The research program and priorities of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Since its establishment as a national philanthropy in 1972, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has appropriated almost $560 million in grants directed toward improvement of health in the United States. Grants are made primarily to develop innovative methods of providing health services, for research and evaluation, and for education and training of health professionals. Since 1972, more than $100 million has been appropriated for research and evaluation projects. The research supported by the Foundation is applied rather than basic, and, like all of the Foundation's programs, must be responsive to the institution's mission. In the 1980s, this mission comprises three objectives: improving access to health care for the most vulnerable underserved population groups, containing increases in health care costs, and improving functional outcomes for patients. In this article, we provide details on the Foundation's research program and priorities, including evolution of the mission, the role of research in the Foundation's overall programs, the purposes for which the Foundation supports research and evaluation activities, and the types of grants available for health services researchers.