The Allies Against Asthma program will use a $12.5 million gift from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to set up pediatric asthma prevention programs in eight communities nationwide.

The grants will help health organizations, housing and environmental groups and community residents boost asthma prevention efforts, improve clinical care access and enhance patient education.

The program will be administered by the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Grants will be given in two phases. One-year organization and planning grants of $150,000 will be awarded to up to eight communities. Three-year grants of $450,000 per year will be given to communities that successfully complete the planning process.

A variety of organizations are eligible for the grants, and public-private partnerships are encouraged. Private foundations are not eligible for funding, however.

There is an online Call for Proposals application.

The Princeton, N.J-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is devoted exclusively to health and health care. It focuses grants on three goal areas: assuring that all Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable costs, improving care and support for people with chronic health conditions, and reducing the personal social and economic harm caused by substance abuse.

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