The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) have announced a $20 million research initiative in support of community-driven research that aims to reduce inequities and improve health outcomes.

Through the initiative, the organizations will provide research grants to foster collaboration between research scientists and community leaders and develop community-driven research projects designed to improve health and save lives. AHA’s Health Equity Research Network (HERN) on community-driven research approaches will bring together research teams and community-based organizations to engage historically underrepresented communities in research to improve health. A team from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio will coordinate administration of the initiative.

Recipients include the University of California San Diego and the YMCA of San Diego County for efforts to advance food justice by reimagining ways in which resources, information, and wisdom flow between communities, academia, and other institutions; the Yale University SEICHE Center for Health and Justice and JustLeadershipUSA to explore why people who are incarcerated, along with their family members, are likely to have an increased risk of poor health; and Furman University and LiveWell Greenville to study the perception of community power among people from underrepresented communities.

“This initiative exemplifies our joint commitment to advancing health equity by harnessing the power of community-driven research,” said RWJF vice president, research-evaluation-learning and chief science officer Alonzo L. Plough. “By working together with the communities most affected by health inequities, we are supporting innovative changes in conventional clinical research that better address health equity. We believe this collaborative effort will improve health outcomes, build a foundation of trust in the research process, and contribute knowledge essential to achieving a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/FG Trade)