Opportunity Information: Apply for FANRP2014001
Apply for FANRP2014001
- The Economic Research Service in the agriculture food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Competitive Grant to Establish a USDA Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.253 Consumer Data and Nutrition Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 6, 2014 and posted on May 1, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,900,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity (FANRP2014001) is a USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) competitive grant, offered in collaboration with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), to create a dedicated USDA Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research. The basic idea is to fund one lead institution to stand up a center that can run a coordinated, multi-year research program focused on how behavioral economics (how real people make decisions in context, with limited time, attention, information, and resources) can be applied to improve healthy food choices. The intended public payoff is better nutrition, stronger food security, and improved health outcomes for U.S. consumers, with research designed to be directly useful for USDA policy and program decisions.
The center is meant to complement, not duplicate, the existing USDA-funded Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (the Cornell BEN Center). In practical terms, that means applicants are expected to identify where Cornell BEN is already operating (especially in child nutrition program settings) and propose a portfolio that fills gaps rather than re-running the same lines of work. Aside from avoiding duplication with Cornell BEN, the scope is broad: any behavioral factors that influence food choices and are relevant to USDA policy issues can fit under the center, including how people respond to pricing, labeling, product placement, defaults, incentives, timing of benefits, information frictions, and other features of the food environment.
A firm requirement is that a substantial share of the center’s effort must focus on helping participants in two major federal nutrition programs make healthy and cost-effective food choices: (a) the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and (b) the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). In other words, the research agenda cannot be purely general-market or purely theoretical; it must substantially address the decision contexts faced by SNAP and WIC households, where budgets are tight and program rules, benefit timing, retail environments, and access constraints shape everyday choices. The “healthy and cost-effective†framing also signals interest in strategies that do not assume unlimited resources, and that recognize tradeoffs families face between price, convenience, preferences, and nutrition.
USDA lays out three core expectations for what the center will do. First, it must establish an innovative research program that uses behavioral economics to tackle food choice questions that matter for public policy, not just academic curiosity. Second, it must broaden the network of social scientists working in this space, effectively building capacity by engaging additional researchers and disciplines in behavioral-economics-informed nutrition and food choice research. Third, it must actively disseminate findings to a wide audience, including other researchers, USDA and other policy and program officials, and the general public. That dissemination expectation implies the center should be more than a collection of studies; it should function as a hub that translates results into usable insights for decision-makers and stakeholders.
On the funding side, USDA anticipated up to $1.9 million total in fiscal year 2014 to support this activity over a three-year period, with the possibility (not a guarantee) of additional funds in later years depending on appropriations and whether expanding the center is viable. Only one award was expected, which reinforces that this is intended to be a single national center rather than multiple smaller projects. The opportunity was categorized as a discretionary grant in the Agriculture / Food and Nutrition area under CFDA 10.253 (Consumer Data and Nutrition Research). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement stated, which generally lowers the barrier for applicants that may not have large pools of non-federal funds to commit.
Eligible applicants were limited to institutions of higher education, both public/state-controlled and private universities. The posting date was May 1, 2014, with an application deadline of June 30, 2014 (and an archive date of July 30, 2014). Applicants were directed to the ERS announcement for full responsibilities and application requirements, and a USDA contact (Joanne Guthrie at ERS) was provided for access issues and questions. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as USDA seeking a university-based center that can generate policy-relevant, behaviorally grounded evidence on how to nudge, enable, or otherwise support healthier food purchasing and consumption decisions, with special emphasis on SNAP and WIC participants, while also serving as a national connector and translator of that evidence for practitioners and policymakers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is funding opportunity FANRP2014001?
FANRP2014001 is a USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) competitive grant opportunity, offered in collaboration with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), to establish a dedicated USDA Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The purpose is to fund one lead institution to stand up and operate a coordinated, multi-year research center focused on how behavioral economics can be applied to improve healthy food choices. The intended public payoff is better nutrition, stronger food security, and improved health outcomes, with research designed to be directly useful for USDA policy and program decisions.
What does USDA mean by “behavioral economics†in this context?
In this opportunity, behavioral economics refers to studying how real people make decisions in context, often with limited time, attention, information, and resources. The center’s research is expected to apply these insights to food choice and nutrition-related decisions relevant to USDA programs and policy.
Is this grant meant to fund one project or multiple projects?
It is intended to fund a single national center. USDA anticipated only one award, signaling that the goal is one lead institution running a coordinated research program rather than multiple independent awards.
How much funding was available and for how long?
USDA anticipated up to $1.9 million total in fiscal year 2014 to support the activity over a three-year period.
Can the center receive additional funding after the initial three years?
Potentially, yes. The opportunity notes the possibility (but not a guarantee) of additional funds in later years depending on appropriations and whether expanding the center is viable.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement was stated in the information provided.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were limited to institutions of higher education, including both public/state-controlled universities and private universities.
What USDA programs must the research focus on?
A substantial share of the center’s effort must focus on helping participants in two federal nutrition programs make healthy and cost-effective food choices: (a) the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and (b) the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Does the research have to be directly tied to SNAP and WIC contexts?
Yes. The research agenda cannot be purely general-market or purely theoretical. It must substantially address decision contexts faced by SNAP and WIC households, including how budgets, program rules, benefit timing, retail environments, and access constraints shape everyday choices.
What does “healthy and cost-effective food choices†imply for the research agenda?
It signals interest in strategies that do not assume unlimited resources and that recognize real-world tradeoffs families face between price, convenience, preferences, and nutrition.
What kinds of behavioral factors or interventions are within scope?
The scope is broad and includes behavioral factors relevant to USDA policy issues, such as responses to pricing, labeling, product placement, defaults, incentives, timing of benefits, information frictions, and other features of the food environment.
What are the three core expectations USDA set for the center?
USDA described three core expectations: (1) establish an innovative research program using behavioral economics to address food choice questions that matter for public policy; (2) broaden the network of social scientists working in this space by engaging additional researchers and disciplines; and (3) actively disseminate findings to researchers, USDA and other policy/program officials, and the general public.
How is this center expected to relate to the Cornell BEN Center?
The new center is meant to complement, not duplicate, the existing USDA-funded Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (the Cornell BEN Center). Applicants were expected to identify where Cornell BEN is already operating (especially in child nutrition program settings) and propose a research portfolio that fills gaps rather than repeating the same work.
Is the center limited to child nutrition program settings?
No. While the opportunity emphasizes avoiding duplication with Cornell BEN (which operates especially in child nutrition program settings), the scope of the new center is otherwise broad as long as it addresses behavioral factors influencing food choices relevant to USDA policy and includes substantial focus on SNAP and WIC.
What does “policy-relevant†research mean for this opportunity?
It means the research should be designed to be directly useful for USDA policy and program decisions, not solely driven by academic curiosity.
What dissemination activities are expected from the center?
The center is expected to actively disseminate findings to a wide audience, including other researchers, USDA and other policy and program officials, and the general public. This implies the center should function as a hub that translates results into usable insights for decision-makers and stakeholders.
Which federal agency is the primary sponsor, and who collaborated on the opportunity?
The grant is offered by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), in collaboration with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
How is the opportunity categorized?
It was categorized as a discretionary grant in the Agriculture / Food and Nutrition area under CFDA 10.253 (Consumer Data and Nutrition Research).
What were the key dates for this opportunity?
The posting date was May 1, 2014. The application deadline was June 30, 2014. The archive date was July 30, 2014.
Where were applicants directed for full responsibilities and application requirements?
Applicants were directed to the ERS announcement for full responsibilities and application requirements.
Who was listed as the USDA contact for questions or access issues?
The contact listed was Joanne Guthrie at ERS.
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