This opportunity is a partnership between Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) to make data on trends and emerging issues in agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America available to researchers. The overall goal is to support research that will help to overcome structural barriers to equitable access to healthy food.

The program is seeking a cohort of researchers from a diversity of academic disciplines and institutions who will produce relevant research on food policy, food retail markets, consumer behaviors related to food purchases and diet, and USDA nutrition assistance programs. Awards are intended to encourage researchers from a range of backgrounds to develop new research projects that feature restricted-use Consumer Food Data System (CFDS) assets and/or incorporate restricted-use CFDS data assets into pre-existing research projects.

Proposals may focus on issues related to the intersection between food and health as they relate to consumers, retailers, nutrition assistance programs, and public policy. Proposals of particular interest involve:

• Changing markets
• The food retail environment
• Social and racial equity
• Nutrition security
• Food security
• Diet quality
• Obesity
• Food access
• COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers must be affiliated with U.S. academic organizations that are either institutions of higher education, public entities, or nonprofits that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations.

Applications from researchers who have not previously received external funding are encouraged.

Award ceiling: $100,000 per project, with additional funding for data access fees
Project period: Up to 27 months
Estimated number of awards: 12-15

A link to the application instructions is available on the program website when applications are being accepted.

Submit a brief proposal through the online application portal by May 16, 2022. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal, with a deadline of August 4, 2022.