Overview

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Nutrition Research (ONR) announces the “Integration of Nutrition Training into Health Care Education” Challenge. ONR’s mission is to stimulate innovative research to address the complexities of nutrition, its ecology, and its critical role in health across the lifespan for all. The goal of this challenge is to identify, evaluate, and promote effective, scalable, and evidence-based approaches to integrating nutrition training into medical and nursing education, including both established programs and emerging models with strong potential for dissemination. The total prize purse from NIH for this Challenge is up to $2,100,000.

Subject of the Challenge

Diet-related chronic diseases are now responsible for more than 50 percent of deaths in the United States (U.S.), and an estimated 1.5 million Americans die from diet-related chronic diseases each year. The U.S. also spends more than $1.1 trillion annually on treatment of chronic health conditions.

Moreover, while approximately 70% of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs require at least one nutrition course, nutrition focused education generally averages only around 50 hours, with emphasis on acute, clinical applications rather than on prevention of disease.

Importantly, the science of diet, nutrition, and metabolic health is dynamic and requires expert understanding. Therefore, ensuring that health care providers across the medical spectrum receive the most current and evidence-based nutrition training is paramount to improving health outcomes.

To more effectively integrate diet and nutrition into clinical care, including short- and long-term health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment as part of an ecological approach to health care/management, ONR developed the “Integration of Nutrition Training into Medical and Nursing Education” Challenge.

The goal of this challenge is to identify, evaluate, and promote effective, scalable, and evidence-based approaches to integrating nutrition training into medical and nursing education, including both established programs and emerging models with strong potential for dissemination. In addition to cash awards, prize-winning curricula will be publicly disseminated by NIH for consideration by accredited medical and nursing schools and other health professional training programs.

This Challenge is open to participants in two distinct tracks. The Exemplar Track is open to eligible institutions who are leading existing, exemplary programs that integrate nutrition education into medical education in alignment with the HHS Medical Education Nutrition Competency Framework. The Developing Track is open to eligible institutions that have identified needs within the institution to expand nutrition education and have plans to build and strengthen their curricula in alignment with the HHS Medical Education Nutrition Competency Framework.

Participants in the Challenge must have already designed and implemented evidence-based curricula that are capable of being scaled at a national level (Exemplar Track) or must present plans to implement nutrition curricula (Developing Track). These may take any form, including but not restricted to courses, workshops, seminar series, coaching, and experiential learning through the use of teaching kitchens. The Challenge will raise collective knowledge of evidence-based best practices for integrating nutrition training into medical and nursing education – including key educational content, effective teaching approaches, and the breadth of audiences that can be engaged in nutrition science education and training. It will also raise awareness of the value of nutrition science education and training to advance the medical enterprise.

To be highly competitive in this Challenge, solutions must:

• Provide an Overview of the Nutrition Curriculum. This overview should describe the curriculum goals, educational content being conveyed, the education or training approaches and modalities being used, and the participants being reached.
• Describe the Nutrition Focus of the Curriculum. Submissions should describe how the curriculum aligns with the HHS Medical Education Nutrition Competency Framework. In accordance with this framework, the curriculum for medical schools should be a broad integration of nutrition into all aspects of medical education and clinical care/practice and include: (1) a minimum of 40 hours of required nutrition education across all four years of undergraduate medical education (UME); or (2) a minimum 40-hour competency equivalent. Residency programs should also include (1) a minimum of 40 hours across all years of the training program or (2) a minimum 40-hour competency equivalent. Nursing curriculum should include a minimum of 53 hours across all years of nursing education.
• Demonstrate the Potential for Scalability. Submissions should document effective implementation of the curriculum that leverages the nutrition science/dietetic community. When information is available, they may include evidence of outcomes or impacts to date. In addition, they should include evidence that the approach has the potential to be disseminated effectively to reach broader audiences. This might include evidence of resources to effectively disseminate the opportunity, past steps toward dissemination, or evidence of interest or need in the medical community.

In addition, solutions in the Exemplar track must:

• Demonstrate Effectiveness of the Program. Submissions should describe any program evaluations that have been conducted that document the ability of the curriculum to increase nutrition competency among trainees.

Eligibility to enter this Challenge is limited to the following: (1) fully accredited, U.S.-based, non-profit, public or private academic institutions granting undergraduate medical education (UME) degrees in allopathic medicine (M.D., as accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education), or osteopathic medicine (D.O., as accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation); (2) fully accredited, U.S.-based, non-profit, public or private academic institutions providing graduate medical residency training programs (as accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education); or (3) fully accredited, U.S.-based, non-profit, public or private academic institutions granting nursing degrees (as accredited by nationally recognized accrediting bodies, including the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing).

Key Dates

• Challenge Launch: May 26, 2026
• Submission Start: May 26, 2026
• Submission End: September 15, 2026
• Judging Start/End: September 22, 2026 – October 6, 2026
• Winners Announced: October 20, 2026

Statutory Authority to Conduct the Challenge

The Office of Nutrition Research (ONR) within the NIH Office of the Director is conducting this Challenge under the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010, as amended [15 U.S.C. § 3719]. ONR’s mission is to stimulate innovative research to address the complexities of nutrition, its ecology, and its critical role in health across the lifespan for all. This Challenge is consistent with and promotes that mission by identifying and rewarding exemplary curricula for integrating nutrition training into medical education from across the nation.

Prizes

Amount of the Prize

The total prize purse for this Challenge is up to $2,100,000. Prizes will be awarded following the successful completion of the Challenge in the following amounts:

Types of Programs	Exemplar	Developing	Total
Medical Schools	Up to $75,000 per award, up to 6 winners	Up to $75,000 per award, up to 6 winners	Up to $900,000
Residency Programs	Up to $75,000 per award, up to 4 winners	Up to $75,000 per award, up to 4 winners	Up to $600,000
Nursing Programs	Up to $75,000 per award, up to 4 winners	Up to $75,000 per award, up to 4 winners	Up to $600,000
Total			Up to $2,100,000

In addition to cash awards, prize-winning curricula will be publicly amplified and disseminated by NIH for use by accredited medical schools and other health professional training programs.

Award Approving Official

The Award Approving Official will be the NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, or as otherwise delegated.

Payment of the Prize

Prizes awarded under this Challenge will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to federal income taxes. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/NIH will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable. Entities participating in this Challenge are required to request and obtain a free Unique Entity ID (UEI), if they have not already done so, via SAM.gov as this will expedite prize payment. Additional information can be found at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

NIH reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend, or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, for any reason, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no submissions are deemed worthy.

Rules

Eligibility Rules

To be eligible to win a prize under this Challenge, a Participant institution:

1. Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge under the rules promulgated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as published in this announcement.
2. Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement.
3. Shall be either: (1) a fully accredited, U.S.-based, non-profit, public or private academic institution granting an undergraduate medical education (UME) degree in allopathic medicine (M.D., as accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education), osteopathic medicine (D.O., as accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation); (2) fully accredited, U.S.-based, non-profit, public or private academic institutions providing graduate medical residency training programs (as accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education); or (3) a fully accredited, U.S.-based, non-profit, public or private academic institutions granting nursing degrees (as accredited by nationally recognized accrediting bodies, including the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing).
4. Shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States.
5. Shall not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment.
6. Shall not be an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity.
7. Who is employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency ethics official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this Challenge.
8. Shall not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the Challenge or the immediate family of such a party (e.g., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child).

Participation Rules

1. Only one entry per institution is permitted, either as an individual entry or as a partnership entry with other institution(s). Two or more institutions that have formed close collaborations to enhance nutrition education across the institutions may submit to this Challenge as a partnership.
2. Federal grantees and recipients of cooperative agreements or other transaction (OT) awards are eligible to participate in the Challenge but may not use Federal funds from a grant award, cooperative agreement, or OT award to develop their Challenge submission or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submission.
3. Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions.
4. By participating in this Challenge, each Participant agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this Challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
5. Based on the subject matter of the Challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from Challenge participation, no Participant participating in the Challenge is required to obtain liability insurance, or demonstrate financial responsibility, or agree to indemnify the federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge activities in order to participate in this Challenge.
6. A Participant shall not be deemed ineligible because the Participant used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the Challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all Participants participating in the Challenge on an equitable basis.
7. By participating in this Challenge, each Participant warrants that they are sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant is aware.
8. By participating in this Challenge, each Participant grants to the NIH an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere. Each Participant will retain all other intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. To participate in the Challenge, each Participant must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of the Participant’s rights to the federal government. To receive an award, Participants will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to NIH, but Participants must grant to the federal government the nonexclusive licenses recited herein.
9. Each Participant agrees to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
10. Each Participant participating in this Challenge must comply with all terms and conditions of these rules, and participation in this Challenge constitutes each such Participant’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by these rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein.
11. As a condition for winning a cash prize in this Challenge, each Participant that has been selected as a winner must complete and submit all requested winner verification and payment documents to NIH within 10 business days of formal notification. Failure to return all required verification documents by the date specified in the notification may be a basis for disqualification of a cash prize winning submission.

Judging Criteria

Basis Upon Which a Winner Will be Selected

Submissions from Participants received in advance of the submission deadline will first undergo an administrative triage step to review Participant eligibility to compete in this Challenge as well as submission completeness and applicability of scope. Complete and applicable submissions from eligible institutions will then be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel composed of technical experts with subject matter expertise relevant to the Challenge goals and using the Evaluation Criteria listed below. The Evaluation Panel will individually assess each submission and provide their scores to the Judging Panel. The Judging Panel, composed of federal employees from NIH and potentially other agencies, will select the winners pending final award decision approval by the Award Approving Official.

Evaluation Criterion - Exemplar and Developing applicants will be evaluated separately. Exemplar submissions are expected to demonstrate successful implementation and evaluation, while Developing submissions may be based on proposed or early-stage curricula.

The Evaluation Panel and Judging Panel will consider:

Exemplar Track (total possible: 45 points):

Does this submission describe an exemplar program that integrates nutrition education into medical education include and address the following components? (Global rating (0 = no inclusion, 5 = outstanding)

• Framework – How well does the program or course address elements of the HHS Medical Education Nutrition Competency Framework?
• Innovation – How well does the program or course introduce new ideas or approaches in medical nutrition education?
• Clarity of Teaching Methods – To what extent are the instructional strategies clearly described and easy to understand?
• Means to Address Identified Competency Gaps – How well does the program or course teach topics that are not included in the recommended competencies, but may be additive to current and future training programs?
• Evaluation Methods – How well are the methods for assessing student or trainee outcomes defined?
• Evidence of Program Effectiveness – To what extent does the program or course have evaluation data to demonstrate program effectiveness?
• Integration of Innovative Approaches – To what extent are innovative approaches such as teaching kitchens incorporated into the educational strategy?
• Context within Medical Education – How well is the program clearly described in relation to the broader medical or nursing education curriculum?
• Interdisciplinary Approach – To what extent does the program involve collaboration across multiple disciplines?

Developing Track (total possible 40 points):

Does this submission describe a program that is in the process of developing and implementing nutrition education into medical education include and address the following components? (Global rating (0 = no inclusion, 5 = outstanding)

• Framework – Does the program or course address elements of the HHS Medical Education Nutrition Competency Framework?
• Innovation – Does the program or course introduce new ideas or approaches in medical nutrition education?
• Clarity of Teaching Methods – Are the instructional strategies clearly described and easy to understand?
• Means to Address Identified Competency Gaps – Does the program or course teach topics that are not included in the recommended competencies, but may be additive to current and future training programs?
• Evaluation Methods – Are the methods for assessing student or trainee outcomes well-defined?
• Integration of Innovative Approaches – To what extent are innovative approaches such as teaching kitchens incorporated into the educational strategy?
• Context within Medical Education – Is the program clearly described in relation to the broader medical or nursing education curriculum?
• Interdisciplinary Approach – To what extent does the program involve collaboration across multiple disciplines?

How to Enter

Registration Process

The official announcement for the Integration of Nutrition Training into Medical Education Challenge can be found on a publicly accessible government website at www.nih.gov/challenges. The Challenge registration and submission portal is available at www.nutritioneducationchallenge.org.

To register, Participants will need to provide the name, role, and contact information of a Point of Contact (described below) and all individuals competing in this Challenge on behalf of an eligible institution. Two or more eligible institutions submitting an entry as a partnership should indicate this and provide Points of Contact for each institution. All Participants must certify they have read, understand, and agree to abide by the official eligibility rules, participation rules, and requirements for the Challenge as stated in this announcement.

• Point of Contact: Each participating institution is required to identify a Point of Contact who will register and submit on behalf of the Participant. The Point of Contact is responsible for all communications with the Challenge sponsors. The Point of Contact representing the institution should be employed by and acting at the behest of the institution, such as the medical school President, Provost, Chancellor, Dean, or other senior-level administrator. In the event of winning a cash prize, the prize will be paid directly to the institution, not to the Point of Contact. To be eligible to receive a cash prize, the institution must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States and meet all other eligibility requirements as stated in this Challenge Announcement. In the event that a dispute regarding the identity of the Point of Contact who actually submitted the entry cannot be resolved to NIH’s satisfaction, the affected submission will be deemed ineligible.

Submission Requirements and Process

The focus of this challenge is to identify and reward exemplary curricula for integrating nutrition training into medical education across the nation. Winning entries will be disseminated to more effectively integrate diet and nutrition into the medical care enterprise and sensitize medical care professionals about the role of nutrition both diagnostically and in terms of short- and long-term health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment as part of an ecological approach to health care/management. Curricula are expected to be comprehensive and innovative in design and provide sufficient detail to indicate that the solutions can be scaled at a national level.

Once Participants have completed the registration step and established an account in the online submission portal at the link above, they must provide the following as their formal submission:

1. Title and Executive Summary, the latter of which should include the Track participants are entering (Exemplar vs Developing), a brief description of the curriculum, and how it will help to more effectively integrate diet and nutrition into the medical care enterprise.
2. Description of the curriculum and how it is designed to serve key learners.
3. Description and documentation of the effectiveness of the curriculum (Exemplar Track only).
4. Description and documentation of the potential for broader dissemination at the national level and uptake of the curriculum by accredited medical schools and other health professional training programs.

Participants must submit all of the above to be considered for a prize.

All submissions must follow the format and instructions described below.

• Consist of a three PDF files with page size set to 8.5” x 11” and at least 1-inch margins:
  1. Curriculum Overview
  2. Toolkit
  3. Participant Agreement
• Use a font no smaller than 11-point Arial and line spacing no less than 1.0.
• Be written in English.
• Title and Executive Summary not to exceed one page and included as the first page of the PDF file.
• Not use the HHS logo or official seal or the logo of NIH in the entries and must not claim federal government endorsement.

Only one entry per institution is permitted, either an individual entry or a partnership entry with other eligible institution(s). Two or more eligible institutions that have formed close collaborations to enhance nutrition education across the institutions may submit to this Prize Competition as a partnership. Eligible institutions may submit only one entry, either individually or jointly with other eligible institution(s). If a partnership entry is selected for a prize, NIH will split the prize equally amongst the eligible partner institutions.

Participants must complete their submission and provide all of the requested information no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on September 15, 2026. Participants who do not submit their complete submission by this deadline will not have their submission considered for this Challenge.

Contact

For Further Information Contact: [email protected]

Award Approving Official: Nicole Kleinstreuer, Ph.D.