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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory » Research » Research Project #428527

Research Project: John A. Milner Fellowship Program

Location: Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory

Project Number: 8040-51530-057-006-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement

Start Date: Oct 1, 2014
End Date: Sep 30, 2019

Objective:
To provide funding for the John A. Milner Fellowship Program. The John A. Milner Fellowship Program is to create opportunities for early-career nutrition scientists to strengthen their skills through two years of post-doctoral research, supplemented by training programs, peer networking, and field learning experiences. The Fellow will be for outstanding early-career scientists to work in world-class laboratories at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), in close collaboration with scientists at the Office of Dietary Supplement (ODS), to improve and expand their research skills and learn about the translation of nutrition science into nutrition policy. The Program encourages individuals who want to better link nutrition science with pressing policy needs to apply. The scientists supported by the John A. Milner Fellowship Program eventually will assume leadership positions across the field of nutrition, primarily in the science of bioactive components of foods and dietary supplements. The program will be jointly administered and funded by the ODS at NIH and the BHNRC at USDA. Each partner agrees to fund one Fellow for a two-year period (subject to budgetary constraints). The first Fellow will be recruited in FY14 and the second in FY15 such that after the first year, there will be two Fellows at any given time.

Approach:
Applicants for the program will apply (through submitting competitive proposal) to work on a specific research project at BHNRC that is of mutual interest to ODS and BHNRC. Potential applicants will be encouraged to contact potential mentors to develop a fellowship proposal. Fellows will also be expected to spend time at ODS, to attend their annual Dietary Supplement Research practicum, and to participate in relevant activities at ODS. Selection of the Fellows will be by a committee composed of representatives of ODS and BHNRC. Criteria for selection will be based on the quality of the proposal, background and training of the applicant, and likelihood of the proposed research in producing research results. Preference will be given for proposals that create a link between USDA and NIH research activities.