Call for Proposals for Public Health Law Research

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Making the Case for Laws That Improve Health:

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) seeks to build the evidence for and strengthen the use of regulatory, legal and policy solutions to improve public health. The effective application of law—which includes statutes, regulations, case law and policies—is essential to the protection and promotion of the public’s health. As public health practitioners, policy-makers and others consider the use of law as a tool to improve the public’s health, it is important to have evidence to inform questions such as: How does law influence health and health behavior? Which laws have the greatest impact? Can current laws be made more effective through better implementation or amendment?

RWJF is launching this program to build a field of research and practice in public health law.

Preference will be given to those applicant organizations that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories at the time of application. The focus of this program is the United States; studies in other countries will be considered only to the extent they may directly inform U.S. law and policy.

May 19, 2009 (3 p.m. ET)—Deadline for receipt of brief proposals. Apply Online.