Rapid Response Research Application & Review Process

No, you will only submit a two-line budget encompassing direct and indirect costs and check boxes that indicate general use of the funds (e.g. salary support, travel, participant stipends, etc.). You are also required to upload the full budget for your originally funded grant.

Applications must be submitted by 3pm EDT on May 28, 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted. We recommend that you plan to submit your brief proposal ahead of the due date to avoid any technical issues or other delays.

Appropriate documentation includes cease and desist letters, stop work orders, emails or other communications directly from the federal funding agency, and any other official letters or communications regarding termination or discontinuation of federal research funding. If your work was interrupted due to a non-responsive federal program officer, you may submit email chains and/or a “log” of attempted contacts. If you have questions about appropriate verification, please contact the program office (evidenceforaction@ucsf.edu).

Reviewers will use the below selection criteria when evaluating Rapid Response Research Brief Proposal applications. Our goal is to fund all eligible projects that meet or exceed the criteria outlined below; however, final funding decisions will depend on the volume of applications received. 

• Commitment to racial and Indigenous equity: The applicant should demonstrate their track record of conducting antiracist and/or anticolonial racial and Indigenous health equity research through responses to the Project Information Questions, submitted CVs (i.e., publications, conference presentations, prior funding, advocacy efforts, and related research activities), and the interrupted federally funded project documentation provided (research aims, budget, timeline); Applicants should be able to describe their career path and body of work in advancing racial and/or Indigenous health equity, as well as detail their past achievements, ongoing efforts, and future vision / career goals in this area.
• Alignment with E4A program values: E4A’s organizational mission is to advance action-oriented racial and Indigenous health equity research; practicing an approach that is intentionally antiracist, anticolonial, and focused on solutions that are innovative, push beyond the status quo, and focus on root causes. Applicants should demonstrate their alignment with these values when responding to Project Information Questions, and as evidenced by past and ongoing works submitted in CVs (i.e., publications, conference presentations, prior funding, advocacy efforts, and related research activities) and the interrupted federally funded project documentation provided (research aims, budget, timeline);
• Sustainability of impact and vision: Reviewers will carefully scrutinize the related Project Information Question to understand how applicants envision their racial and Indigenous health equity research career path and how Rapid Response Research funding will contribute to preserving or advancing that vision; we will prioritize funding to support and advance the careers of early-to mid-career Indigenous researchers and Black, Latine, and researchers from racial and ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented in receipt of federal research funding.
• Timeliness: Applicants should be able to receive and allocate funding for the stated purpose(s) within a timely manner (i.e. ability to spend grant funds should not be contingent on other institutional factors aside from normal administrative processes); and must be able to carry out the project as originally intended, to the greatest extent possible (e.g. necessary data is still available and accessible). Applicants should be able to explain why/how these funds will be especially impactful now, given the current sociopolitical context.

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions the week of July 14, 2025. Grants are anticipated to begin on September 1, 2025. However, we will attempt to disburse funds as early as possible, potentially prior to that date. During the submission process, applicants will indicate the level of urgency with which the funds are needed. Be discerning in your response, as we will prioritize processing fund disbursements to those that need funding more immediately (e.g., to avoid a job termination).

If you are awarded a Rapid Response Research grant and your original funding is subsequently resumed, you will be required to reallocate the RWJF funds for purposes consistent with the spirit and values of E4A and RWJF.