Bundle of nutrition, parenting, and health support to boost young children’s development
Official title: Impact of combined nutrition, responsive parenting, and health intervention on childhood development (BUNDLE) study
Funded at University of South Carolina at Columbia · NIH-11478604 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A group of researchers will test whether adding nutritious foods and responsive caregiving to health services helps children aged 6–30 months grow and develop better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Carolina at Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | September 16, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $124,678 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD116874-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11478604 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 6–30 months and their caregivers in the counties of Bomi, Lofa, Nimba, and Margibi in Liberia, along with participating communities.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the target age range or in communities not enrolled in the study may not experience direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project in Liberia, built on Plan International’s community work, tests a 9‑month program for caregivers that combines responsive stimulation with nutrient‑dense foods like eggs and dried fish. It uses a four‑arm, cluster‑randomized design to compare combinations of feeding and caregiver support against each individual component, within existing health services. The study will measure child development outcomes to see if the bundled approach yields added benefits beyond stimulation or nutrition alone.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the bundle could inform scalable strategies to improve early childhood development through integrated nutrition and caregiving supports.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests combined nutrition and caregiver interventions can improve development, but this study tests a novel bundled approach within a national health system context.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Carolina at Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rudisill, Anne Caroline — University of South Carolina at Columbia
- Study coordinator: Rudisill, Anne Caroline
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.