Research Funding Opportunities
FANRP, in collaboration with USDA's Food and Nutrition
Service (FNS), made a series of special awards in fiscal
2010 that form a foundation for USDA's initiative to develop
a research program in behavioral economics as applied
to USDA's child nutrition programs. The first of these
awards established a Center for Behavioral Economics in
Child Nutrition Programs, which will provide focused leadership
to the development of this program. FANRP also made awards
for three projects that will test school-based applications
of behavioral economic concepts intended to improve children's
food choices. A final series of awards provided seed money
for developmental grants in this emerging research area.
The awards program was publicly announced and competitively
awarded through the use of peer review panels.
Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs
The Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child
Nutrition Programs was established in September 2010.
Headed by David Just and Brian Wansink, the Center will
be the cornerstone of USDA's Behavioral Economics-Child
Nutrition Research Initiative and will be responsible
for three major tasks:
- Facilitating new and innovative research on the application
of behavioral economic theory to child nutrition program
operations and activities, leading to program improvements
that will benefit children's diets and health.
- Broadening the network of social scientists who participate
in research that applies principles and theories of
behavioral economics to improving nutrition, food security,
and health outcomes associated with participation in
USDA's child nutrition programs.
- Disseminating information obtained through its research
program to a diverse stakeholder audience, including
other researchers, policy and program officials, and
the general public.
Evaluating Behavioral Economic Applications To Improve
Children's Food Choices
Testing behavioral economic concepts in the child nutrition
program setting is critical to assessing the feasibility
of promising interventions. Three awards were made for
studies that will test the effectiveness of selected behavioral
economic applications in improving the food choices of
children participating in USDA school meal programs.
Developmental Awards
A series of 11 developmental awards will plant the seeds
for an expanded program of research that applies behavioral
economic theories and methods to improving children's
eating habits through USDA's child nutrition programs.
Activities supported by these awards include fostering
research relationships between researchers and State and
local implementing agencies, testing concepts and methods
in small-scale pilot projects, developing and testing
data collection methodologies, and sponsoring workshops
to improve understanding of the application of behavioral
economics to child nutrition programs.
(Click on the title for the project's
description)
Investigator
|
City/State
|
Title
|
Award
amount |
Using
Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs:
Center Award |
David Just
Cornell University |
Ithaca, NY |
Cornell Center
for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs |
$1,000,000 |
Evaluating Behavioral Economic Applications to Improve Children's Food Choices |
Karen Cullen
Baylor College of Medicine |
Houston, TX |
Using Nudges From
Cafeterias and Parents To Encourage Healthy Food
Choices at School |
$175,000 |
Gregory Madden
Utah State University |
Logan, UT |
Incentivizing
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Elementary Schools |
$350,000 |
Joseph Price
Brigham Young University |
Provo, UT |
Can Default Options
and Incentives Improve Food Choices at School? |
$150,000 |
Using
Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs: Developmental Awards |
Cheryl Brown
West Virginia University |
Morgantown, WV |
Nudging High
School Students Toward Better School Lunch Food
Choices: Planning for Behavioral Economic Interventions
in West Virginia |
$30,000 |
Priscilla Connors
University of North Texas |
Denton, TX |
Testing
a Food Choice Innovation for Middle School Cafeterias |
$30,000 |
Ann Ferris
University of Connecticut |
Farmington, CT |
Drawing Attention
To Healthy Choices With Lighting |
$30,000 |
Deana Hildebrand
Oklahoma State University |
Stillwater, OK |
Using
Positive Deviance Principles To Identify Best Practices
of Choice Architecture and Build Research Capacity
With School Food Authorities |
$30,000 |
David Just
Cornell University |
Ithaca, NY |
Smarter Choices
Through Nutritional Report Cards |
$30,000 |
Mary Murimi
Louisiana Tech University |
Ruston, LA |
Menu
Modification for Lincoln Parish Child Nutrition
Program |
$30,000 |
Marla Reicks
University of Minnesota |
Minneapolis, MN |
Developing Research
Capacity To Test Behavioral Economic Interventions
in Child Nutrition Programs |
$30,000 |
Amit Sharma
Pennsylvania State University |
University Park, PA |
Improving
School Lunch Decisions With Fast Lane Meal Deals |
$40,000 |
Melayne McInnes
University of South Carolina |
Columbia, SC |
Children's Food
Choices: Understanding Defaults |
$25,000 |
Sean Cash
University of Wisconsin |
Madison, WI |
Influence of
Developmental Differences on Children's Responses
to Information on Foods |
$25,000 |
Helen Jensen
Iowa State University |
Ames, IA |
Is
Healthy Eating Viral? Improving Understanding of
How Social Networks Can Be Used To Influence School
Food Choices |
$25,000 |
View all descriptions
See awards from all years
|