Best Obesity Prevention Grants in Wisconsin

Postdoctoral trainees, fellows, clinical fellows, and research associates at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health in Wisconsin can apply for University of Wisconsin Madison’s Postdoctoral Grant Program, with awards up to US $20,000 for one year. Funding supports independent research, education projects, or professional development that improve health, health care, or health equity, including obesity-related work.

Faculty-led interdisciplinary research teams at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health can apply for University of Wisconsin - Madison’s Collaborative Health Sciences Program, with awards up to US $600,000 over three years. Projects must advance innovative basic, clinical, educational, or community-engaged research improving health, health care, or health equity in Wisconsin, including obesity-related work.

Provident Health Foundation of Marinette-Menominee Inc.

The Provident Health Foundation was created in 2019 as part of the final agreement between Advocate Aurora Health and Bay Area Medical Center that made the hospital a wholly-owned member of the Advocate Aurora system with a big vision for community health.

How we fund is evolving as we become more established and as we listen and respond to the needs of our community, both the residents of these counties and the nonprofits with which we partner. Our philosophy of operating is born from the vision of health for Marinette and Menominee Counties that we have written into our bylaws and evidence-based best practices for private foundations on how to achieve that vision. The Provident Health Foundation Board of Directors codifies that in a Strategic Plan for Provident every three years.

The purpose of the Provident Health Foundation is to improve and sustain the health and well being of the people who live in Marinette and Menominee Counties and ensure them access to affordable quality acute hospital care. Provident Health Foundation's mission is to serve those in Marinette and Menominee counties.  

Provident Health Foundation Grant

We fund new or existing program and project requests that work to advance our mission as stated above through our strategic plan priorities. Our strategic plan was informed by the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) conducted in collaboration with the Community Health Partnership of Marinette/Menominee Counties and included feedback from over 1000 residents and 70 leaders. We fund to address the top health improvement priorities from the CHNA. Those are:

• Substance Misuse
• Mental Health
• Childhood Obesity reduction through healthy eating and active living
• Equitable Access to Care

We fund requests that address these through a prevention or promotion approach as opposed to treatment or recovery. We also fund requests that address social determinants of health with the goal of improving these health behaviors in our community. 

With a mission to advance patient-centered clinical effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute provides Wisconsin health and obesity-focused organizations with funding to implement findings from PCORI-funded research. Eligible principal investigators can propose multicomponent implementation projects in real-world care settings to increase uptake of evidence and improve health care and health outcomes across multiple systems.

Nonprofit and academic research organizations conducting patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research on obesity and related conditions in Wisconsin can apply for Broad Pragmatic Studies funding. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute supports studies comparing health treatments or care delivery strategies to generate evidence that helps patients, caregivers, and clinicians make informed healthcare decisions.

Research institutions and other eligible private or public sector organizations in Wisconsin can apply for Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute funding; awards up to US $12,000,000 for patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research. Projects may address obesity, diabetes prevention and care, pain, or related conditions, and must meaningfully engage patients and healthcare stakeholders throughout the research process.

Nonprofit organizations running programs in obesity prevention, nutrition, diabetes, or oral health equity in Wisconsin may be eligible for Sun Life Financial’s Health Access Heroes Awards, which provide US $10,000. Funding supports impactful community initiatives improving access, awareness, education, and care for at-risk populations, including children and underprivileged communities.

Research institutions and organizations conducting nutrition and obesity research in Wisconsin can apply to establish Nutrition Obesity Research Centers supporting core services, pilot and feasibility projects, and enrichment activities. National Institutes of Health funding, up to US $750,000, aims to advance understanding and treatment of diabetes, digestive, kidney, metabolic, and related nutrition and obesity diseases.

Academic and clinical research institutions working on pediatric obesity treatment can apply for National Institutes of Health funding to serve as the Research Coordinating Center for a multi-site consortium in the U.S., including Wisconsin. Focused on anti-obesity medications in youth, the center will lead protocol development, data harmonization, analysis, and collaboration support.

Clinical research institutions treating pediatric obesity in Wisconsin can seek up to US $1,000,000 to test anti-obesity medication strategies for children and adolescents. National Institutes of Health supports consortium-based trials that optimize medication timing, dosing, and adjunct lifestyle therapies while monitoring growth, mental health, and quality of life using shared protocols and data resources.

Research institutions studying obesity-related policies and programs that affect health behaviors can apply for time-sensitive evaluation funding, including work relevant to Wisconsin. US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health supports empirical studies of new policies or programs that influence diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and weight outcomes when rapid initiation is essential.

Research institutions studying obesity and bariatric surgery in Wisconsin can apply for National Institutes of Health funding, with awards up to US $275,000 for proof-of-concept studies on how bariatric surgery affects cancer risk. Projects focused on mechanisms, rather than short-term outcomes like weight loss or diabetes, may be eligible across NCI-supported locations.

Research institutions and eligible organizations studying obesity and bariatric surgery mechanisms can seek up to US $2,500,000 to investigate how bariatric surgery influences cancer risk, including in Wisconsin. Focused on cancer and obesity, the National Institutes of Health invites investigator-initiated R01 projects across the U.S. and territories, with multiple standard and renewal deadlines through 2027.

With a mission to advance biomedical research careers, the National Institutes of Health provides Wisconsin obesity and related disease researchers with support to transition from NHLBI intramural training to independent positions at extramural institutions. Eligible applicants are highly qualified postdoctoral fellows and other doctoral-level researchers currently training within NHLBI’s Division of Intramural Research.

Postdoctoral fellows in NHLBI’s Intramural Research Division conducting obesity or related biomedical research can access career transition funding from the National Institutes of Health, including work in Wisconsin. Grants support a mentored intramural phase followed by an extramural phase, helping investigators establish independent research programs focused on obesity and associated diseases.

U.S. 501(c)(3) charities providing diabetes, obesity prevention, nutrition, or oral health programs, including those serving Wisconsin communities, can apply for Sun Life Financial’s Health Access grants. Awards of US $25,000 - US $100,000 support prevention, education, management, care, and recovery services that improve access to critical health programs for at-risk populations.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations running cardiovascular and metabolism programs in Wisconsin can seek funding to improve patient access, advance health equity, and strengthen frontline health workforces. Grants from Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine support education, caregiver support, empowerment tools, and disparity-reduction efforts for obesity-related stroke prevention, thromboembolic disease, and vascular protection, including at-risk or marginalized groups.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations running cardiovascular and metabolism programs in Wisconsin can access funding through Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine to improve patient access, health equity, and frontline workforce capacity. Eligible projects may include obesity-related stroke prevention, thromboembolic disease education, vascular protection, caregiver support, and efforts to reduce disparities and strengthen linkages to care.

Through grant-making, AIH partners with mission-aligned organizations by funding initiatives that align with our strategic objectives.

Granting Goals 

• Advance a future where healthcare and communities support whole person care, and healthy choices are accessible and effective in preventing, treating, and reversing chronic disease.
• Transform the way people are cared for in America by establishing lifestyle medicine and whole person care as integral components of the delivery of care in the US healthcare system

Focus Areas:

• Primary Care - Integration of whole person care
• Comprehensive Obesity Care - Integration of food is medicine
• Underserved Communities - Equitable delivery of whole person care

Nursing-led U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations, equivalent international nonprofits focusing work in the U.S., government entities, and inclusive faith-based providers can seek funding to advance innovative care models addressing racism’s impact on health. Focus areas include maternal and child health, older adult care, and chronic illness management, which may benefit Wisconsin obesity prevention and related health equity efforts.