The AAMC Center for Health Justice collaborates with academic health systems, public health and community-based organizations, government and health care entities, the private sector, community leaders, and community members to improve the health of people everywhere. The Center builds a case for health justice through research, analysis, and collaborations that drive our efforts to build a better future.
The Center regularly conducts nationally representative polling to ask the public about the health equity issues that matter to them. Every two years the Center collaborates with the AAMC CHARGE community to identify priority population health- and health equity-related topics, and then develops and fields a poll focused on those topics. Once data are collected, the AAMC CHARGE Investigates Call for Research provides AAMC CHARGE members with the opportunity to access the data for free, to further their own health equity peer-reviewed research.
2026 Survey Topics
The 2026 Call for Research survey collected information on
- Health status
- Health care access
- Health-related social needs
- Caregiving
Applicants should submit a health equity-focused research proposal based on the items in the 2026 survey. Access the 2026 survey instrument and information below.
Informational Webinar
An informational webinar on March 4 at 2 p.m. ET will present information about the 2026 Call for Research. AAMC Center for Health Justice staff will provide an introduction to the AAMC CHARGE Investigates: Call for Research process, the 2026 survey topics, and criteria for research-team selection. Staff will also review the application site and provide opportunities for applicants to ask questions. A recording of the webinar will be posted on this page the week of March 9.
Key Dates and Deadlines
| Date | Deadline |
|---|---|
| February 10, 2026 | Call for research opens and submission site opens. |
| March 4, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET | Live informational webinar. Recording will be posted on this page. |
| April 7, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET | Online application closes. |
| May 11, 2026 | Accepted applicants notified. |
| June 15, 2026 | Data-use agreement finalized. |
| June 30, 2026 | Teams will receive data transfer. |
Research-Team and Researcher Eligibility Requirements
- Everyone on the team must become a member of AAMC CHARGE by the time the application is submitted. Join AAMC CHARGE here.
- At least one team member must be from an AAMC member institution. These include medical schools, academic health systems, and academic societies. Please check the AAMC Member Directory. The person who has an affiliation with an AAMC member institution does not need to be the point of contact noted on the application, but their contact information is requested in the application.
Interdisciplinary teams are highly encouraged but not required, as are teams that include community members or patients in the design, development of the research proposal, and/or interpretation of findings. Five research teams (each with three to five members) will be selected through a competitive application process.
Expectations for Selected Teams
- Sign a data use agreement with the AAMC prior to receiving the data.
- Receive access to specified data for 24 months, starting June 30, 2026.
- Receive all demographic information collected for the survey, but research teams will need to specify which variables in the codebook they will leverage for their research question; the entire dataset will not be provided.
- Present preliminary results via an AAMC CHARGE webinar in the spring of 2027.
The AAMC Center for Health Justice does not provide funding for teams or individual researchers to present their findings on additional platforms (e.g., conferences or peer-reviewed open-access journals). Learn more about the 2024 AAMC CHARGE Investigates Call for Research selected teams.
How to Apply
Applicants must submit a research proposal online by Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Click the link below and create an account to begin your application. If you encounter any issues with the submission site, please contact us.