NIH Awards Cash Prizes to 15 Teams for Ideas That Integrate Diet and Nutrition in Autoimmune Disease Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has chosen 15 scientific teams from across the nation as cash prize winners for their submissions to a national crowdsourcing challenge designed to generate innovative ideas that integrate diet and nutrition into autoimmune disease research. Winning submissions investigated the effectiveness of dietary interventions; microbiome, immune system and multi-omic approaches; personalized and data-driven predictive nutrition; and community and patient-center research frameworks. 

The challenge, known as the Nutrition for Our Immune System Health (NOURISH): Autoimmunity Challenge and led by NIH’s Office of Autoimmune Disease Research, yielded highly competitive submissions, resulting in 15 prize awards totaling $10,000 to each team. The winners showed thoughtful planning and designs that, with further development, could result in innovative solutions to benefit Americans affected by autoimmune diseases. Each winning entry contributed innovative, scientifically rigorous and patient-centered ideas to advance the science of autoimmune disease research and care in one of four thematic areas: 1) effectiveness of dietary interventions in autoimmune disease; 2) microbiome, immune and multi-omics mechanisms; 3) personalized, data-driven and predictive nutrition; and 4) community voice, landscape assessment and patient-centered frameworks.

A full list of winning submissions and honorable mentions can be viewed at orwh.od.nih.gov/in-the-spotlight/winners-of-nutrition-for-our-immune-system-health-nourish-autoimmunity-challenge.