Grant Opportunities

At the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences research serves as the foundation for our actions. See our current grant opportunities below.

Current Opportunities:

Omega 3 in Young Adults Eating Plant-Based Diets

Advancing Research that Supports ‘Gut Health’: Documenting the Continuum of Measures from Health to Disease

The IAFNS Nutrition for Gut Health Committee advances the scientific understanding of the impact of diet and dietary constituents on gut and host health. Although it is implied that ‘gut health’ lies somewhere along the continuum of various relevant measures, there is currently no generally accepted definition of gut health. One step toward arriving at agreement on the concept of ‘gut health’ is better understanding available measures and their interpretation. By clarifying this concept, it may be possible to identify interventions (foods, diets, supplements) that promote gut health.

IAFNS Graduate Student and Post-Doc Stipends for Research Using the Comprehensive Fiber Database

The IAFNS Carbohydrates Committee is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for the above project.

Publication and travel stipends are available on an ad hoc basis for graduate students and post-docs who complete research based primarily on the Comprehensive Fiber Database developed and maintained by Tufts University with funding from IAFNS.

The database: https://iafns.org/our-work/research-tools-open-data/dietary-fiber-database/

Supported projects may include evidence reviews of fiber and health outcomes and knowledge or gaps analysis of a specific area of fiber as it relates to human health. Other uses may also be considered as long as the database is a primary tool used in conduct and analysis.

Travel Awards: Up to 2 travel awards may be granted annually to reimburse up to US $1,000 each to cover meeting registration or travel for a graduate student or post-doc to present in an oral or poster presentation a project in which the Comprehensive Fiber Database serves as the basis for analysis.

Publications: Awards will be granted on an ad hoc basis up to US $4,000 in the form of reimbursed fees for free access to a peer-reviewed paper accepted for publication by a student currently enrolled in a nutrition or food science graduate program. The same would apply to a post-doc in food science or nutrition who is the first author on a paper for which the Fiber Database is a primary tool for analysis.

Details and full instructions can be found in this form.

Please submit proposals at your convenience. Applications will be reviewed every 8 weeks. For further questions please contact blyle@iafns.org.

Scientific integrity is a core value of IAFNS. Learn how we embed scientific integrity into every step of our research process.

View Current Areas of Work

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Projects Funded by IAFNS:

IAFNS's mission is to advance food safety and nutrition science for the benefit of public health. View projects funded by IAFNS below, and learn how we embed scientific integrity into every step of our research process.

Impact of Fortification/Enrichment on Total Nutrient Intakes from Foods within Specific Groups by Socioeconomic Status

As part of its review every five years, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) estimates the nutrient intake of the American population and identifies those nutrients of national concern. The Scientific Report of the 2015 DGAC identified “shortfall nutrients” and “overconsumed nutrients” and assessed which of those nutrients posed “substantial” public health concern. The aims […]

Novel Estimation of Energy Balance through the Calibration of Consumer Devices in Free-Living, Rural US Children

Children in rural areas are disproportionately affected by pediatric obesity. The American Heart Association has listed delivery of obesity treatment to rural families using mobile health (mHealth) as a major research priority. Improving the estimation of energy intake and balance is a priority for developing successful mHealth obesity treatment programs. The aims of this project […]

Dietary Patterns Associated with Cognition During Aging

In 2011, 15% of Canadians 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia. Despite the fact that the cause of AD is not known, age and the presence of the epsilon 4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE4) are the most important risk factors. Diet is central to health […]

Survival and Inactivation of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens in Model Low-Moisture Foods

Low-moisture food (LMF) products are often ingredients (e.g. nuts, dried fruits, cereal products, and chocolate) used in the manufacture of many food products. Because of this, they carry significant potential for the amplification of outbreaks and recalls over a wide variety of products. There has been worldwide recognition of the need to more seriously manage […]

Comparison and Analysis of Toxcast Data with In Vivo Data for Food-Relevant Compounds Using The Risk21 Approach

The IAFNS Food and Chemical Safety Committee invests in the training and education of future scientists and leaders in the fields of food and chemical safety and food toxicology by supporting a Summer Fellowship Program for doctoral students. This project focused on Comparison and Analysis of Toxcast Data with In Vivo Data for Food-Relevant Compounds […]

Demonstrating the Causal Beneficial Role of Microbes in Diet-Microbe-Host Interactions in Metabolic Disease

Over the past decade there has been an exponentially growing number of reports that describe changes in the microbial populations in response to dietary intervention. These changes in the microbiota are then associated with health outcomes with limited understanding of what changes in the microbial population really mean. Very few reports have demonstrated the specific […]

Listeria monocytogenes Thermal Resistance in Low-Moisture Foods: Role of Water Activity or Food Matrix

Low moisture foods (e.g., cocoa powder, dried milk powder, flour) have been increasingly involved in foodborne outbreaks. Foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes can survive in low moisture foods and dry food processing environments for months, and even for years. However, there is a general lack of knowledge related to the behavior of L. monocytogenes […]

Exploring Nutritional and Metabolomic Pathways Linking Chronic Stress and Childhood Obesity

Chronic stress is a key risk factor for obesity and the accumulation of abdominal fat among children, which are harmful to long-term health. However, the mechanisms that underlie these relationships are poorly understood. This study will draw from a well-characterized cohort of children to provide some of the first data to explore two often-hypothesized, yet […]

Modeling the Impact of High-Oleic Soybean, Sunflower, and Canola Oils on Fatty Acid Intakes

Food production affords opportunities to select from a variety of commercially available fats/oils to achieve specific functional product characteristics. Widespread changes in the food supply, even if small for individuals, can shift population intakes and potentially modify cardiovascular risk. Modeling changes in advance of widespread commercial adoption can be used to predict the upper potential […]

Flavan-3-ols and Cardiovascular Disease Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Dietary flavonoids integrate a diverse range of polyphenolic compounds that occur naturally in plant foods. To date, the sub-class flavan-3-ols has received the most research attention, with the majority of nutrition studies focused on two dietary sources: tea and chocolate. It is not clear if the metabolic and cardiovascular health benefits may be attributed flavan-3-ols […]

Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Eye Health Visual Function Evidence Map and Systematic Review

Lutein/zeaxanthin, found in egg yolks and a variety of fruits and vegetables, is associated with healthy ocular tissue, but an amount recommended per day has not been established. The goal of this study is to determine the strength of evidence linking a specific quantity of lutein/zeaxanthin with normal healthy eye structure (including macular pigment density) […]

The Scientific Basis of Guideline Recommendations on Sugar Intake

Several authoritative organizations have issued public health guidelines addressing dietary sugars. These organizations have conducted their own reviews of the available evidence, and have crafted different recommendations with regard to sugar consumption with various rationales for limiting intake. When respected organizations issue conflicting recommendations, it can result in confusion and raise concern about the quality […]

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