entrepreneurship, and business development opportunities, and other welcoming and inclusive policies; 
• Legal and financial services, including those related to immigration, lending/borrowing, tax filing (e.g., ITIN) and tax credits (e.g., EITC and CTC), and other public or private benefits and protections.

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 and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. The Foundation may require additional documentation. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories.

• Awards will be made to organizations, not to individuals.

• We strive to support a diverse group of researchers. The following groups are especially encouraged to apply:

o Research projects led by researchers who are Black or African American; American Indian, Alaska Native, or Indigenous; Hispanic, Latinx/e, or Latin American; Middle Eastern or North African; Asian or Asian American; and/or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander;

o Community-led research teams;

o Investigators from organizations that are underrepresented among grantee institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Alaska Native-Serving Institutions, Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs);

o Interdisciplinary research teams; or

o First-time applicants for an RWJF grant.

• Applicants who have been RWJF grantees OR who currently have other active RWJF grants, are eligible to apply. Applicants may also submit proposals that are being considered by other RWJF programs.

• Applicants who are current principal Investigators or co-principal investigators of P4A grants OR who have finished their P4A funding within the past two years are not eligible to apply. (If your P4A grant was extended, the end of the extension period is considered the end of the award.) This does not prevent other researchers at the home institution of a P4A grantee from applying.
 

Key Dates & Deadlines

• December 15, 2023 (12 p.m. ET)
Optional applicant webinar.  Webinar registration is required.

• February 16, 2024 (3 p.m. ET)
Deadline for receipt of letters of intent. 

• July 23, 2024 (3 p.m. ET) 
Deadline for receipt of full proposals.
 

Total Awards

Up to six awards between $30,000-$450,000. The duration of the awards is usually 12-36 months.