GF Research Grants: Pediatric Research - Environmental Hazards (Nutrient Competitors)

The Gerber Foundation offers grants for pediatric research focusing on environmental hazards that affect infants and young children. The foundation seeks projects that provide innovative solutions to health and nutritional challenges faced by this vulnerable population. Grant applications are encouraged from organizations recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3), with an emphasis on research that produces new information to improve practices in infant care and development.

NOTE: The Letter of Inquiry deadline is the deadline for the Concept paper. The Concept paper provides a brief summary of the project, enabling the Foundation to assess how well the proposed research fits with the Foundation’s interests.
The Gerber Foundation's Mission
Accordingly, priority is given to projects whose primary beneficiaries are young children from birth to three years of age. The Gerber Foundation expects its grant dollars to significantly impact issues facing infants and young children. Through our grant-making efforts, we are committed to improving the health and well-being of the youngest members of our society. The Foundation maintains three primary focus areas for its grant-making:
Pediatric Research: The primary focus, supported by over 70% of grant-making, is applied research focused on health and nutritional issues affecting infants and young children. Research projects aimed at finding solutions to common every-day issues and problems regarding children’s health and nutrition are sought. Of particular interest are those offering a substantial promise of meaningful advances in prevention and treatment of diseases and those with broad applicability to the general population.
West Michigan Grants: West Michigan grants are focused on youth programs supporting the growth and development of children from 0-18 years of age within 4 counties in West Michigan – Lake, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties. Specific areas of focus within youth programming include early childhood growth and development to assure children are ready for school by age 5; development of parenting skills; STEM education; health and dental care; and several historically supported programs such as 4-H, summer camps, and general support programs.
Scholarships: College scholarships are provided to students graduating from select high schools in Newaygo, Muskegon, and Oceana Counties. Students must be graduating seniors at the time of application. Scholarships support education beyond high school in traditional colleges or universities as well as trade schools or support for certification exams.
Pediatric Research Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission focuses on infants and young children.
The Foundation is particularly interested in fresh approaches to solving common, everyday problems or emerging issues within our defined focus area. Projects should focus on issues faced by care providers that, when implemented, will improve the health, nutrition and/or developmental outcomes for infants and young children. The board is particularly looking for practical solutions that can be easily and rapidly implemented on a broad scale with a predictable time frame to clinical application.
Major target areas for research include:
New diagnostic tools that may be more rapid, more specific, more sensitive, less invasiveNew treatment regimens that are improved or novel, less stressful or painful, more targeted, have fewer side effects, provide optimal dosingSymptom reliefPreventative measuresAssessment of deficiencies or excesses (vitamins, minerals, drugs, etc.)Risk assessment tools or measures for environmental hazards, trauma, etc.
Note that the Foundation is looking for projects that will result in ‘new’ information, treatments or tools that will result in a change in practice. The board rarely funds projects that are focused on sharing current information with parents or caregivers (parent or provider educational programs).
The Foundation is interested in projects that evaluate the effects of environmental hazards on infants and young children. Applied research projects that document the impact of, or ameliorate effects of, environmental hazards on the growth and development of infants and young children are the focus of this area of interest.
Typical projects funded in this area of interest may include projects aimed at:

• Exposures and their effects on infants and toddlers
• Methods to lessen the effects of exposures

Note that the Foundation does not restrict this area to the ‘natural environment’ but considers exposures within the infant’s or toddler’s environment, whether manmade or natural. These exposures may be caused by hazards within the NICU environment (noise, light, medical equipment, etc.), the home environment (carpeting, plastics, etc.), or exposures from breastmilk caused by parental behavior (marijuana, drugs, etc.).

Eligibility

Organizations recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) are eligible to apply for Foundation grants.Public governmental institutions such as universities are included in this definition.
Organizations must also be determined not to be private foundations under Internal Revenue Code 509.With few exceptions, only organizations with principal operations in the United States and its territories are eligible for funding.

Ineligibility

No grants are made to individuals.
The in-direct costs are limited to no more than 10% (included in the total amount). In-directs applied to a subcontract may not be duplicated on the full grant.