Message from Gertrude J. Spilka
As the National Program Director, I welcome you to the virtual home of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s New Connections Program. Our hope is that here you will learn more about our program, our staff, and the work of current and past diverse grantees. Also, we hope that the website serves as a unique portal linking you to a huge, highly talented professional network and set of career resources targeted for diverse researchers, consultants and evaluators.
Founded in 1992, much of the OMG Center’s (www.omgcenter.org) research and evaluation work has focused on complex issues facing diverse communities across the United States. It takes many kinds of players from the public and private sectors to solve the complicated problems in areas such as public health, education and economic development. However, to truly discuss and then impact social disparities, evidence framed through diverse lenses is essential.From problem framing, to data collection, sense making, and to guiding social solutions, OMG has valued and been a champion of diverse teams from our inception. Today, I am thrilled and honored to be the home for the New Connections Program, and hope that we can support your work and connect you to other diverse researchers, scholars and consultants. Also, I look forward to finding synergies between New Connections and the Robert Wood Johnson Evaluation Fellowship Program targeted to emerging professionals and mid career professionals, which we co-direct with Duquesne University (www.rwjf-evaluationfellows.org).
Welcome again, best of luck and let us know how we can help you...
Message from Debra Joy Pérez
Welcome to the website of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s New Connections: Increasing Diversity of RWJF Programming! We are so happy to connect with you. When I was an graduate student at Harvard, I remember how isolated I felt as one of a few minority scholars pursuing a research agenda in racial and ethnic disparities. I was lucky to find a few senior investigators who were interested in my work and could mentor me. Those mentors made all the difference in my experience. It was harder though to find other junior scholars in my program or department who could identify with the unique challenges I encountered as a graduate student of color. I began to see the value of becoming part of something bigger, a network of inter-university scholars who could help me formulate and publish the best research possible. Connecting to this community of scholars helped me realize that rigorous research was possible while still being informed by real-world situations. That experience is what led to the creation of New Connections.
Launched in 2005, RWJF envisioned New Connections as a program that would be the premiere network for connecting researchers from historically underrepresented groups with the goal of joining forces to address the nation's most pressing social problems in health and health care. New Connections would have the added value of increasing the diversity of perspectives informing the Foundations’ programming efforts.
We at RWJF are proud to see the many ways that the New Connections program has grown over the years. Not only are we are making an impact on the programming we do at RWJF but we are also impacting the careers and professional development of our grantees, alumni, and network members. Read testimonials from New Connections’ grantees and alumni>>
New Connections is thrilled to have you visit us at our virtual home; we want this website to be a place for you to find out more about the New Connections program. You can meet our staff, learn about the work of current grantees (and alumni too!), and stay informed about our events and other opportunities that are of interest to diverse researchers, scholars, and consultants. Please explore the website and contact us if you have any questions or comments.
On behalf of the New Connections program, continued health and success in your endeavors!