FAQs

Inquiries on the submission process should be directed to either nutritionresearch@dairy.org (nutrition- and health-related submissions) or productresearch@dairy.org (product-related submissions).

NDC was established under the leadership of America's dairy farmers and works with and through industry, academic, government and commercial partners to drive pre-competitive research in nutrition, products and sustainability. Accordingly, NDC does not typically fund research projects that utilize proprietary products or ingredients in order to ensure that any inventions arising from NDC-funded projects will be utilized in a manner consistent with the interest of the dairy industry.

Yes. The decision made by NDC scientists on pre-proposal applications is final. Also, the decision notice received by principal investigators will not contain a detailed explanation regarding the decision.

No. Established in 1915, NDC comprises a staff of nutrition science researchers, registered dietitians and communications experts dedicated to educating the public on the health benefits of consuming milk and milk products throughout a person’s lifespan.

While NDC initiates projects throughout the year, most projects funded from the general solicitation begin in January of the following year. It is important to note that the funding provided by NDC is in the form of contracted research agreements. Thus, a Memorandum of Agreement must be executed between the investigator’s institution and NDC before NDC can initiate funding of a research application.

Presentation at scientific meetings and publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal is strongly encouraged.

Yes. NDC conducts a general solicitation in late June or early July of each year and typically has other, more specific calls for pre-proposals during the year. Additionally, Supplemental Support pre-proposals are accepted year-round.

NDC Research scientists will review all pre-proposals within approximately 3-4 weeks of the deadline for submission (see Evaluation Criteria for more details). Inquiries on the status of your pre-proposal should be directed to either nutritionresearch@dairy.org (nutrition- and health-related submissions) or productresearch@dairy.org (product-related submissions).

The amount of pre-proposals received varies from year-to-year. On average, NDC receives 100 product-based and 80 nutrition-related pre-proposals each year. Full proposals are requested from about 20% of the pre-proposal submissions.

No. Submitted pre-proposals must meet the topics described in the specific calls.

Yes. NDC funds research both domestically and internationally.

Matching funds are not required for submission, however, if the availability of matching funds exists, it should be noted in the pre-proposal.

There are instances where NDC has partnered with either an industry organization or another dairy organization to co-fund a research project. All co-funded projects were initiated in cooperation with and had approval from the principal investigator.

The pre-proposal application should include an estimate of the total cost of the project as well as a breakdown of the budget per year. NDC funds projects in accordance to its fiscal calendar year (from January 1 – December 31); therefore, the proposed funding requests should be adjusted to fit the NDC fiscal year funding cycle.

A detailed description of the budget will be required in the full application (if requested).

In general, equipment (including computers) is not approved for funding by NDC. Purchase or modification of permanent equipment may be permitted provided if there is a special need in order to complete the project; however, prior written approval from NDC is required.

Indirect costs of up to 10% of total direct costs will be considered for the management of the research project by the sponsoring institution and should be included in the total pre-proposal budget. NDC does not permit indirect costs for equipment, including computers.

Principal investigators can request funds for summer salaries and for tuition remission for graduate students. Please be aware that the full application requires that all salary requests require appropriate justification (i.e. responsibilities and percentage of effort and time committed to the project).

Pre-proposals submitted to NDC are retained for 3 years.

All information that is not otherwise available to the public will be held in confidence while submitted pre-proposals are under consideration by NDC. Additionally, the information contained in the pre-proposals will be made available only to appropriate NDC staff and external scientific advisory committees.

Pre-proposals can be resubmitted as long as the submission meets the topics described in the current request for pre-proposals.

For Nutrition Research, there are no set budget and time limits associated with funded projects. The funding requested and the duration of the study should be consistent with the research to be conducted.

For Product Research, proposals submitted in the General Solicitation are limited to duration of two years and the budget requested cannot exceed a total of up to $100,000 (including indirect costs). Product Research Supplemental Support projects do not have set budget and time limits. The funding requested and the duration of the study should be consistent with the research to be conducted.

Once submitted, the pre-proposals cannot be viewed or edited by the principal investigator. The original submission would need to be deleted by NDC staff and a new pre-proposal submitted to NDC by the principal investigator. Accordingly, the principal investigator should contact NDC (either nutritionresearch@dairy.org or productresearch@dairy.org) immediately if a submitted pre-proposal requires editing/revising (e.g., due to omissions).

NDC recognizes that there may be instances when additional support is needed to enhance existing non-NDC funded projects. Therefore, principal investigators with an existing grant from a non-NDC source, either pending or active, may apply for supplemental support if:

• The project is evaluating the effects of dairy foods or ingredients on health
• The investigators would like to add additional arms/analyses to a study that was not specifically examining dairy on health

In recognition that investigators receive awards from other organizations throughout the year, Supplemental Support pre-proposals are accepted year-round. Pre-proposals can be submitted before funding from the non-NDC source has been officially approved. However, if NDC requests a full-proposal, documentation of the approved funding must be provided at the time of submission.

Yes. Principal investigators can submit multiple pre-proposals for active calls.