Applicant Technical Assistance

Technical Assistance

Evidence for Action (E4A) offers two technical assistance (TA) services to applicants who propose research that is relevant to advancing racial equity, but whose projects do not meet all of E4A's criteria for rigor, actionability, or research team qualifications. Select applicants are given the opportunity to receive design consultation or matching services. Applicants are referred to TA services after submitting a letter of intent (LOI) if their projects are considered a good fit. At this time, we are unable to accommodate requests for TA prior to submission of an LOI. If you have questions about either service, please contact us at evidenceforaction@ucsf.edu.

Matching Service

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)'s matching service, provided by Accelerating Collaborations for Evaluation (ACE)​, facilitates partnerships between organizations implementing community-level initiatives (e.g., non-profits, community-based organizations, social service or government agencies, etc.) and researchers to design and conduct rigorous research on strategies to advance racial equity.

Design Consultation

Design consultation is a service provided by E4A team members in which we work with applicants to improve the rigor, feasibility, and impact of their proposed research study while preserving the core aims of their original proposal.

Interested in learning more about Technical Assistance? Email Us

Design Consultation

  • How do I request design consultation?

    Applicants may be referred to design consultation after submission of a letter of intent (LOI), if the project meets some but not all of the selection criteria. 

  • Who provides the design consultation?

    The design consultation service will be provided by E4A leadership and staff.

  • How much does the service cost?

    There is no cost to applicants for participation in design consultation.

  • Does participation in design consultation guarantee invitation to submit a full proposal or funding?

    No, participation in design consultation does not guarantee invitation to submit a full proposal or eventual funding from E4A or any other RWJF funding program.

  • What is the time commitment for participation?

    The amount of time spent engaging with E4A staff varies depending on the project; there is no time limit or maximum number of consultations or hours provided.

Matching Service

  • What are the goals of the matching service?

    The goal of the matching service is to initiate and help foster productive, long-lasting partnerships between applicants and appropriate researchers. These partners may work toward a submission of a new application to E4A for funding, but they may also pursue alternative funding or work on other projects together, such as development of plans for baseline data collection; design of a pilot or demonstration project; or development of a full research plan to be implemented.

  • How do I request participation in the matching service?

    Applicants who wish to be matched with a research partner may be referred after submitting a letter of intent (LOI).

  • How much does the matching service cost?

    There is no cost to applicants associated with being matched with a researcher through the matching service. Resources may be provided to offset costs associated with facilitating communications and establishing working partnerships between applicants and researchers.

  • What happens when someone is referred to the matching service?

    When an applicant is referred to the matching service, a Partnership Acceleration Liaison (PAL) will work with the applicant to understand the needs of project and team, and to identify and propose suitable research partners. Once the applicant has approved a research partner, the PAL will facilitate initial correspondence and help establish the match. After being matched, referred applicants meet (virtually or in person) with their research partner(s) on a mutually agreeable schedule to discuss the project. Together, partners may decide to submit a new application for E4A funding (or funding from another source) or may decide that further work is necessary before applying for funding. There is no guarantee of E4A funding for applicants who participate in the matching service.

  • What’s the time commitment for participating in the matching service?

    The time commitment varies depending on the preferences and requirements of each project. Typically, participants should allow for 1-2 months to establish a suitable match. After that, the time commitment depends entirely on the goals and objectives of the matched partners, the frequency of their meeting, what changes are required in the research design, etc. There is no requirement to commit to a set duration of time, but participants are expected to work together in good faith until they reach a mutually agreeable stopping point.

  • What if I am a researcher interested in being matched with applicants?

    If you are interested in being considered as a potential research partner for a referred applicant, please fill out this form. Your information will be added to a database of potential researchers partners managed by Accelerating Collaborations for Evaluation (ACE), providers of the matching service. A link to an on-line CV or biography are required for the submission. Due to the rolling nature of the E4A program and the specific needs of applicants, not all researchers will be contacted for matching.

Stay Connected