Strategic Consultation Grants for Baltimore City

Forms and Templates to Download
  •  Request for Proposals (print version)

Please use the provided templates:
  •  Cover Page
  •  Budget Form

All proposals need to include the following:

1. Cover Page: Use the template provided above. 

2. Abstract: Provide a brief summary of the proposal that states how this project will support a city effort. Abstracts should not exceed 200 words.

3. Project Narrative: The project narrative should not exceed 900 words. The requested format of the application is as follows:

• Introduction: Describe how this proposal relates to a city-identified need, include a statement of importance and, where appropriate, evidence that supports the need and/or the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

• The city effort: Include a clear statement of how this work will support city efforts, including but not limited to the development or modification of city policies or how policies or programs are implemented. State clearly what will be accomplished for the city with these funds.

• Approach: Share how your plan will address the city needs. Clearly outline the timeline for accomplishing what’s being proposed, including the work to be completed and what the deliverables will include. If this is a research project, be sure to share what methods will be used.

• Deliverable: Describe the final product of this proposal. This may include a grant application, a presentation of findings to key stakeholders, a submission to a peer review journal, a report, etc.

4. Community Impact: Provide a brief description of how the proposed work will advance health equity in Baltimore City. Indicate the specific Baltimore City community neighborhood(s) that will be impacted by this project. Describe how the proposed work will enhance university-community partnerships and support future activities to promote health equity. The community impact statement should not exceed 450 words.

5. Proposed Budget: Use the template provided above. 

6. Biographical Sketches: Upload one file with biographical sketches for both the faculty and key partners in the city agency. Each biographical sketch should be one page or less and include: name, current contact information, and professional experience.

7. Letter of Support: This should be written by the main point of contact with whom you are working within the city government. It should include what strategic initiative you are working on, a description of the deliverable, and the proposed scope of work. 

Faculty from all schools of the Johns Hopkins University are eligible to apply (this includes scientists, research associates, assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors). All proposals require a collaborating Baltimore city (e.g., the Health Department) or quasi-city (e.g., The Family League) entity with an individual identified within that agency as the key partner on the project.

Examples of the types of activities that are eligible for funding include collaborating to draft a grant application on behalf of the city, conducting an evaluation of a city effort, a specific short-term research project to answer a question of interest to the city, a policy review and a memo with recommendations for a specific agency.

Applications will be reviewed by a team of Hopkins faculty and staff and Baltimore community members. A detailed review of each application will not be provided; rather, feedback will be limited to a notification of grant award.

Funding Specifications and Restrictions

Proposals will be funded at up to $10,000 each. Funding can be requested to support all activities justified in the budget. Awards are for a 6-month continuous budget. A one-time no-cost extension for up to an additional 6 months (for no more than one year in total) may be granted by a written request with justification accompanied by a brief progress report.

Applicants should consider the following:

• Does the project have a clearly stated goal?

• Are the proposed methods likely to achieve the project’s goals?

• Can the level of award realistically accomplish the work proposed?

• Is there city support to use the information gleaned from the project?

• Does the proposed budget reflect support a city or quasi-city agency needs?

• Is the final product described?

• Is there clear evidence that the collaborating faculty and city agency has been involved with the development of the proposed plan?

• Does the proposal explain how faculty will be involved for the duration of the project?

Award notices will be issued by the Urban Health Institute and will include terms and conditions for these grants. Funds will be transferred to Hopkins partner’s financial department, and financial reports will be required. Disbursements will be made in two installments: (1) upon submission of terms and conditions and IRB approval (if applicable) and (2) after the submission of a satisfactory interim report.

Award recipients will be required to provide both a brief interim progress report and a final report of their project or study. A progress report should be submitted midway through the project period, and a final report will be due 30 days from the project end date. These reports should provide an update on progress being made as well as a financial report. In addition, we ask that the final report includes a statement of lessons learned and the final deliverable of the work completed. Where appropriate, the applicants should credit the Urban Health Institute for any publications that result from the awards (e.g., “this project was supported through a grant from the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute”).

A brief awardee presentation discussing the impact UHI funding has had on their communities and highlighting the benefits of collaborative multi-sector partnerships may be requested by the UHI. Grant recipients may be asked to participate in a UHI video presentation and/or participate in an annual UHI Grantee Showcase.

Question: Can two people work on an online application at the same time? Can my assistant upload files/proposal on my behalf?

Answer: Yes, please use the proxy functionality. To collaborate on the proposal, please add all people as proxies and choose one team member as the main submitter. For more information, please visit this InfoReady webpage.

If you have additional questions, please email us at urbanhealth@jhu.edu.