Developing Recommendations for Disaggregating Data Within the Asian American Population

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is seeking applications for its "Developing Recommendations for Disaggregating Data Within the Asian American Population" grant program. This initiative aligns directly with RWJF's broader mission to advance data equity, particularly by making historically underrepresented populations more visible in data collection, analysis, and reporting. Since 2015, RWJF has consistently supported research and advocacy efforts aimed at updating policies for race and ethnicity data to ensure fair consideration of diverse groups in policy creation, resource allocation, and program design and implementation. The target beneficiaries of this grant are the diverse Asian American population. The program's impact goal is to develop community-informed and evidence-based recommendations for clustering this population into smaller, actionable subgroups for race and ethnicity data collection and analysis. This approach aims to address the historical underrepresentation and lack of visibility of specific Asian American subgroups in data, ultimately leading to more equitable policies and programs that are responsive to their unique needs. The grant program prioritizes a multifaceted research project that will yield practical recommendations for Asian American subgroup categories. The focus is on developing methods that are feasible for real-world implementation, ensuring that the research translates into actionable changes in data practices. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive set of recommendations that guide researchers on how to more accurately and meaningfully disaggregate data within the Asian American population. These recommendations are intended to improve the quality and utility of race and ethnicity data, leading to better-informed decision-making and more equitable outcomes. RWJF's strategic priorities are deeply rooted in advancing health equity, and this grant reflects a key component of that strategy: addressing systemic inequities through improved data. By focusing on data disaggregation, RWJF's theory of change posits that more granular and accurate data will reveal disparities and needs that are currently masked by broad racial and ethnic categories. This enhanced visibility is expected to empower communities, inform evidence-based policy changes, and ultimately contribute to a fairer distribution of resources and opportunities, thereby improving health and well-being for all.