Danone North America is now accepting applications for its 2025 Annual Gut Microbiome, Yogurt, and Probiotics Fellowship Grant, which supports graduate student research on the gut microbiome, probiotics, yogurt, and their impacts on human health. This grant program, running for 13 consecutive years, awards $25,000 to two recipients to foster university-level discoveries in this critical area of health science. Applications for this fellowship are open until March 24, 2025.

Danone emphasizes the gut microbiome's connection to chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes, and its influence on brain function, immune system health, and circadian rhythms. The fellowship aligns with Danone's mission to advance health through food by supporting research that contributes to the development of gut health-focused products. Previous grant recipients have explored topics such as early-life microbiota protection against obesity and gut health's role in red blood cell production.

In addition to the fellowship, Danone Institute North America (DINA) is accepting proposals for its Sustainable Food Systems Initiative (SFSI) and SFSI Focus on Food programs. These grants, totaling $410,000, aim to promote community-based food systems that address nutritional health and reflect interconnected and sustainable approaches to food production. Proposals for DINA’s SFSI programs are due by February 14, 2025.