NIH-funded research R01 grant

FoRKS: Bringing healthy meals and kitchen skills to adults with food insecurity and high blood pressure

Official title: Delivering Food Resources & Kitchen Skills (FoRKS) to Adults with Food Insecurity and Hypertension: An RCT

Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11378641 · Data updated 2026-11-12

A funded study will test whether tailored meals plus hands-on cooking support improve blood pressure and diabetes management in adults facing food insecurity.

More Hypertension research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIndiana University Indianapolis
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Indianapolis, United States)
Project startSeptember 22, 2022
Project endMay 31, 2027
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$577,892
NIH project number5R01MD017961-05
Project IDNIH-11378641 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Adults (21+) with food insecurity and either hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes who receive care at safety-net clinics.

Less likely to help

Patients without food insecurity or without the targeted conditions may see little or no direct benefit.

What this research studies

This project adapts a home-delivery and cooking program to a randomized trial to see if providing affordable, lower-sodium, Mediterranean-style meals along with kitchen skills training helps adults with both food insecurity and hypertension or type 2 diabetes manage their health. Participants receive home-delivered meals and twice-weekly cooking classes via Webex, plus essential cooking tools, to make sustainable dietary changes in their own homes. The study builds on prior pilots and uses user-centered design to ensure the program fits real-world safety-net clinics and patient needs. If successful, the approach could offer a practical way to reduce cardiovascular risk and improve diabetes outcomes by improving access to nutritious food and cooking skills.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience better blood pressure control and diabetes management through easier access to healthy meals and practical cooking support.

How similar studies have gone: Preliminary pilots showed high attendance and satisfaction with delivered meals and cooking classes, suggesting potential benefits for larger trials.

Where this research is happening

  • Indiana University Indianapolis
    Indianapolis, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Clark, Daniel O — Indiana University Indianapolis
  • Study coordinator: Clark, Daniel O

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.