RWJF Scholars in Health Policy Research Program

Established in 1992, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholars in Health Policy Research Program has enabled outstanding new Ph.D.s in economics, political science, and sociology to advance their involvement in health policy research through two-year fellowships at three nationally prominent universities—the University of California at Berkeley/San Francisco, Harvard University, and the University of Michigan.  Based at HPI, the national program office oversees Program operations and provides technical assistance to the participating universities.  Alan B. Cohen is the National Program Director, Catherine M. Player is the Deputy Director, and Melissa Manolis is the Program Manager.

In 2011, the Program successfully recruited a diverse group of 9 highly talented individuals to its 18th cohort of Scholars, bringing the total number of past and present Program participants to 209 and the Foundation’s total investment in the Program to $74.3 million.  The competition for the 18th cohort is now underway.  The 16th annual meeting, held in June 2011, showcased the research of the Scholars in a broad array of areas within health policy.  Program alumni have received numerous professional awards from both disciplinary and health policy organizations, and several have held positions within key federal agencies actively involved in implementing the Affordable Care Act of 2010.  Foundation support to the national program office during the coming year totals $683,115.

Further information about the Program may be found at http://www.healthpolicyscholars.org.