Cultivate | Institute for Food Safety & Nutrition Security

The Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security (IFSAN) CULTIVATE research program engages graduate students in food systems research focused on food safety and/or nutrition as outlined below. Fellows will receive a $1,200 award to help with costs associated with the project.

Requirements

Identify an IFSAN affiliated faculty advisor

The faculty advisor must agree to mentor the graduate fellow for the duration of the project. Expectations for the project need to be agreed upon between the fellow and faculty advisor and documented through the CULTIVATE Terms of Research Agreement. The opportunity for a fellow to work with various academic personnel broadens the fellow's experience and helps to prepare them for opportunities outside of their academic career. Fellows are encouraged to approach IFSAN affiliated faculty members with their idea(s) for a project.

Engage in research for at least 120 hours with an IFSAN affiliated faculty member

The topic of the project is determined by the fellow in collaboration with a faculty advisor. The fellow, ideally, will complete their project within a 6-month period.

Develop and submit a project proposal with support from the project mentor and/or supervising faculty mentor

The proposal must address at least one food systems-related topic:

food safety
food and nutrition security
federal nutrition assistance programs
food and nutrition policies
food environments
One Health
other

The proposal must include an introduction, justification, approach and expected outcomes as well as appropriate references and citations. The proposal should be no more than two pages (1-inch margins, 11 pt font), not including references. The proposal should be submitted to IFSAN via email (IFSANgwu [dot] edu, subject line: CULTIVATE Proposal). The proposal should be approved by the identified faculty advisor prior to submission.

Complete the CULTIVATE Terms of Agreement

After the proposal is approved, the fellow and faculty advisor must complete the CULTIVATE Terms of Agreement. A copy of the completed agreement must be submitted to IFSAN before starting the project. Fellows and faculty advisors should also retain a copy of the agreement for themselves.

Fellows and their faculty advisor/mentor are to meet as often as needed, but no less than once a month for the duration of the project. Fellows are responsible for scheduling regular meetings with their faculty advisor and/or mentor.

Complete relevant safety and other training necessary for the research prior to beginning the project. For example, this may include lab safety training and CITI certification.
Obtain IRB approval for any human subject research as well as school clearances and relevant permissions.

Present project findings at an approved research forum

Fellows are required to present their project results at either the GWSPH Research showcase (preferred) or an equivalent alternative (e.g., a regional or national conference) that is approved by IFSAN. Fellows are encouraged to present their poster or provide an oral presentation of their work as often as time and their schedule allows.

Submit a final paper

Submit a final paper to IFSAN. The paper should include an abstract, introduction, methods, results, conclusion, and references with citations in the text. The final paper should be at least three pages in length (1-inch margins, 11 pt font, single space). Working with the faculty advisor to prepare a paper that is suitable for peer-review and publication is highly encouraged, but not required.

Funding: CULTIVATE fellows will receive a $1,200 award per project. Fellows can be funded for only one project at a time, but are eligible for up to two IFSAN awards during their academic career at GW. The number of funded projects will be dependent on available funding.

Deadlines: Proposals should be submitted electronically as a PDF to IFSAN by 11:59 pm on February 1 (Cycle 1) or October 1 (Cycle 2). The name of the proposal file should include the last names of both the fellow and the advisor. IFSAN will notify applicants of awards by March 1 and November 1, respectively.