Healthy Eating Research Program

Healthy Eating Research (HER), a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), is issuing a Special Call for Rapid-Response Projects. HER is committed to promoting a Culture of Health by identifying and supporting strategies that improve children's nutrition and prevent childhood obesity. This specific funding opportunity is designed to support time-sensitive, solution-oriented research that evaluates the real-time impact of changes in federal, state, or local nutrition-related policies and programs on diverse families with limited incomes. The goal of this call is to rapidly generate evidence that is both timely and policy-relevant, particularly as recent developments—such as federal disinvestment in public health and nutrition programs—have raised significant concerns about their impact on food security, diet quality, and health equity. The context includes significant reductions in public health funding and policy changes affecting programs like SNAP, Medicaid, school meals, and WIC. These changes disproportionately impact low- and middle-income families, especially in racially and ethnically diverse communities, highlighting a pressing need for data-driven insights that can inform advocacy and decision-making. Grants may be awarded in three formats: issue briefs or policy analyses (up to $3,000, 4–6 months), research papers or reviews (up to $8,000, 6 months), and small studies (up to $50,000, 10 months). The funding is specifically aimed at projects that can assess the effects of nutrition policy modifications, such as state SNAP waivers, changes in work requirements, shifts in eligibility for nutrition programs, impacts of tariffs on food affordability, and other related areas. Small studies must involve new data collection or analysis, whereas briefs and reviews should synthesize existing data. Eligibility is open to researchers who propose projects directly impacting children (0–18) and young adults (19–25) in the U.S., particularly those in communities most vulnerable to poor nutrition outcomes. Studies must clearly focus on nutrition, diet quality, food security, weight, or other health indicators and be grounded in a rigorous and testable research design. Interdisciplinary approaches and diverse applicant backgrounds are encouraged. The evidence produced should offer clear implications for policy or program implementation under current administrative conditions. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the $200,000 total funding pool is committed. Interested applicants must email proposals to healthyeating@duke.edu with the subject line: ATTN: Rapid-Response Proposal. Templates for proposals and budget documentation are available on the HER website. While HER cannot provide consultation on individual proposal concepts, applicants with logistical questions may reach out via the same email address. The review process for small studies includes external peer review. Although specific deadlines are not set due to the rolling nature of this CFP, interested parties are encouraged to apply early to secure funding before the pool is exhausted. Selected projects are expected to contribute to HER’s goal of building a strong, inclusive body of research that can catalyze systems and environmental changes in nutrition policy and practice nationwide.

Use HER templates; apply early; focus on timeliness and equity impact.