Applying for Funding

Prior to seeking funding for a specific research project, seek out funding to support development of partnerships with experts with lived experience related to the goals of the project as well as the communities most impacted by health care and social care systems and policies.

Determine the pressing issues and urgent needs identified by the community and be prepared to adjust your goals to meet to immediate health and sociopolitical needs of the community.

Engage in self-reflection about your own positionality versus that of the ideal team for this funding opportunity and use that to guide decisions about applying for the grant, think carefully about expanding your potential collaborators, and key study personnel. 

Consider if you can share a PI role with junior faculty or community partner(s) as an equal partner in the proposed research with your support.

Identify experts who are doing similar work outside of healthcare in community spaces.

Undergo review of, and ideally co-develop, funding proposals with a community partner. Include a community member principal investigator (as Co-PI) with a clearly delineated power-sharing plan, to ensure that there are direct and immediate benefits for community residents and participants.

In all grant applications, contextualize your research by tracing the influence of racism (structural, interpersonal, internalized), both historical and current, on the settings (e.g., primary care) and populations (e.g., Medicaid beneficiaries) in your study.

In all grant applications, include funding for involvement and capacity-building of community members to work in collaboration with the research team. The budget should reflect the strengths and expertise of community members. (e.g., community FTE staff and support for all research stages and activities including dissemination to the community.)

Identify BIPOC scholars and other who are experts in health equity, racism and structural inequity. Elevate their work.

Advocate for changes to funding mechanisms to better facilitate development of community partnerships prior to research idea and proposal development.