The Anchor Institute, which is made up of a network of nutritional and dairy experts, is offering $70,000 in grants to further nutrition research.

The new initiative aimed at postgraduate and post-doctoral students and researchers will further the goal of helping children throughout the world reach their potential.

The grants reflect the Anchor Institute’s desire to combine expertise in scientific research with its deep knowledge of dairy product development to bring the best in dairy nutrition to families the world over, a statement said.

Anchor Institute’s spokesperson Rola Sullivan said the Anchor Institute Research Grant supports original research in key areas of human nutrition in child and family health.

“In keeping with this, the majority of research funded through the Anchor Institute Research Grant programme will be about health, nutrition and development of healthy children from ordinary families.

“The Anchor Institute is a network of experts who are passionate about families, nutrition and the goodness of milk. The research grant is our further commitment to building knowledge and understanding about the importance of nutrition,” Rola Sullivan said.

The Anchor Institute has identified the following specific fields of research interest:

• Nutritional benefits of dairy products

• The impact of nutrition on child health, physical, mental or emotional development, with a focus on helping children to reach their full potential

• Understanding the nutritional status of populations (especially children)

• Understanding parents’ attitudes towards child nutrition

To be applicable for the grants, successful applicants should have the following criteria:

• Be engaged in post-graduate study through a University

• Be conducting research in one of the Anchor Institute areas of interest (above)

• Be resident and conducting research in Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates.

Interested researchers and students can apply for the grant by emailing anchor.institute@fonterra.com

Deadline for submitting application March 1, 2008. –TradeArabia News Service