Innovation Fund

Innovation Fund

Organization: Edesia Inc (RI, US)

Status: Active (Launched in 2024)

Overview: Edesia's Innovation Fund focuses on advancing bold, practical solutions that improve how malnutrition is treated and prevented in real-world settings. The Fund bridges the gap between scientific discovery and field implementation by investing in ideas that can be tested, refined, and scaled to increase the impact of nutrition programs.

Geographic Scope

Global focus with current projects in:
• Mali
• South Sudan
• Burkina Faso
• Chad
• Niger
• Ethiopia
• Nigeria
• Bangladesh
• India
• Madagascar
• Haiti

Core Research Areas

Preventing Childhood Malnutrition

Shifting from reaction to prevention

Earlier identification of risk and smarter targeting

Interventions that prevent wasting before it becomes severe

Current projects: IRAM Study (Mali), RAMP Study (South Sudan)

Integrating Health & Nutrition Interventions

Combining nutrition prevention and treatment with essential health services

Reaching more vulnerable populations and improving cost-effectiveness

Current projects: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention in Burkina Faso, SQ-LNS with immunization integration in Chad and Niger

Improving Treatment of Wasting

Evidence-based solutions for wasting treatment effectiveness, affordability, and scalability

Current projects: MODAM study (Ethiopia), simplified approaches (Nigeria), relapse prevention research (Mali, Burkina Faso, South Sudan)

Optimizing Nutrition for Mothers

Maternal nutritional status during pregnancy and breastfeeding in food insecure settings

Focus on targeting and supplementation composition

Current projects: BEP supplementation research (Bangladesh)

Supporting Innovations in Manufacturing and Supply Chain

Local production capacity-building

Supply chain and beneficiary tracking improvements

Product and packaging optimization

Current projects: Packaging research, RUTF formulations, local production capacity in India, Madagascar, Haiti, and Nigeria

Eligibility

• Eligible Applicants: NGOs and academic institutions
• Project Type: Evidence-generating projects that advance knowledge and accelerate best practices on treatment and prevention of wasting

Impact

• Has helped reach 200,000 children through 13 co-funded partnerships

Contact

Email: grants@edesianutrition.org