2022 Call for Community-led Systems Change for Improved Health

Funding Summary / Application Resources / Contact Us

Funding summary

Funds Available: Approximately $1.5 million total is available to support approximately six to seven meritorious community-led collaboration projects, with each project requesting up to $200,000 maximum.

Application Deadline: Full proposal applications are due by 5 PM CST on March 14, 2022 (invited applicants only).

Eligible Applicants: AHW’s community-led grants support Wisconsin-based community-academic partnerships. Projects must be led by a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, IRS tax-exempt 501(c)3 or government organization, and must include an eligible Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine Principal Investigator (PI).

Funding Timeline: Project funding will begin July 1, 2022. Projects must be complete within an 18-month period.

Funding Details: AHW’s Call for Applications: Community-led Systems Change for Improved Health will support Wisconsin-based, community-led project teams in effectively impacting a policy or system-level change that can impact health outcomes and advance health equity in Wisconsin.

Successful applicant teams will articulate a feasible, ready-to-implement systems change effort or a portion of a longer-term, multi-step systems change effort to address an identified community-level health inequity.

Promising initiatives funded through this call will:

Focus on the root cause(s) of poor health outcomes and changes at the policy and systems level
Include efforts to create structural change as outlined in the “six conditions of systems change” (see full RFA for diagram and details)
Demonstrate the engagement of a collaborative team ready to actively implement the proposed project, assuring that key decision-makers, impacted populations, and community voices will be engaged throughout the process
Gather initial evaluation to demonstrate the potential positive impact on health and health equity

AHW encourages projects in alignment with its focus areas of heart health, healthy minds, and cancer. However, work outside of these focus areas will also be considered.

For more information, please download the full RFA.

Application resources

RFA Overview

View an overview of the 2022 Call for Community-led Systems Change for Improved Health funding opportunity

Useful Documents & Links

Frequently Asked Questions

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Who is eligible to apply for the 2022 Call for Applications: Community-led Systems Change for Improved Health?

Project teams must be led by a Wisconsin-based, nonprofit, IRS tax exempt 501(c)3 or government organization and must include an eligible MCW School of Medicine Principal Investigator (PI).

Please see full RFA for eligibility criteria.

What if my community organization/collaboration has not identified an MCW School of Medicine Principal Investigator?

AHW can assist community organizations in identifying a potential MCW School of Medicine Principal Investigator (PI) to serve as the required academic partner. Please contact AHW Program Manager Tim Meister at least a month prior to submission to discuss your needs.

Please note that a request to identify a potential MCW PI does not guarantee a partnership may be identified, but that AHW will make every attempt to support you in identifying a possible Principal Investigator.

What are allowable expenses under this funding opportunity?

AHW uses a cost-reimbursement model. Funds may only be used for direct, project-related expenses. Please review a list of AHW’s Allowable and Unallowable Costs (PDF) as you prepare your application.

In addition, in accordance with AHW’s state-required mandates, AHW funds may not supplant funds or resources otherwise available. Please see AHW’s Supplanting Criteria (PDF) for details.

How does my partnership/collaboration submit our application?

Applications will be accepted only through the official online form. Applications must be received by 5 PM (CST) on November 1, 2021. Applicants must answer all required fields and follow the restrictions set within the online form. No paper or emailed applications will be accepted. AHW will confirm receipt of the submission via email to the primary partners.

Following successful submission of the online form, signatures from key project personnel will be required via DocuSign to complete the LOI submission and be eligible to advance to the merit review process.

How long does the application process take? When will funding award announcements be made?

The 2022 Community-led Systems Change for Improved Health is a two-step application process:

Application Stage 1: Letter of intent (LOI) applications are due by 5 PM (CST) on November 1, 2021. AHW anticipates that applicants will be notified in mid-January 2022 of invitation to move to stage 2.
Application Stage 2: Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal application by 5 PM (CST) on March 14, 2022.
Award Determination: Award determinations are anticipated to be made in mid-May 2022, with funded projects beginning their work in July 2022.

contact us

For further information or to schedule a pre-application consult, contact AHW Program Manager Tracy Wilson.

Email trwilson@mcw.edu | Call (414) 955-4364

Note: AHW staff are currently working remotely and email is the preferred method for outreach