Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Seeks Proposals that Apply Behavioral Economics Principles to Healthcare Problems
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is accepting proposals that apply the principles and frameworks of behavioral economics to persistent and perplexing health and healthcare problems. Proposals are encouraged from a range of disciplines, including but not limited to behavioral economics, decision theory, economics, public health, sociology, psychology, marketing, nursing, and medicine.
Through its Pioneer Portfolio program, RWJF expects to make approximately five awards of up to $200,000 each for two-year projects that test innovative solutions to the challenge of reducing the use of low-value services in health care - those that provide more harm than benefit or which provide only marginal health benefits. Projects that could fall under this category include experiments that vary the frame or structure of information or messaging to patients or providers in a way that might reduce the use of clinical services of low or questionable value; experiments that reflect or modify social connections or norms that might reduce the use of these services; or experiments that use choice architecture or financial incentives informed by techniques of behavioral economics to reduce the use of these services.
The program is particularly interested in funding proposals in which academic teams collaborate with an outside organization, corporation, or partner whose constituents and/or infrastructure are suitable for the testing of promising behavioral economic approaches.
Projects funded under this initiative should complement the work of the RWJF-supported Choosing Wisely initiative. Choosing Wisely, which is run in partnership with Consumer Reports, is designed to help physicians and patients engage in conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures; it also supports physician efforts to help patients make smart and effective care choices.
Priority will be given to applicants who are considered tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations as defined under Section 509(a).
There are two stages in the competitive proposal process. Applicants must submit a 1,500-character proposal brief that describes the project by April 17, 2013; and, if invited, submit a full proposal and line-item budget for future consideration. Applicants selected to submit a full proposal will be notified on May 29, 2013. Full proposals must be submitted no later than July 17, 2013.
For eligibility and application guidelines, see the RWJF Web site.
