Applicant Resources
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Wednesday, January 22, 3-4pm ET: Informational Webinar. Register here.
- Monday, February 24, 1-2pm ET: Informational Webinar. Register here.
- January 27 through May 29: Weekly drop-in office hours will be held to answer questions about this CFP. You can find office hours below and on the Funding Opportunities page. Please note that you must register to attend. The four upcoming office hours dates are updated weekly:
- Tuesday, January 23, 3-4PM ET. Register here.
- Thursday, January 30, 12-1PM ET. Register here.
- Tuesday, February 4, 12-1PM ET. Register here.
- Tuesday, February 11, 2-3PM ET. Register here.
- June 4, 2025, 3pm ET: Deadline for Application Submission. Late submissions will not be accepted for any reason.
- August 22, 2025: Applicants Notified of Funding Decisions. Date subject to change.
- October 1, 2025: Projects Start.
Resources by Topic
Check back regularly as we will be adding new resources throughout the spring.
Systems Alignment
Systems alignment research focuses on helping different systems—like healthcare, housing, and education—work together to better serve the community. Instead of each system working in isolation, this research identifies ways to coordinate efforts, address root causes, and create lasting solutions to complex challenges. It’s about building partnerships and aligning resources to improve the well-being of everyone in the community.
Some relevant resources:
Some relevant resources:
- A Theory of Change for Aligning Health Care, Public Health, and Social Services in the Time of COVID-19
- Aligning Health and Social Systems to Promote Population Health, Well-Being, and Equity
- Community voice in cross-sector alignment: concepts and strategies from a scoping review of the health collaboration literature
Strong Research Partnerships
There are many ways to have a successful research partnership. If you’re looking for guidance, we recommend tools from the following organizations:
- The National Academy of Medicine Leadership Consortium – Assessing Meaningful Community Engagement in Health and Health Care
- Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute – Community Engagement Tools & Resources
- Community Partners in Care – Community Engagement and Planning
Systemic Racism
Some forms of systemic racism result from racial patterning in the implementation and enforcement of policies, programs, and administrative practices that require some level of discretionary decision-making by professionals and program staff. Embedded forms of systemic racism may be especially amenable to remedy through system alignment interventions because they result from decisions that are largely under the control of medical, social, and public health systems.
Systemic racism and structural racism are forms of injustice resulting from historical and contemporary laws, policies, and practices that perpetuate unfair treatment of people from racial and ethnic minority groups and Indigenous communities. We use the terms systemic racism and structural racism interchangeably in this CFP although we recognize there are subtle differences in these concepts. For more detailed definitions and examples of systemic racism and potential solutions, see this review article in Health Affairs.
Application Support
Please attend our Informational Webinars and Office Hours for support from our program office. Dates and registration can be found above.
If you are a community-based organization you can utilize a variety of technical assistance resources and supports available through the S4A System Alignment Innovation Hub. The Hub may be able to provide assistance and guidance for identifying a suitable research partner for your organization, as well as free technical assistance, consulting, and support through their Community Power Network. Please reach out early because available assistance opportunities may be limited in the days leading up to the application submission deadline.
Virtual Workshop: Developing a Successful Application for the Systems for Action Research Program
This virtual workshop highlights research teams that have successfully developed proposals for Systems for Action program and have received funding. They will share their strategies for developing their proposals and will provide advice for developing the strongest proposal possible.