Notice of Upcoming Funding Opportunity: Team Grants: Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods
Introduction
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of the Team Grants: Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods. This funding opportunity is a collaboration between the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, and the Institutes of Aging, Cancer Research, Circulatory and Respiratory Health, Human Development, Child and Youth Health, Infection and Immunity, and Population and Public Health; with a planned partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (Heart & Stroke).
Overview
There is mounting epidemiological evidence linking the consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) to multiple adverse health outcomes such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, mental health, and all-cause mortality. To strengthen our understanding of the relationship between UPF consumption and health, research is needed to address limitations of existing epidemiological evidence as well as to understand the mechanistic pathways through which UPFs affect health.
In June 2024, a Best Brains Exchange (BBE) was held at the request of Health Canada entitled, "Unpacking Ultra-Processed Foods – Identifying Research Priorities". A summary of this BBE can be found on the CIHR website.
Objectives
The objectives of the Team Grants: Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods funding opportunity are to fund new interdisciplinary research that will generate evidence on the health impacts of UPFs to inform policies and regulations that will improve health equity and the health of Canadians across the lifespan by:
- Investigating the biological mechanisms through which UPFs as a whole or their specific components contribute to the development and progression of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) at different ages and life stages and/or lead to accelerated biological aging with onset of frailty and cognitive decline.
- Understanding the structural determinants of UPF production, distribution, regulation and consumption in Canada and globally and their inequitable impacts on population health.
Research Areas
- Mechanisms of health effects of UPFs
- Health effects of UPFs on older persons
- Biological mechanisms of UPFs and development of cardiovascular diseases
- Health Effects of UPFs in human development, child and youth health
- Structural determinants of UPFs
Funds Available
The total amount available for this funding opportunity is anticipated to be $7,560,000, enough to fund approximately 16 development grants at the Letter of Intent (LOI) stage, and 7 team grants.
The maximum amount at the Letter of Intent (LOI) stage is $10,000, and the maximum amount per team grant is anticipated to be $250,000 per year for up to 4 years for a total of $1,000,000.
Anticipated Timelines
These timelines are estimates and subject to change.
Launch: Fall 2025
Application Deadline for LOIs: Winter 2026
Funding Start Date for LOIs: Spring 2026
Application Deadline for Full Applications: Fall 2026
Funding Start Date for Team Grants: Late Spring 2027
The official CIHR funding opportunity will be posted on ResearchNet in the coming weeks.
For a full list of CIHR funding opportunities, please visit ResearchNet.
Contact information
For inquiries related to this funding opportunity, please contact:
CIHR Contact Centre
Telephone: 613-954-1968
Toll Free: 1-888-603-4178
Email: support@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Disclaimer: The information contained herein is anticipatory only and does not represent an official funding commitment by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Accordingly, the information, contained herein may differ from the official funding opportunity that will be published on ResearchNet.
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