But don’t get hung up on our name, because we’re not just looking for students who do health policy research. We’re looking for doctoral students whose research has the potential to impact health and well-being: The economics student examining how the marketplace drives decisions that create barriers to good health. The engineering student studying systems that better support wellness. The agriculture student who pursues research while keeping an eye on how it impacts long-term health. The goal of the program is to train doctoral students to use their discipline-based research training to advance health equity to build a Culture of Health, one that enables everyone to live longer, healthier lives.

We need far greater diversity in future generations of researchers and policymakers. With more voices in the conversation, policies and solutions can be more inclusive and relevant to a broader range of communities. That’s why we intentionally designed Health Policy Research Scholars for students from underrepresented populations and/or historically marginalized backgrounds—students whose race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, or other factors allow them to bring unique and diverse perspectives to their research.

Our scholars gain access to the tools, insights, and diversity of mentors needed to accelerate and distinguish their research. And because we know that pursuing a graduate degree is intense and time-consuming in and of itself, we provide an annual stipend to give our scholars added research funds, or simply greater financial stability.

Alumni from this program carry the unique distinction of being a graduate of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation leadership program and become a part of a tightly knit network of visionary change agents across sectors and disciplines.