Health Policy Research & Advocacy Funding Opportunity: Enhancing Public Health Impact

1. INTEGRATING POLICY RESEARCH & HEALTH ADVOCACY RFP INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTSSeptember 27, 2010 12:00PM-1PM

2. Welcome and Webinar Overview • RFP important concepts and information • 20 minute Q&A • Questions may be submitted in writing any time • Questions may be verbalized during Q&A by “raising your hand” • 2 minute evaluation at end

3. RFP Rationale • Role health policy research and advocacy play in fulfilling CT Health’s mission and strategic objectives • Health policy and grantmaking coming together in RFP • Relevance of policy research and advocacy in the face of impending governmental changes

4. About the Connecticut Health Foundation • History, mission, theory of change, priority areas

5. About the Connecticut Health Foundation

6. About the Connecticut Health Foundation

7. About the Connecticut Health Foundation

8. About the Connecticut Health Foundation

9. Need and Opportunity • What we heard from grantees and partners • The power of policy research + strategic communications and advocacy

10. Project Scope • Purpose: Equip advocates and decision makers with timely, actionable health policy data during upcoming local, state, and federal election seasons and legislative sessions • Health Advocacy Definition: Efforts to educate decision-makers, community leaders, and community members about health-related public policy issues This opportunity will not support lobbying (see Alliance for Justice’s “What is Lobbying” www.afj.org)

11. Project Scope • 18-months (research, product production, dissemination and action-oriented advocacy) • Four awards each up to $50,000 Examples of Research Activities • Polling • Legal/regulatory analysis • Economic analysis • Evaluation of public programs • Survey research • Focus groups • 2ndary analysis of datasets This opportunity is NOT intended to support scientific or academic research

12. Grantee Requirements • 2-3 meetings with CT Health Representatives • discuss and refine research question(s), methodology, and advocacy objectives • review findings and discuss communications, dissemination, and advocacy plans Grantees may request a preliminary meeting with CT Health for assistance identifying an external consultant or technical assistance provider • Progress report at six month intervals

13. Eligibility • 501(c)(3) organization or fiscal agent • Out-of-state applicants must demonstrate CT benefit and existing CT relationships • Academic institutions and public entities NOT eligible to apply unless acting as supporting partner/subcontractor • Current CT Health grantees may apply

14. Proposals Must Be Responsive to Grant Objectives 1) Generate timely, actionable health policy data, analysis, and/or recommendations that advance CT Health’s strategic objectives. • 2) Support the use of research findings to do two or more of the following: • -Increase the knowledge base about a health issue amenable to policy solutions • -Evaluate outcomes or impact of current or future health policy • -Stimulate public debate about a health policy issue to raise its profile on the public agenda • -Equip advocates • -Provide decision support to decision makers 3) In one or more of the following ways, increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations to: -Conduct or commission policy research -Translate and integrate research findings for action oriented advocacy/policy change -Effectively communicate and disseminate findings to specific target audience

15. Proposal Narrative – Project Section i) Research question(s) and hypothesis - Why is it important? What’s the desired outcome? Where’s the alignment with CT Health’s strategic objectives? ii) Policy research – Who would conduct it and what’s their capacity/experience? iii) Data collection and/or analysis methodology - What are the strengths and limitations? Ensuring validity and credibility. iv) Advocacy product(s) – What? Why? Target audience? Sample/example. iv) Action-Oriented advocacy/policy change – Who would use the findings and how? Communications technical assistance needs. v) High-level timeline of project benchmarks Be sure to see RFP for full application requirements

16. Budget Guidance – Allowable Costs • Staff time + fringe for research and advocacy • Consultant or project partner subcontracts • Local travel for in-state applicants; travel to Connecticut permitted for out-of-state applicants/subcontractors • Editing, graphic design, printing, and dissemination for products • Up to 15% indirect rate

17. Application Submission • E-mail complete proposal as a single PDF file by noon eastern time October 20, 2010 to (nancy@cthealth.org) Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.

18. Grant Review Process • Internal review for completeness • Ad hoc review panel • Program Committee of CT Health Board review • Full Board vote Grant period: January 3, 2011-June 30, 2012

19. Selection Criteria • Alignment with CT Health’s strategic objectives • Compelling research question(s) and hypothesis • Capacity • Sound methodology • Articulation of how findings will be used • Communications plan

20. Q&A • Follow-up/offline questions to Elizabeth Krause elizabeth@cthealth.org or 860.224.2200 x14