With the prevalence of obesity in the U.S., obesity research receives much funding in the form of fellowships and grants. Individual researchers must usually be affiliated with a research institution like a university. The head researcher is termed the "principal investigator" of a project, and may use the award to continue dissertation research or branch into a related area of study.
Health Agencies
With its plethora of opportunities for obesity researchers, the National Institutes of Health should be the first stop on any obesity researcher's search for funding. The NIH administers obesity-related research fellowships and grants, such as "Lifestyle Interventions in Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women," which gives up to $500,000 per award over a five-year period. The Obesity Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures program supports research in the effectiveness of community-level interventions to reduce obesity. Normally these awards supply under $250,000 for each year the researcher earns funding, but researchers can request $500,000 or more per year if necessary. The Secondary Analyses in Obesity, Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases supports further analysis of previously collected data related to the relationship of obesity to these diseases. Applicants can request up to $275,000 over a two-year period for this award. Institutions, rather than individual investigators, must apply for these awards, but a postdoctoral researcher affiliated with a university or other research institution can lead the application process and act as the project director for the research.
Environmental Agencies
Environmental and agricultural agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture are another prominent source of funding for obesity researchers. The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture sponsors the Environmental and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program. The program funds studies and education projects related to nutrition, with an emphasis on childhood obesity encouraged. Postdoctoral researchers can receive fellowships through the program equal to one year of their salary, allowing them to take a sabbatical from teaching. Research institutions can receive equipment grants of up to $250,000, and researchers can receive $150,000 for collecting preliminary data.
Foundations
Some foundations support obesity research as well. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for instance, supports research that explores how children's environments and public policy may foster obesity, and conversely, how changing environments and policy can reduce obesity. The foundation has a specific interest in exploring causes of obesity in marginalized populations. Award amounts vary, with $2.35 million in funding being given in 2011. The William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Program supports five years of study for early-career researchers who work at a university and have earned a doctoral degree no earlier than 2004. Applicants may be in the process of earning their Ph.D.
Hospitals and Medical Schools
Hospitals and medical schools commonly provide fellowships for researchers who have completed their doctoral training as well. For example, the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School partner to offer the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Obesity and Behavioral Health. In this program, researchers work full-time for one or two years in studying a particular aspect of obesity, like childhood causes and interventions or psychological responses to treatments.
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