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Request for Proposals - Strategic Planning Consultant

Proposal Submission

• Proposals should be submitted electronically to: Taylor Witkowski Associate Director, Health Equity Research Lab twitkowski@challiance.org
• Proposal deadline: Thursday December 17th, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST
• Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF document and should not exceed 4 pages, excluding resumes/CVs and references.

Issue Date: November 2nd, 2026

Proposal Deadline: December 17th, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST

Anticipated Project Period: March 1st, 2027 - June 30th, 2027 (4 months)

Overview

The Health Equity Research Lab is seeking proposals from qualified strategic planning consultants to facilitate the development of a 5-year strategic plan. The selected consultant will work closely with organizational leadership, staff, and key stakeholders to assess the organization's current position, identify strategic priorities, and develop a clear, actionable strategic plan. The goal of this engagement is to produce a strategic plan that provides a practical framework for decision-making, resource allocation, program development, and organizational growth over the next several years.

Organization Background

The Health Equity Research Lab (HERLab) is an interdisciplinary group of researchers, clinicians, and community partners conducting scientific research to improve health outcomes across communities. The HERLab:

1) develops and evaluates high impact interventions;
2) identifies the mechanisms and factors of resiliency underlying health in the face of social and economic adversity;
3) fosters collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and community members; and
4) trains junior investigators to produce actionable research.

These activities are grounded and guided by engagement from patients, their family members, and patient advocates.

• The Health Equity Research Lab is located within the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a safety net healthcare system serving Boston's metro-north communities.
• The HERLab was established in 2015 and consists of a team of 12 investigators, 6 support staff, and between 5-10 interns, volunteers, and students.
• Our work is guided by our Community Advisory Board, made up of youth and caregivers with lived experience of mental illness, substance use, and experience navigating the behavioral health system.
• The HERLab conducts a variety of health equity research projects related to: suicide prevention, substance use, Medicare/Medicaid value based payment, SNAP programs, healthcare utilization, etc.
• The HERLab is funded through a combination of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, foundation grants, and support from CHA. Federal and foundation awards support the institutional infrastructure of Cambridge Health Alliance through standard negotiated indirect cost rates, returning operational resources back to CHA.
• The HERLab provides research training in the hopes of building a sustainable health equity research pipeline, providing mentorship to high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, medical residents, fellows, and junior faculty.

The organization has experienced significant turmoil in recent years because of federal funding cuts but has recovered and experienced growth in recent months. We are seeking to develop a strategic plan to clarify priorities, strengthen and expand our research and funding portfolio, identify opportunities for collaboration, and ensure that staff effort and organizational resources are aligned with the highest-priority goals. The last time we conducted strategic planning was in 2017. This resulted in consensus around continuing to build a balanced work environment, to focus on high impact health equity research projects, to translate our research into policy and clinical change, and to grow junior investigators into independent researchers. Our team has begun discussing strategic priorities in preparation for the upcoming strategic planning process. As a group, we would like to develop guidelines for how to prioritize projects and effort at the HERLab, in terms of methods, content, and training.

Please us this link for the full Request for Proposals - Strategic Planning Consultant.

Please note that the final offer may vary within the listed Pay Range, based on a candidate's experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity considerations.

In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.

Cambridge Health Alliance brings Care to the People - including your neighbors, friends and family. Our local hospitals and care centers serve our vibrant, diverse communities, and play an integral role in improving health. As passionate advocates for the underserved, we actively partner with our communities to take on challenging public health issues, and conduct important research to help reduce barriers to care. We believe that everyone deserves access to high quality, convenient health care. This is why our employees believe in where they work and why many build long, rewarding careers at CHA.

Healthcare is changing rapidly. CHA has a strategic plan that charts a proactive course for our future. It is built on a vision of equity and excellence for everyone, every time. It also recognizes that our workforce is our most valuable asset and prioritizes competitive salaries, benefits and professional development opportunities for employees. The strategic plan is changing the way we provide care and improving the health and experience of our patients; we are looking for smart, committed, compassionate people who want to be part of making our vision of better health and equity a reality.

At CHA, you can believe in where you work and go home every day knowing you made a difference. Join our team and help us bring Care to the People.