This award is supported by the National Pork Board

Description & Justification

The Early Career Grant’s primary objective is to provide funding that can significantly contribute to the success of an early investigator’s career trajectory. Funding is necessary to obtain preliminary research that will increase an investigator’s likelihood of obtaining larger grants. This is especially important for early career researchers who may not yet have evidence of grant success.

One $10,000 pilot grant and costs to attend ASN’s annual meeting, NUTRITION 2026, will be awarded to one ASN ECN member who is an early career researcher (within 10 years of terminal degree).

*Travel (basic economy roundtrip airfare from within continental US), registration, and hotel expenses covered up to $2,000 total.

Eligibility

  • Be an ASN ECN member
  • Project must focus on the continental United States (but applicants can live outside of the United States)

Application Guidelines and Instructions

All applications must be submitted via the ASN Foundation Portal. The following information will be required during the application process.

Research proposal

Research Scope of Work: The proposed research should include a description of the research and highlight researcher capabilities and, if applicable, collaborator’s expertise.

Research Scope of Work should be single-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, not to exceed 4 pages including up to 4 tables, images and/or graphs.

  • Background and significance
  • Research objective(s)
  • Approach
  • Need for collaboration, if applicable
  • Timeline with deliverables (suggested duration of project is no more than 12 months)
  • References

Required upload in ONE DOCUMENT (in PDF format)

  • Cover Page should include the project title, project summary, name and contact information of all project personnel (including ASN membership status) (1-page limit)
  • Research proposal (4-page limit)
  • A curriculum vitae (2-page limit)
  • A statement including short-term and long-term goals as well as how the proposed research fits into that research pipeline (1-page limit)

Research Topics of Interest

Proposals should address an important gap in the research evidence by focusing on examining pork as part of dietary patterns.

Funding can support original research studies involving primary data collection and/or secondary data analysis. Primary consideration for selection will be given to proposals that focus on:

  • Pork Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Profiles
    • Investigate the nuanced impact of pork intake—by cut, preparation method, and frequency—on cardiometabolic outcomes (e.g., type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, NAFLD), leveraging prospective cohort studies, metabolomics, and Mendelian randomization.
  • Precision Nutrition and Pork: Redefining Red Meat Categories
    • Examine how pork fits within the broader “red meat” label using data-driven stratification (e.g., by muscle composition, nutrient density, or processing level).
  • Bioavailability and Functional Impact of Pork’s Nutrient Matrix
    • Study the unique contributions of pork’s micronutrient and amino acid profile—especially selenium, bioavailable iron, choline, B vitamins, and high-quality protein—on cognitive development, immune function, muscle health, and maternal/infant outcomes.
  • Fat Quality and Metabolic Impacts of Pork-Derived Lipids
    • Explore pork’s fatty acid composition (e.g., oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid) in relation to lipid metabolism, inflammation, and insulin sensitivity, with attention to pork cuts and culinary preparation effects.
  • Synergistic Effects of Pork in Plant-Forward Dietary Patterns
    • Assess the role of pork in enhancing nutrient adequacy, satiety, and adherence within Mediterranean, DASH, flexitarian, and Food is Medicine models, including randomized trials and implementation science approaches.
  • Culinary Versatility and Nutrient Density of Pork Across Life Stages
    • Evaluate pork’s adaptability in diverse dietary patterns and culinary traditions as a vehicle for nutrient delivery, food security, and culturally responsive nutrition across the lifespan.

That also help to:

  • Seek clarify gaps where pork nutrition research is lacking.
  • Support cross-discipline collaborations with multi-disciplinary research teams.
  • Potential to lead to bigger or long-term projects describing nutrition and health, or ones that link nutrition-related health outcomes or actionable next steps.