Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunity from Tufts and USDA for research on food security measurement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with Tufts University and the University of Missouri, is sponsoring a funding opportunity in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement. The application deadline is Feb. 19, 2021.

The grants program will fund research investigating food security measurement, data, and further research needs. This funding opportunity seeks proposals of up to $50,000 using secondary data or reviews of existing literature and larger projects of up to $100,000 that may include primary data collection and new analysis.

Proposals can include new ideas, innovative approaches, and critical feedback that will aid the Economic Research Service in advancing food security measurement. All proposals selected for funding must demonstrate actionable items that can improve or extend food security measurement.

Grantees will produce a conference paper and present it during a conference in April 2022. The grantees will also produce a manuscript for a special journal issue.

Examples of priority topic areas include, but are not limited to, the following. Please consult the RFP for a full description of these examples:

  • Development and assessment of a short food security measure.
  • Testing of existing and potential household food security items.
  • Practical approaches to scaling or item response theory models.
  • Improvements in methods for using food security measures.
  • Implications of using the existing Household Food Security Survey Module.
  • Assessments food security measures in national goal setting and progress monitoring.
  • Assessment of USDA’s food security data investments.
  • Qualitative research on food security instruments.
  • Economic models of household food spending and food consumption.
  • Differences in household food security.
  • Nutrition science and public health aspects of food security and health outcomes.
  • Psychological aspects of household food security.

Please consult the RFP for information on eligibility, how to apply, award terms, proposal review criteria, and background resources.