Applications are currently being accepted for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Fellows 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
About RWJF Health Policy Fellows
The RWJF Health Policy Fellows program provides the nation’s most comprehensive midcareer learning experience at the intersection of health, science, and policy in Washington, D.C. Fellows participate in the policy process at the federal level and leverage that leadership experience to promote policies, practices, and systems changes that advance the health of the nation.
The fellowship requires a full-time commitment with a minimum 12-month residence in Washington, D.C., which prepares individuals to influence the future of health and its drivers in the nation.
The fellowship begins in September with an intensive three-and-a-half-month orientation arranged by the NAM, during which time the fellows meet with national leaders well versed in health, healthcare policy, drivers of health, think tanks and interest groups, executive branch officials, and members of Congress and their staff. Fellows also participate in seminars on health economics, the congressional budget process, priority issues in federal health policy, and the process for federal decisionmaking. The concentrated orientation is designed to prepare the fellows for immediate success in federal legislative and executive branch positions.
Benefits of RWJF Health Policy Fellows
- Stipend: $175,000 per fellow over a period of 12–24 months for up to eight fellows.
- Housing/Relocation: Fellows will be directly reimbursed for relocation and approved housing expenses through separate funds within limits specified by the NAM and RWJF up to $20,000.
RWJF Health Policy Fellows Requirements
- Exceptional midcareer professionals from academic institutions, not-for-profit organizations, or government (including military; U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs; U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps; and state offices who are not considered government officials under Section 4946 of the Internal Revenue Code);
- Applicants must have earned an advanced degree (master’s or doctoral degree);
- In addition, applicants must have developed deep subject matter experience in a health- related discipline and have at least 10 years of full-time work experience. Examples include but are not limited to medicine; nursing; public health; law; dentistry; economics and other social sciences (especially disciplines related to factors that influence population health, such as housing, transportation, nutrition, employment, education, and environmental and community conditions); health services and social work/behavioral health; and other health professions;
- Applicants whose official job description or responsibilities are primarily government relations or advocacy are not eligible;
- Individual candidates for receipt of award funds must be U.S. citizens, or permanent residents at the time of application. The RWJF Health Policy Fellows are placed in assignments in the federal government. Therefore, changes in federal policy or law may necessitate that RWJF consider adjustments in eligibility and grant terms, as well as placements in the program.
- Additionally, individual candidates for receipt of award funds cannot be related by blood or marriage to any Officer or Trustee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, or be a descendant of its founder, Robert Wood Johnson.
Application Date and Process
- Click on the link to the application website to apply.
Application Deadline
30 October, 2026
Opportunity Application
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RWJF Health Policy Fellows
Apply for RWJF Health Policy Fellows
