Application and Review Process

The Aetna Foundation has two different processes: one for requests up to
$50,000, and one for requests over $50,000. 

The application process for funding requests over $50,000 is to first submit a Letter of Inquiry using our online application form (includes all types of funding requests: research, project, policy grants; and sponsorships). Following Aetna Foundation review, applicants will be contacted for additional information, declined or invited to submit a full proposal.

Submission of full proposals requesting over $50,000 without a preliminary Letter of Inquiry is strongly discouraged.

Full proposals for requests up to $50,000 will be accepted without preliminary submission of a Letter of Inquiry. Applicants may be required to submit additional information during the review to meet the application guidelines for their type of project.

Proposals will be reviewed by Aetna Foundation staff and as determined by the Aetna Foundation, a selection committee composed of Aetna representatives and/or external subject matter experts.  Award notification generally will be made within 150 days of application cycle close and by e-mail. We do not provide feedback on applications.

Proposals will be evaluated based upon several criteria, including the following: 

• Relevance to the Aetna Foundation's program areas
• Quality of the application, including innovation, originality, best practices and impact
• Strength of project and evaluation plan
• Feasibility of project success, including availability of resources necessary to perform the project; budget; organizational capacity and qualifications of key personnel and collaborators
• Impact on designated issue and population served (clearly defined and quantified)
• Potential for generalizability of results to improve health and health care
• Quality of communications and dissemination plan, including presentations, conferences, convenings, white papers, publications and policy analyses

And for research projects: 

• Applied, not theoretical, significance of proposed research objectives
• Appropriateness and adequacy of the experimental design and proposed research methodology 
• Adequacy of research methods and evaluation components, including survey techniques and data analyses