Frequently Asked Questions

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, with a focus on pressing issues that our country is facing. The Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and to achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years, the Foundation has brought experience, commitment and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect health and health care. You can learn more about RWJF by visiting its Web site.

The Human Capital Portfolio consists of a group of programs established to enhance the skills and careers of frontline health workers, train scholars to conduct health policy research and encourage youth to pursue health careers. It reflects the Foundation’s commitment to preparing health professionals for leadership. Human Capital programs also aim to boost the diversity of the people working in health and health care, to better serve the health needs of a demographically and culturally changing America. You can learn more about the RWJF Human Capital Portfolio by visiting the its Web site and reading more about how the Foundation invests in Human Capital.

Most RWJF grants go to intermediary organizations that support a national program working to create an impact in one of the Foundation’s program areas. Typically, national programs are administered by universities or nonprofit groups, who then make grants to multiple project sites working toward a similar goal, although objectives of the individual sites may vary. By providing leadership, fostering communication and collaboration and serving as champions of innovation, national programs can help unite separate and distinct efforts, to create a broader movement that can achieve social change.

 

There are many. For more than two generations, the Human Capital programs have fostered leaders, including future surgeons general, heads of institutes at the National Institutes of Health, deans of medical schools and nursing schools, and top-level policy-makers throughout state and federal governments. Membership in a program may bring immediate benefits, such as mentoring by highly accomplished professionals in your field, financial support, dedicated time for research or project work and networking with gifted peers. It also carries the benefit of knowing that you are helping to make a measurable impact on the nation’s health and health care.

 

Individuals from a variety of education levels and career backgrounds—ranging from matriculating undergraduates to practicing physicians—may find opportunities within the Human Capital scholar, fellow and leadership programs. Visit the Programs & Scholars page to find the program that is right for you.

Applicants with degrees from outside the United States are eligible to apply to a Human Capital program, as long as they are United States citizens or permanent residents at the time of application.

If you meet the eligibility requirements for more than one program, you may apply to both. If you are selected as a finalist by more than one program, you will need to choose one.

You may apply again to Human Capital programs; however, you must complete and submit a new application. In order to confirm that you remain eligible, please check eligibility requirements for the program(s) to which you apply.

Each program has its own designated time during which it accepts applications. If you miss the deadline, you will need to wait until the next call for applications.

 

In addition, some programs are closed to new applications entirely, due to funding allocations. However, similar programs may be available. Visit the Programs & Scholars page to apply filters to find the program that is right for you.

 

Visit the Programs & Scholars page to select individual programs and learn more about each one’s scholars, eligibility requirements, application deadlines and other relevant information. The testimonials posted throughout this Web site also offer personal experiences of past scholars, fellows and leaders—and link to the biographies of featured alumni.

Yes! The Foundation is currently developing a resource that aims to sustain—both post-scholarship and post-fellowship—the valuable connections that scholars and fellows make during their time in a Human Capital program. The RWJF Alumni Network online community, Web site and Alumni Roundtable on Health and Health Care will launch in early 2010. The Network aims to provide scholars and fellows with many rich opportunities to connect and collaborate with other health and health care professionals whom the Foundation has supported over the years, through both virtual and in-person regional gatherings. The Alumni Network will also provide participants with ways to share and enhance their work and to advance the mission they share with RWJF: to improve the nation’s health in our lifetime.

You can submit questions to alumni using the Question & Answer form featured on the Overview page. You may ask questions of a specific individual, general alumni of a program or alumni of all programs. You will receive notification within 48 hours that your request has been received. Please note that alumni are usually very busy in their current professions, and response time can take up to four weeks.