ODS Research Scholars Program

ODS Research Scholars Program is sponsored by NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). This program supports emerging NIH intramural scientists to conduct research on the role of dietary supplements and/or their ingredients in health promotion and disease prevention.

Funding Opportunity for Emerging Intramural Scientists: The ODS Research Scholars Program Funding Opportunity for Emerging Intramural Scientists: The ODS Research Scholars Program Purpose of the Funding Opportunity The purpose of the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Research Scholars Program is to support emerging NIH intramural scientists to conduct research on the role of dietary supplements and/or their ingredients in health promotion and disease prevention.

Emerging intramural scientists include early career or junior research scholars, scientists, clinicians, and fellows with at least 1 year of postdoctoral research experience. All applicants must have obtained their terminal research degree within the last 10 years. Senior Principal Investigators (PI), Senior Staff Scientists and Clinicians, or PIs who have received NIH R01-equivalent research funding, are not eligible to apply.

Applicants must have an assigned mentor within the NIH Intramural Research Program.

August 2025 – January 2026 Email of intent with brief description and/or questions Proposals uploaded to DPCPSI/ODS Co-Funding Dashboard Proposals evaluated by ODS Notifications of ODS evaluation outcome ODS Mission and the Research Scholar Program The mission of Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) is to coordinate cutting-edge dietary supplement research across NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) and other federal agencies to foster knowledge and optimize health across the lifespan.

The goal of this training program is to foster long-term career interest in dietary supplement-related research and to build future research capacity focused on the role of dietary supplements in health and disease prevention. Please note that ODS does not fund research focused on disease treatment. ODS research interests are not limited to specific health conditions, organ systems, or population groups.

ODS supports all types of biomedical research—pre-clinical, clinical, behavioral, and epidemiological—where the primary emphasis is on investigating dietary supplements and/or their ingredients.

As defined by Congress in the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, a dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) that is intended to supplement the diet; contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and other substances) or their constituents; and is intended to be taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid.

Support is available for new projects, including pilot or feasibility studies; collection of preliminary data; secondary data analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; and development of new research technologies. Projects may be related to, or build upon, research led by a mentor or co-mentor, but may not duplicate or substitute for specific aims of the mentor’s research.

The mentor’s project need not be focused on dietary supplements. Examples of research projects that are within the mission of ODS: Investigations of the role of dietary supplements in maintaining a healthy immune system and promoting resilient health outcomes in healthy and at-risk populations. Intervention studies that examine the role of the microbiome in mediating the beneficial health effects of botanical dietary supplements.

Utilization of "omics" technologies such as metabolomics or proteomics to evaluate biomarkers of total nutrient intake (from diet and dietary supplements) in cohort studies or projects that use novel biomarkers in randomized controlled trials of dietary supplements.

Studies that investigate the contrasting effects of dietary supplements on certain diseases or health conditions (e.g. folic acid and its effects on neural tube defects and colon cancer).

Intervention studies that examine the effects of dietary supplements on maintenance of optimal health or reduction of disease risk when supplement interventions alter physiological endpoints or other health outcomes (e.g., a study that examines the physiologic or mechanistic effects of St. John's wort on depression or a study assessing the effects of calcium supplements on bone mass density and the reduced risk of osteoporosis).

Studies that elucidate the physiological or biochemical role of single ingredients or complex mixtures by examining the transport, metabolism, mechanism of action, associated enzymes, binding sites, regulatory mechanisms or excretion of dietary supplements (e.g., a study to investigate the transport and metabolism of orally administered folic acid or a study to evaluate the mechanism of action of the various components in Panax ginseng ).

Examples of research projects that typically fall outside the scope of ODS: Studies that do not give the supplement by mouth (e.g. IV or dermal). Studies that administer the supplement to treat a disease process or outcome such as atherosclerosis or depression without evaluation of the supplement's effect on the underlying mechanism of action, bioavailability, or metabolic pathways.

Human, animal, or laboratory studies that correlate physiological levels of dietary supplement ingredients, their metabolites, or marker compounds with disease risk, physiological endpoints, or other health outcomes without the administration of a dietary supplement (e.g., a human study correlating serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of hip fracture, or a human study correlating serum levels of folate and cardiovascular disease).

Studies evaluating the effect of whole foods that could be considered "functional foods" such as broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, garlic, soy, and flaxseed. However, if a food ingredient in a defined form is being investigated (e.g., a garlic capsule, a soy or phytoestrogen supplement, EGCG in a green tea supplement, or dried ginger root in a tea bag), then the study could be within the scope of ODS.

Studies that involve dietary ingredients used to treat inborn errors of metabolism, such as a study investigating the use of tyrosine to treat phenylketonuria. However, if the research is focused on identifying the mechanism of action, it could be considered within scope. Studies of compounds that are classified as drugs, such as the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and insulin.

Award Information and Scope of Support ODS funding is limited to $100,000 and is designed for research projects that can be completed within 1 year of the award date. Funds may be used for supplies, equipment, and analyses. The funding is not meant to replace salary support provided through an NIH stipend.

Funds may not be used to support research needs of more than one scholar candidate. Please view the detailed Research Scholars Application Guide for important information about proposal format and guidelines. Submission of Proposals via DPCPSI/ODS Co-Funding Dashboard To be considered for a Research Scholar Award, proposals must be submitted through the DPCPSI Co-Funding Portal using the co-funding request form .

The scholar candidate or an Intramural IC designee may submit the request and will need to be logged into the NIH network (with an NIH PIV card or login credentials). The co-funding request form link will open a Request Form that will automatically show the requestor's name, IC, and request FY. FY2026 should be selected.

Under OD Office , select "ODS." Under Project Type , select "6. Intramural."

For IC Program Officer, enter N/A. For PI / POC name, and for PI / POC Email, enter the scholar candidate's name and email. Under the Amount of Co-funding Requested, beside Requested Amount from OD Office, and under FY2026, enter the total amount being requested (not to exceed $100,000).

In the text box "Justification for request," enter a brief justification for the request. Under ODS Specific Data: follow the Co-funding Applicant Guidelines for narrative structure. Under Attachments, select Choose Files, and upload the candidate's Proposal pdf file.

The pdf file name should incorporate the candidate's last name, e.g., "Hayes_ScholarProposal. pdf." Hit " Submit " when the Request Form is complete, and the pdf file is attached.

If it is not possible to complete the Request Form in one session, hit " Save Draft " and the draft will be saved in the Co-Funding Dashboard; the requestor must return to the Dashboard to complete the Form and then hit " Submit " to upload the final version. Evaluation of ODS Research Scholar Proposals Proposals will be evaluated by ODS scientific staff.

Evaluation criteria will include the scientific premise of the proposed research; organization and clarity of the written proposal; coherence of the training plan; and relevance to the ODS mission. Expectations of Funded Scholars Present their research findings in the ODS Seminar Series, which runs from September to May in the fiscal year following the completion of the one-year project.

Acknowledge ODS' co-funding in all publications, reports, or presentations resulting from the award. Example footnote: "This project was supported by NIH Research Grant #R01CA214625 funded by the National Cancer Institute and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)." Provide ODS with copies of any publications, reports, or presentations resulting from the project.

Notify ODS within 30 business days of any major changes (e.g. changes in key personnel) and unanticipated setbacks (e.g. premature end of study) . Provide a final report to ODS within 6 months of project completion. General inquiries: [email protected] Program lead: Dr. Jasmine Hayes ( [email protected] ) Expect a reply within 7-10 business days.