Grants

Thank you for your interest in the Foundation’s Grant Program. The Foundation proudly offers several annual research grants in an effort to stimulate innovation and discovery within the profession. Please refer to the table below for information on the focus of each of our named research grants. The Foundation’s ability to provide research grants is determined by investment activity and fundraising efforts.

How to Apply

The Foundation accepts applications for most research grant funding on an annual basis. Any person may apply for Foundation grants and will be given fair and protected-class-neutral consideration for an award. The ability to provide research grants is dependent on fundraising efforts and investment activity. 

The Foundation is currently accepting applications for the Commission on Dietetic Registration Emerging Researcher and Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grants within the Foundation’s external, online application platform, linked below. The extended deadline to apply for these grants is 10 a.m. (Central Time) on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.

Many other named Foundation research grant applications are scheduled to re-open in early December 2023.

Please contact Elisha Reichling, MS, RDN, LDN, Foundation Program Manager, at grants@eatright.org with questions.

Allene Vaden Memorial Grant for Foodservice Management Research
Grant amount: $5,000

This grant is given to encourage young academics to enhance and stimulate research in foodservice management.

Amy Joye Memorial Research Award
Grant amount: $5,000

Applicants are required to work with a mentor whose projects involve human research and focus on: Dietary assessment methodology to investigate/enhance accuracy of dietary reports*, Obesity prevention/weight control, or Fruit/vegetable gardens.

*Accuracy of dietary reports requires validation or comparison of dietary reports by study participants to actual dietary intake. Such validation does not simply compare two self-report methods by study participants because with that study design, actual dietary intake is unknown. Instead, validation requires comparison of dietary reports by study participants to a method that does not rely on another self-report method by study participants.

Ann A. Hertzler Memorial Research Grant
Grant amount: $15,000

2023 Topic: Proposals should evaluate the effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy, provided by RDNs, in adult patients that are overweight with low socioeconomic status.

Colgate Palmolive Fellowship in Nutrition, Oral Health/Dental Education
Grant amount: $15,000

This grant is given to support research in nutrition and oral health or dental education by doctoral students seeking a doctorate in nutrition and oral health or dental education, Masters thesis research on nutrition and oral health/disease or RDNs with advanced degrees doing research in the area of nutrition and oral health. Non-US residents may apply.

Commission on Dietetic Registration Emerging Researcher Grant
Grant amount: $10,000

This grant supports researchers with limited to no track records of extramural funding from competitive research grants and/or no first-authored, peer-reviewed research publications to conduct research that aligns with CDR’s Strategic Plan.

Commission on Dietetic Registration Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grant
Grant amount: $5,000

This grant supports faculty members or program directors of ACEND-accredited educational programs who oversee ongoing research within their programs that relates to CDR’s Strategic Plan and engages nutrition and dietetics students who are completing their eligibility requirements to take the registration examination for dietitians.

Diabetes (DDPG) DPG Karen Goldstein Memorial Grant for Diabetes MNT Application
Grant amount: $20,000. Available every other year.

This grant is given to provide financial support to a Diabetes DPG member for outcomes research in diabetes medical nutrition therapy.

Jean Hankin Nutritional Epidemiology Research Grant
Grant amount: $20,000

This grant is given to provide financial support to a doctoral student working on a dissertation in the area of nutritional epidemiology.

Julie O’Sullivan Maillet Research Grant
Grant amount: $1,000

This grant is given for a research project that aims to demonstrate the value of dietetics professionals on the health of the public or demonstrate the evolving role of dietetics professionals in the profession.

McCormick Science Institute Research Award
Grant amount: $10,000

This grant supports scientific endeavors including in vitro experiments, epidemiologic studies, spice and herb intake data collection, systematic reviews and/or evidence-based analysis.

The topic of focus changes every few years.

The Academy’s Council on Research’s current recommended focus is “Understanding the role of spices and health.” This could include the role of spices in modulating oxidative stress or inflammation; the role of spices in affecting dietary quality and intake in a variety of disease states (e.g., oncology, obesity, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, etc.); and/or various dietary assessment methodologies to capture quantities and types of spice consumption. Studies may be cell culture, epidemiologic analysis of existing data/secondary analysis, intake surveys/addition of spice intake data collection, systematic reviews and/or evidence analysis by the Academy.

Molly Kellogg Grant for Advancement in Nutrition Counseling
Grant amount: $3,000

This grant is given to advance counseling skills excellence in the dietetic profession by providing financial support to RDs and DTRs to pursue research in the nutrition counseling process.

Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group Research Grant
Grant amount: $10,000

This grant is given for innovative research relating to vegetarian nutrition to an individual who is an RDN, DTR or Dietetic Student member of the Academy. Preference will be given to members of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group.