Consumer Data and Nutrition Research

CFDA 10.253 Active Cooperative Agreement
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Program Funding

Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.

Latest annual funding
$1.9M FY2024
$1.9M
FY24

Program Objective

To provide economic and other social science information and analysis for public and private decisions on agriculture, food, natural resources, and rural America. ERS produces such information for use by the general public and to help the executive and legislative branches develop, administer, and evaluate agricultural and rural policies and programs. The Consumer Data and Nutrition Research program specifically focuses on food access, food security and the impact of Supplemental Food programs on nutrition outcomes.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

  • Nonprofit Organization
  • Unrestricted by Entity Type

Any individual or organization in the U.S. and U.S. Territories is eligible to receive the popular or technical research publications that convey the research results, although there may be a fee.

How to Apply

Award Procedure

Agreements are issued noncompetitively at the discretion of USDA.

Decision Timeline

  • Renewal interval: From 30 to 60 days
Program details & compliance

Description

ERS conducts research on the economic forces influencing consumer food choices and the effect of these choices on nutrition and health outcomes. To understand these relationships, ERS examines the interactions between factors such as food prices, grocery store accessibility, food labeling, household income, and household composition. Market and industry level factors examined include product offerings by firms, changes in store types and store formats, firm and consumer reactions to food safety incidences, and the role of government programs and the food system as a whole in the macro-economy.

ERS analyzes USDA’s food and nutrition assistance programs, often coordinating research priorities with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. These programs receive substantial Federal funding and affect the daily lives of millions of America’s children. Long-term research themes include food security outcomes, dietary and nutritional outcomes, food program targeting and delivery, and measurement of program participation.

ERS food safety research focuses on enhancing methodologies for valuing societal benefits associated with reducing food safety risks, understanding consumer and producer responses to food safety incidents, assessing industry incentives to enhance food safety through new technologies and supply chain linkages, and evaluating regulatory options and change. ERS research also investigates the safety of food imports and the efficacy of international food safety policies and practices.

Mission Categories

Primary: Food and Nutrition for Individual and Families

Other categories:
Food and Nutrition for Children

Use of Funds

Allowed Uses

ERS performs economic research and analyses related to U.S. and world agriculture that address a multitude of economic concerns and decision making needs of Federal, State, and local governments, farmers, farm organizations, farm suppliers, marketers, processors, and consumers. There are no restrictions on the use of ERS produced information.

The objective of the consumer data program is to enhance existing public and private data collection systems and availability to answer the most important policy questions. This objective is achieved by: (1) supplementing existing government surveys with separate modules when possible, (2) integrating and linking data from disparate surveys, (3) investing in proprietary data, and (4) enhancing existing surveys.

Matching Requirements

This varies by agreement

Reporting & Compliance

Records Retention
3 years

Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts

  • Subpart B — General Provisions
  • Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart E — Cost Principles
  • Subpart F — Audit Requirements

Contacts

Lynell Doane
(816) 610-2445
805 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64105
Christene Jacques
(202) 420-8212
805 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64105
Data from SAM.gov Federal Assistance Listings. Source published: 2026-02-04. Spec v2.0. Last synced: 2026-05-29 05:35:35.