Understanding Nutritional Influences on Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children

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Topic Description

Post Date: March 10, 2026

Expiration Date: March 10, 2027

Background

There remains a poor understanding of the role and impact of nutrition in both the etiology, treatment and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism. Diet and nutrition in early-life is thought to have profound influences on neurodevelopment. Research focused on the role of nutrition in the early neurodevelopment, the impact of nutrition and dietary patterns in developmental trajectories, and the interaction between early-life environmental exposures and diet/nutrition in NDDs is urgently needed.

Purpose

The purpose of this topic is to encourage innovative multidisciplinary research focused on the interrelationship between nutrition and NDDs during gestation and early childhood. 

High priority research areas include but are not limited to:

  • Understanding the role of diet and nutritional status (both maternal and child) in the etiology of pediatric NDDs, including autism
  • Understanding the role of lactation and human milk exposure in the etiology of pediatric NDDs, including autism
  • Examining interactions between maternal and child environmental exposures and prenatal/early-life nutrition/diet in the context of early neurodevelopment, including contributions to prevention and promotion of pediatric NDDs
  • Determining what special considerations above and beyond the provision of a well-balanced diet are necessary to provide children with NDDs all the essential nutrients for growth, development, and health
  • Determining whether there are specific physical, behavioral, or environmental factors that must be overcome to ensure that children with NDDs obtain and consume an adequate diet
  • Understanding whether a NDD has metabolic consequences that might directly impact a child’s nutritional status, growth, and development, and how a child’s nutritional status may impact NDD severity/endophenotype
  • Identifying the potential for NDD treatments (including pharmacological interventions) to affect the nutritional status of children with NDDs
  • Interrogating the effects of environmental chemicals in essential foods (human milk and infant formula) in the context of neurodevelopment, including interactions with other nutrients

We aim to accelerate research to better elucidate the relationship between nutrition and NDDs – ranging from pathogenesis to treatment. We encourage participation from experts across a variety of disciplines, including nutrition, neurodevelopment, toxicology, risk analysis, behavioral and social science, infant and child development, chemistry, and chronic disease research.

 

This topic is being issued as part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative, which is expanding NIH and agency research into specific areas.

Central Scientific Contact:
Daniel Raiten, Ph.D.
[email protected]

Participating ICOs

Office of Nutrition Research (ONR)

Research objectives for the Office of Nutrition Research include but are not limited to:

  • Improving the rigor and reproducibility of biomedical research to advance the fundamental understanding of the biology of nutrition and its functional role in critical systems involved in health and disease
  • Enhancing the precision of nutrition science
  • Advancing the understanding of sustainable nutrition in a changing environment

This office does not award grants. Applications must be relevant to the objectives of at least one of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers listed in this topic.

IC may give special consideration to support meritorious applications in this topic area.
ICO Scientific Contact:
Daniel Raiten, Ph.D.
[email protected]

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

NIEHS is interested in studies focused on how diet and nutrition can affect the health impact of environmental exposures within the Institute’s mission (e.g. airborne pollutants, chemical and heavy metal contaminants, ambient temperature, and toxins related to harmful algal blooms), such as:

  • Determining how aspects of child and/or maternal diet and nutrition (beyond, or in addition to, folate) augment or mitigate the harmful effects of environmental exposures in NDD
  • Identifying convergent or divergent biologic mechanisms that mediate NDD risk (or protection) from environmental exposure(s) vs. maternal and/or child diet and nutrition
  • Integrating metabolomics, epigenomics, and exposomic tools to understand the combined impact of complex environmental mixture exposures with diet and nutrition on NDD
  • Exploring potential differences in the combined impact of environmental exposures with diet and nutrition on subtypes of NDD
IC may give special consideration to support meritorious applications in this topic area.
ICO Scientific Contact:
Ashley Vargas, PhD, MPH, RDN, FAND
[email protected]

Office of AIDS Research (OAR)
This office does not award grants. Applications must be relevant to the objectives of at least one of the participating Institutes or Centers listed in this topic.
ICO Scientific Contact:
Amber Wilson
[email protected]

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)

OBSSR is interested in behavioral and social science aspects of understanding of the role and impact of nutrition in both the etiology, treatment and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders. 

As OBSSR does not award or manage grants, applications must be relevant to the objectives of at least one of the NIH Institutes or Centers listed in this topic. 

ICO Scientific Contact:
Sydney O'Connor
[email protected]

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