HBHI requests proposals for pilot projects that incubate or accelerate collaborative research within the domains of at least one of the HBHI strategic pillars: (1) market competition and healthcare policy; (2) health delivery performance; (3) health of populations and health equity: and (4) innovation – health technology and systems.

Our annual pilot program issues 4-6 awards up to $25,000 each.  Applications are due on November 8, 2024.  Previous awards can be viewed HERE 

The HOPKINS BUSINESS OF HEALTH INITIATIVE integrates the scholarship across Johns Hopkins University including the Carey Business School, Bloomberg School of Public Health, School of Nursing, and School of Medicine around a shared vision of a healthier America, supported by an affordable and equitable, high-value health system. In pursuit of this vision, our work focuses on the role of business and incentives through rigorous, objective, non-partisan, interdisciplinary research. Our pilot grant program seeks to advance HBHI’s mission to incubate, accelerate, and disseminate impactful, world-class, collaborative research across the divisions of Johns Hopkins University that aims to improve the productivity of the nation’s health system.

HBHI Strategic Pillars

Market competition and healthcare policy:

Competition among and between insurers, providers, and suppliers relates to prices, access, quality and equity and is affected by health policy. Our work seeks to understand how these complex interrelationships can best achieve an affordable and equitable, high-value health system.

Health delivery performance:

How can firms and workers that operate within the health sector deliver the most health for the costs they incur? We address this question through interdisciplinary teams that consider management, operations, marketing, workforce optimization and the role of policy and payment in shaping the incentives that reward value and performance.

Health of populations and health equity:

We focus on the role of business and incentives play to advance health of communities, addressing social determinants and inequity, public health, and healthy behavior.

Innovation – health technology and systems:

Healthcare markets, health organizations, and health of populations can benefit from effective and cost-effective innovation. We focus on how health technology innovation and innovative systems of care can best advance the productivity of the nation’s health system.

With so many opportunities for novel research from newly available datasets in the health space, HBHI has established the Health Analytics Research Platform (HARP) computing environment to facilitate access to data for HBHI Affiliates. Learn more about the HARP and HBHI data assets here. We encourage pilot projects to take advantage of these resources. When HARP resources are access through an HBHI pilot, HARP fees are waived. 

FUTURE FUNDING: Pilots may provide an excellent opportunity to produce preliminary data for future extramural or internal grants. HBHI encourages applicants to additionally consider JHU Discovery Awards.  HBHI has an ongoing partnership with the Discovery Award program to cover HARP fees for selected Discovery Award projects using HARP resources. 

ELIGIBILITY: Faculty from any division or School across Johns Hopkins University can apply.

SCORING CRITERIA:

  1. Impact. The significance of the problem and the potential for new insights advancing health and/or health services.
  2. Topic. The degree to which the topic of the proposal is consistent with HBHI strategic pillars. See earlier description of how HBHI prioritizes a focus on the business of health.
  3. Methods. The appropriateness and methodological rigor of the scientific plan.
  4. Future potential. The likelihood that successful completion of this pilot project would lead to external funding and/or a larger research program that would support the development of the collaborative and innovative HBHI community. Please write if the proposal includes data or other resources that could be leveraged by others at HBHI.
  5. Investigators. The qualifications of the investigators. Multidisciplinary teams, particularly those that span JHU divisions are highly encouraged.

APPLICATION: Please submit proposals to [email protected] with subject line “2025 HBHI Pilot Proposal.” Proposals should be a combined pdf of the following elements:

  1. Project description. Up to two pages, single-spaced, 11-point font minimum which has the following information:
    1. Statement of the project’s significance, specific aims, impact, and connection to HBHI’s strategic pillar(s).
    2. Description of the research plan, timeline, and methodologies to be employed including discussion if using existing HBHI data products and how the data and key variables will be measured and analyzed.
    3. Discussion of future potential, i.e., ideally a plan for external funding or implementation of a program or intervention.
  2. Project budget. Describe and justify the specific items to be funded by the grant (one page). Formal budget and application approvals will be required after the proposal is selected. Indirect costs are not permitted. Funds are intended to support research assistants, data acquisition, and survey costs. Faculty salary support is permitted, but not preferred. Timeline limited to 12 months.
  3. Bio sketches or CVs. For the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators.

 

TIMELINE:

Nov 8, 2024                                 Application deadline

December 20, 2024                   Award announcements

January 1, 2025                                        Projects start

March 2025            Grantees will present their research ideas and get feedback from the broader HBHI community         

July 1, 2025                                  Interim report due

Dec 29, 2025                                Final report due                                       

Grantees will receive opportunities to present findings at the Summer Retreat, and HBHI Monthly Work-in-Progress Seminar Series.