NOI _ W26011~1.docx

Department of Public Health Bureau of Community Health and Prevention

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Research to Advance Racial and Indigenous Health Equity

Notice of Intent - W26011

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Bureau of Community Health and Prevention (BCHAP) is submitting a letter of intent to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Research to Advance Racial and Indigenous Health Equity – New Research Support call for proposals (CFP).

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this call is to meet the current moment through two approaches: (1) support timely, actionable health equity research that has been interrupted by shifts in federal funding; and (2) support community-driven research that uplifts the knowledge, expertise, and power of historically marginalized racial and Indigenous communities to develop or test solutions that advance racial and Indigenous health equity. RWJF will fund research that centers community needs, experiences, assets, and expertise and deeply and critically interrogates upstream solutions to root causes of racial and Indigenous health inequities. RWJF will provide approximately four grants at $250,000 each and approximately four grants at $500,000 each over a three-year period. MDPH will apply for $500,000 over three years.

The Community Health Equity Initiative (CHEI) in the Bureau of Community Health and Prevention (BCHAP) at MDPH seeks RWJF funding to test a qualitative data collection process to supplement its existing Community Health Equity Survey (CHES). The CHES is a quantitative survey that collects health and well-being data from populations that have experienced historical inequities and connects the data to the larger social and political context. The aim of CHES is to support programmatic and policy solutions to the causal or “upstream” factors that result in health inequities by providing actionable data to MDPH and its partners. To develop the CHES, CHEI explicitly engages with the populations that have lived experiences in all aspects of the survey from development to implementation to dissemination and funds residents and organizations to participate in the data process.

MDPH/BCHAP aims to develop and test a rapid qualitative data process that can respond to emerging public health issues or crises. It will work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and other historically marginalized communities of color to develop the system. The rapid qualitative analysis process will focus on providing action-oriented information to MDPH and its partners, often in response to an identified crisis or public health urgent issue. Examples of when or how this rapid qualitative analysis will be employed include responding to emerging infectious diseases or emerging social situations that impact public health.

PURPOSE OF NOTICE: The purpose of this notice is to publicize MDPH’s intent to contract with INENAS and PHIWM if the Letter of Intent is accepted by RWJF and the subsequent submitted proposal is awarded. Estimated budget amounts for each partner is in the range of $150,000-$350,000 over three years.

For this highly competitive call, MDPH intends to name the Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS) of University of Massachusetts Boston and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) in the LOI as partners to assist in testing this process. INENAS and PHIWM will partner with MDPH on the rapid qualitative data process development, qualitative data collection and analysis, and data dissemination. INENAS will ensure Indigenous community members with lived experiences have an active part of the evaluation process and data dissemination and that the evaluation process is guided by culturally resonant practices. PHIWM will support the development of the qualitative data process and support the evaluation of the model.

INENAS is uniquely positioned to play this role. Its mission is to develop collaborative relationships, projects, and programs between Native American tribes of the New England region and all of the UMass campuses and other state government agencies. The Director, Cedric Woods, is a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. He combines over a decade of tribal government experience with a research background and has served as the director of INENAS since 2009. INENAS has experience working collaboratively with state government and Massachusetts’ Native American communities. CHEI has worked with INENAS on gathering input from community members on survey questions and data analysis methodology, developing a report on housing inequities and the upstream causes of inequities in the Massachusetts Native American communities with a call to action for increasing housing stability, and partnering on a report on the needs and experiences of the Native American communities related to COVID-19.

The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) has a longstanding relationship supporting the health equity goals of CHEI. PHIWM, a community-based organization, supports communities in their efforts to become measurably healthier and more equitable through community engagement, convening collaborative partnerships, communications, data analysis, research and evaluation, and policy advocacy. PHIWM has expertise in utilizing qualitative data gathering methods, analyzing and presenting data in meaningful ways, and planning and conducting project evaluation. Currently the PHIWM Research and Evaluation team includes three members who together have decades of qualitative research experience including designing methods; conducting research; using key informant interviews, focus groups, empathetic interviewing, photovoice, and other methods that engage communities; and analyzing data, including use of qualitative coding applications such as NVivo and Dedoose. CHEI has worked with PHIWM on developing a model and guide for health equity data to action and providing customized data reports to community partners to support their data needs that focuses on the root causes of health.

Contracting with INENAS and PHIWM builds upon the department’s previous work and maximizes the carryover of knowledge/expertise and existing staff capacity to the proposal. INENAS has significant experience engaging the Native American population in Massachusetts and conducting qualitative research with this population based on their culture and values. INENAS staff have the lived experience as members of Native American community. PHIWM has over 40 years combined experience in qualitative methods. PHIWM’s Dr. Alisa Ainbinder’s dissertation adapted a qualitative methodology to be more meaningful and easier to use, and its Lisa Ranghelli has developed and implemented several qualitative and mixed methods studies that engaged community organizations representing diverse constituencies in shaping the research, collecting data and using the results to drive action.

If you have questions or comments about this Notice of Intent, please submit them in writing to Caroline Stack at Caroline.Stack@mass.gov by July 23, 2025, at 4 P.M.