About Us

About Policies for Action

Policies for Action (P4A) is a signature research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), administered through the national coordinating center at the Urban Institute. Since 2015, P4A has awarded over $33 million for research identifying policies, laws, and other public and private sector levers that can support RWJF’s vision, working with others, to build a Culture of Health and help achieve health and racial equity. Along with the other signature research programs, P4A is helping to explore the root causes of health disparities in America and identify potential solutions to improve health, equity, and well-being.

P4A builds on the Urban Institute's wealth of experience in health, social welfare, and social and economic policy, including its cross-center initiative on the social determinants of health that brings together experts spanning health, housing, labor, income and benefits, justice, and tax policy.

Research Hubs

In addition to funding investigator-initiated grants through its calls for proposals, P4A collaborates with Research Hubs led by universities and nonprofit research and community organizations across the country. The Hubs provide a transdisciplinary setting to develop, implement, and manage a program of strategic policy research to explore how policies, laws, and regulations can decrease racial and other health inequities.