For nearly four decades, CWC has been dedicated to supporting innovative research to better understand the potential health effects of walnut consumption and the role of walnuts in healthy lifestyles. As part of this long-standing commitment, the CWC seeks proposals to support human clinical trials and observational studies on priority topics. Importantly, CWC encourages researchers from academic centers around the globe to consider participating in this Request for Proposals (RFP).
Priority Topics
Role of Walnuts in Nourishing Wellbeing
Understanding the impact of walnut consumption on:
- Skin health;
- Healthy aging;
- Sleep quality, including impact on cognitive health and/or physical performance; and/or
- Mental wellness (e.g., mental wellbeing, cognition health, mental acuity).
Role of Walnuts in Supporting Disease Prevention and Management
Understanding the role of walnut consumption on overweight/obesity, particularly as part of addressing metabolic syndrome.
Role of Walnuts in Achieving Nutrition Security for All
Understanding how/if walnuts affect other healthy dietary behaviors and/or improved diet quality.
In addition to addressing one or more of the priority topics, we encourage applicants to consider addressing the following in their proposals:
- How walnuts can optimize health among different cultural foodways and global cuisines.
- Specific life stages, particularly children ages 6-11, adolescents ages 12-19, and adults ages 25-43.
- Examples of sociodemographic data (e.g. race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, cultural background) that will be collected to contribute to the body of evidence to understand how these factors may impact dietary behaviors and health outcomes related to walnut consumption.
- How participants incorporate walnuts into their diets, their consumption patterns/diet quality, and the implications of any other relevant dietary behaviors.
- How dietary walnut intake would be validated using biomarkers or other assessments.
Importantly, CWC supports and communicates nutrition research in global markets, and is particularly interested in supporting studies among populations in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Korea, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom/Nordics, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, India, and the Middle East.
Timeline
- March 7, 2025: Letters of Intent (LOI) due to Proposal Central
- April 1, 2025: CWC notifies all researchers of next steps
- May 7, 2025: Full proposals due
- May-July 2025: Proposals reviewed by expert peer reviewers
- August 2025: Researchers notified of funding decisions
Submission Details
- Please submit LOIs through Proposal Central
- LOIs should include:
- Specific aims
- Background and significance
- Project description and methodology
- Expected outcomes and limitations, including potential impact on public health
- Budget and timeline
- Related experience
- The proposed study must address the effects of whole walnuts or walnut butter consumption on the above-stated priority topics.
- CWC is aiming to fund 3-4 studies as part of this RFP, with an approximate limit of $100-150,000 per observational study and an approximate limit of $400-500,000 per clinical trial.
- Indirect costs of up to 10% of total direct costs will be permitted and should be included in the total proposed budget.
- Proposals will be considered for single-year and multi-year projects.
Please direct questions regarding the RFP to Rachel Blaine, PhD, RDN, at rblaine@walnuts.org.
For technical questions related to Proposal Central, please contact Chesney Richter, PhD, at chesney@nutritionindemand.com.
You can learn more about CWC’s Global Health Research Program and Research Integrity Guidelines here.
