Research on Diet-Related Health (DRH) Funding Opportunity

The Diet-Related Health program anticipates making up to 8 data access awards.  Komodo Health’s Healthcare Map provides access to real-world, de-identified patient-level data. This Healthcare Map captures the medical, laboratory, and pharmaceutical encounters of 330 million patients as they journey through the U.S. healthcare system, including an average of seven years of a patient’s medical history. This special solicitation will include a two-stage application process. Participants will submit a 2-page brief proposal followed by a full proposal if invited. Eligible research projects will focus on topics related to diet-related health and morbidity to better understand the impact of diet on health, improve treatment, and/or reduce barriers to treatment. Proposals that are of particular interest include, but are not limited to: 

• Prevalence of diet-related diagnoses such as:

• Obesity and overweight
• Chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint pain, or other related conditions

• Treatment for diet-related conditions, including counselling, procedures, medications, and inpatient psychiatric treatment
• Public health surveillance and population health
• Racial and ethnic disparities
• Healthcare costs and utilization 
• Please note: RWJF is primarily interested in topics related to obesity, overweight, and related health issues under this CFP; the foundation may also consider research related to underweight and eating disorders. Research related to diseases of digestion (e.g., Crohn's disease, Celiac disease, food allergies) are not a priority for funding at this time. If you are not sure whether your topic of interest aligns with the CFP, please contact DRH@mathematica-mpr.com.

Key Dates:

Release date: January 8, 2024
Webinar with Komodo Health: January 22, 2024 at 1 pm ET
Brief proposal deadline: February 21, 2024 
Full proposal deadline (by invitation only): May 29, 2024

Data access will accommodate studies of up to 18 months, from September 2024 to March 2026.

Key Materials:

• Call for Proposals – This document includes all details related to the competition, including applicant eligibility, links and details for available data assets, the review process, timeline, and grantee deliverables.  
  
• RWJF application portal – All proposals for this solicitation must be submitted via the RWJF online system. Visit the application portal and use the “Apply Online” link. If you have not already done so, you will be required to register at my.rwjf.org before you begin the proposal process. All applicants should log in to the system and familiarize themselves with online proposal requirements well before the final submission deadline. Staff may not be able to assist all applicants in the final 24 hours before the submission deadline.
• Webinar with Komodo Health – An informational webinar for applicants was held on January 22, 2024 to provide an overview of the available data. The webinar recording is available for review at Komodo Health here.
• Frequently Asked Questions – This FAQ document is based on the informational webinar with Komodo Health. The document can be viewed here.

For any questions about this funding opportunity, please contact the DRH Project Team at Mathematica (DRH@mathematica-mpr.com)