The letter of intent and project information questions are intended to introduce the project team and research project being proposed to the Evidence for Action (E4A) leadership and review team.
Project Information Questions
- In a few sentences, describe the ways in which this research will contribute to advancing racial equity. (500 character maximum inclusive of spaces).
Police violence is a leading cause of death for young men of color in the United States, and policing contributes to poor mental health outcomes. Recently, the [Redacted] City Council approved a budgetary reallocation of approximately 60 chronically unfilled police vacancies to a newly formed department in order to hire unarmed skilled responders. Building on this development is our project, which will optimize and evaluate the implementation of this new program.
Character count: 467
The applicant clearly and concisely establishes the racial equity implications of the issue, links the issue to an intervention, and links the intervention to the research.
- Describe the context under which the research question and study were developed. Who are the people or communities that will be most impacted by the research, and what input have they provided? Why was this particular population chosen for the study? (500 character maximum inclusive of spaces).
We convened networks of people with lived experience, scholars, and local policymakers who identified safety as a precondition for health justice and ending mass criminalization. Those most affected by our research are criminalized populations, including those with behavioral health concerns. We refined our project based on feedback from network members. We are establishing an advisory board of advocates with lived experience and service providers to make our work accountable to community needs.
Character count: 500
The applicants clearly demonstrate that the project was designed with the people and communities who are most impacted by the intervention and research, as well as decision-makers. It is also clear that there will be continuous involvement by these groups in the project and that the research team is being responsive to their input.
- Briefly describe how your core project team was formed. In what ways is the team qualified to understand this issue, conduct this research, and/or ensure that findings will be actionable? Describe any relevant skills or expertise not represented in the CVs/resumes, including those related to research methods, implementation, dissemination, subject matter, or other lived experiences. (1,000 character maximum inclusive of spaces).
The project team includes community members, staff from community-based organizations (CBOs), institutional staff, and researchers. Representing the two organizations co-leading program implementation are [name] and [name], the executive director and staff lead from a local CBO focusing on health and wellness for communities of color; and [name], the community engagement lead and a 3rd generation [neighborhood] resident, and [name redacted], co-PI and care provider with system implementation expertise from [institution]. The evaluation team includes [name], co-PI, [name], co-I, and [name redacted], research analyst - Black women who bring expertise in program evaluation and community-engaged and health equity research. In the past year, we have partnered with the larger implementation team to collect and analyze data to assess acceptability and inform improvements to [the program]. This close partnership has ensured that the research design aligns with [the program’s] overall goals.
Character count: 997
This response by the applicant demonstrates the involvement of a robust cross-sector team with various relevant expertise, including lived experience.
The Letter of Intent Narrative
The LOI narrative is limited to two-single-spaced pages. In those two pages, your description should address three major questions:
Rationale (slightly more than ½ page) – What will be gained from this work?
State how the proposed research will address a root cause of health and racial inequities. For research on a specific intervention, describe the interventions (including the theory of change, logic model, etc.) and information about the design and delivery/implementation/policy enforcement. Explain why the research is needed and who will benefit from it. Be specific about the population(s) to whom findings will apply.
Implications of Findings (less than ½ page) – In what ways will this research be used to inform policy or program decisions or priorities?
Briefly outline 2-3 specific applications for the research. State who the end users are and how they will use the findings, whether they are positive, negative, or null.
Research Approach and Activities (1 page) – What are the specific research question(s) or hypotheses that will be examined and how will this be accomplished?
Clearly state your research question(s). Specify the health outcome(s) and any other primary or secondary outcomes being measured. Provide as much detail about the study design as possible, including a description of the methods that will be used, the study setting and population (both treatment and comparison groups), sample sizes, and plans for data collection and analysis. If the study sample includes individuals of different races/ethnicities, describe whether and how the data will be disaggregated to assess heterogeneous treatment effects.
Note: Do NOT include citations in your LOI. If you do decide to include citations, any space devoted to them will count against the two page limit.
The LOI template can be downloaded via the RWJF Application & Review System as part of the E4A application. The completed LOI should be submitted as part of your application. The E4A national program staff is not able to review LOIs or other application materials prior to submission.
On the following pages are excerpts from a selection of de-identified LOIs received from funded applicants along with comments and suggestions on the right-hand side. As a reminder, the LOI narrative is confined to two single-spaced pages with 11pt Arial font and 1” margins (using the downloaded template).