Microbiome Collective Research Grants

Microbiome Collective Research Grants

Funder: Food Allergy Fund (FAF)

Status: Launched November 17, 2025; Request for Proposals (RFP) to be released in coming weeks

Geographic Scope: Multi-institutional, national/international collaboration

Focus Areas:

Root causes of food allergies

Immune-driven gut diseases

Microbiome research and mechanisms

Diagnostics development

Treatment development

Prevention strategies

Advanced in vitro models and immune profiling

Early detection

Clinical trials

Priority Areas (5):
1. Advanced in vitro models and immune profiling
2. Early detection methods
3. Clinical trials
4. New diagnostics for food allergies
5. Prevention and treatment strategies

Program Description:
First-of-its-kind, multimillion-dollar, multi-institution framework creating a shared research infrastructure where teams share data and co-develop hypotheses tested from bottom-up (controlled lab studies) and top-down (human trials). This approach aims to overcome reproducibility crises that plagued previous microbiome research and accelerate translation of findings into patient tools.

Eligibility:

Research institutions

Collaborative projects preferred

Projects that can be replicated across multiple sites

Projects with potential for quick translation into patient care

Built on Breakthrough Results:
FAF has funded multiple successful microbiome research projects including:

Diet-Microbiome Interactions to Predict Food Allergy Severity and Treatment Response (UC San Francisco - Dr. Susan Lynch)

First-in-human fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) trial showing 40% of participants increased peanut tolerance (Boston Children's Hospital - Drs. Rima Rachid & Talal Chatila)

Engineering Probiotics to Build Food Tolerance (UC Berkeley & MSK Cancer Center - Drs. Carlotta Ronda & Chrysothemis Brown)

A Synbiotic for the Prevention of Food Allergies (Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering - Dr. Cathryn Nagler)

Decoding the Gut: How Microbes and Metabolites Shape Food Allergy Treatments (Boston Children's Hospital)

What They Fund:
Research proposals focused on developing new diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies for food allergies

What They Prioritize:

Collaborative projects

Multi-site replicable projects

Projects with rapid translation potential into patient care

Contact: www.foodallergyfund.org