Russell Berrie Foundation Research Initiative on the Neurobiology of Obesity

About this program

The Russell Berrie Foundation, administered at Columbia University, funds transformative research on the neurobiology of body-weight regulation, ingestive behavior, and the neuroscience–metabolism interface, prioritizing studies of homeostatic/hedonic feeding integration, gut–brain control, misregulated neural circuits in obesity, and links between brain, mind, behavior and obesity. Awards include full-scale grants renewable annually up to three years (approximately $150K year 1, $200K year 2, $250K year 3) and one‑year pilot awards ($50K–$100K); funds may cover supplies, animal costs, small equipment, and trainee salaries, and projects are expected to be high‑risk, novel, and interdisciplinary. Primarily intended for Columbia investigators—with emphasis on early and mid‑career faculty but open to all faculty levels and research scientists—and encouraging external collaborations, applicants submit a 1–2 page LOI plus NIH‑style bios (single PDF) to Ms. Spina; selected LOIs are invited to submit a 5‑page proposal and present to Program Directors and the Board of Advisors, with selection based on track record, novelty, impact, and potential to lead to independent funding.