The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS), in collaboration with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), invites applications for a competitively awarded cooperative agreement to establish a research partnership to administer the Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) Program.
Donor Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/08/2022
Size of the Grant: $750,000
Details:
Started in 1998, RIDGE has been extremely effective in providing small grants for new research on major USDA programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, and smaller, less studied programs like the Summer Food Service Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The program has resulted in nearly 300 studies by more than 250 researchers located at over 100 educational and research institutions. In addition to research grants, RIDGE has supported studies by Ph.D. candidates through its Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant Program and other activities. These activities support the RIDGE Program goals to expand the research base, reach beyond established researchers to target Ph.D. candidates and new postdoctoral scholars to encourage inclusion of food assistance issues in their studies, and introduce new investigators to the research performed at ERS and FNS.
The USDA RIDGE Partnership will:
- Provide renewed focus on economic aspects of food and nutrition assistance research;
- Stimulate innovative research on domestic food and nutrition assistance issues by providing small grants for new analyses of the USDA major food and nutrition assistance programs and food security.
- Broaden the network and diversity of social scientists working to expand the understanding of the economic, nutrition, and health outcomes of participation in USDA’s food assistance programs, as well as of the issues surrounding program implementation and delivery.
USDA, through FNS, administers 15 domestic food and nutrition assistance programs that work both individually and collectively to provide children and low-income adults with food or the means to purchase food. USDA’s domestic food and nutrition assistance programs affect the daily lives of millions of Americans and represent a significant investment, accounting for over two-thirds of USDA’s annual budget. Approximately 1 in 4 Americans participate in at least 1 of the 15 food and nutrition assistance programs at some point during a given year, making these programs fundamental to the nutritional well-being of millions of Americans. These diverse activities share the common goal of improving the nutrition, food security, and health of American consumers.
Funding Information
ERS expects to fund the RIDGE Partnership beginning September 16, 2022. The anticipated funding will be approximately $750,000. Subject to the availability of funds, ERS may be able to provide a comparable level of funding to the RIDGE Partnership in FY 2023 and FY 2024. The present application should focus on the FY 2022 award.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants for the USDA RIDGE Partnership for Food and Nutrition Assistance Research are restricted to public or private institutions of higher education.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
