Health Equity Scholars for Action Resource Center

About Health Equity Scholars for Action (HES4A)

Research is more equitable, accurate, and actionable when diverse groups of researchers who have varied perspectives and lived experiences are designing and conducting the research. Yet structural racism and discrimination often stand in the way of the career trajectory for many researchers. They are often compelled to take on duties to support initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, consuming time and effort that could otherwise be devoted to their own career development and impact. Biased methods of assessment and evaluation for promotion, tenure, and other forms of disparate treatment, can also lead to disparities in advancement and promotion.,  

RWJF’s Health Equity Scholars for Action (HES4A) program exists to challenge assumptions, biases, and outdated conventions in research and academia by supporting early-career researchers from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Through funding, mentorship, coaching—and access to a broad community of people who understand their lived experiences—scholars will create a body of actionable evidence that addresses the root causes of health inequities in the United States—recognizing that those inequities are strongly linked with structural and systemic racism and other forms of oppression.