Note: As of February 2013, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evaluation Fellowship Program has closed. More information about the program can be found at RWJF.org.

About

Program evaluators and researchers play an important role in helping foundations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations advance effective practices. These organizations increasingly hire program evaluators to analyze the progress and results of the programs and services they support before they make additional investment decisions.
 
Program evaluators use diverse methodological approaches to analyze practice strategies and their impact on populations and communities. Their results are then used to improve and/or reshape service delivery.

The skill set needed to effectively interpret public health, social service, community and organizational social patterns depends on the authentic and diverse experiences within program evaluation teams. Programs and services that are often evaluated traditionally work with underserved and disadvantaged communities, which are becoming more diverse. However, the program evaluation field is becoming less diverse due to a lack of training and placement opportunities for emerging professionals from graduate programs who come from underserved and disadvantaged communities. This creates a problem for the field where, more often than not, high-quality evaluations reflect a process that incorporates diverse perspectives. 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evaluation Fellowship Program seeks to diversify the evaluation field by providing individuals with the necessary skills and training to become program evaluators.