BASF invests in research advancement with launch of Nutrition Asia Research Grant 2020
- Research proposals focus on three topics: immunity support, cardio-metabolic health, and physical function and mobility
- Program awards a total of €200,000 to five proposals that benefit the nutrition and health of consumers in Asia Pacific
- Submissions open from now till January 09, 2020
Singapore – October 11, 2019 - BASF is calling upon the research and academic community in Asia Pacific to submit research proposals to the Nutrition Asia Research Grant 2020. The program is now in its seventh edition and aims to support academics to advance scientific research for the most pressing and relevant health and nutritional concerns for consumers in this region.
The research will focus on three main areas: immunity support, cardio-metabolic health, and physical function and mobility. In this edition, special emphasis is given to the biological functions of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) on immunity and metabolic health. Out of the five grants, two will be awarded to projects investigating the role of HMOs in human health. HMOs are a structurally and biologically diverse group of complex indigestible sugars naturally abundant in human breast milk. Recent studies show HMOs are essential to immunomodulatory functions and promote the growth of specific beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome.
“The Nutrition Asia Research Grant reflects BASF’s commitment to scientific innovation through partnerships with the academic community. It is an excellent platform for us to collaborate closely with researchers and industry partners, addressing prevalent and emerging health needs in Asia Pacific through science-based nutritional solutions,” said Tina Low, Vice-President, Global Business Management, BASF Human Nutrition. “This year, we focus the research support on how HMOs, including BASF’s newly launched 2'-Fucosyllactose - PREBILAC™, can help address some of the metabolic and immunological challenges faced by populations in this region,” she added.
The deadline for proposals is January 09, 2020. All applications will be evaluated and selected by an expert panel which includes eminent academics and key opinion leaders in human nutrition. Five researchers will be notified in March 2020 of the acceptance of their research proposals and awarded up to €40,000 each from June 2020. They will be given 18 months to work on their respective projects.
Since the inception of the Nutrition Asia Research Grant in 2012, BASF has funded 30 projects across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Results from 15 projects have been presented at scientific congresses and seminars, with eight published peer-reviewed scientific papers.
Detailed guidelines, eligibility requirements and other information about the program are available at https://nutrition.basf.com/en/Human-nutrition/Cooperations.html or by email at nutrition-research-grant@basf.com
About BASF’s Nutrition & Health division
BASF Nutrition & Health provides a comprehensive product and service portfolio for the human and animal nutrition, pharmaceutical, ethanol and flavor & fragrance industries. Together with our customers, we play an active role in enhancing the nutrition, health and wellbeing of consumers all over the world. Our products fulfill the highest safety, regulatory and sustainability standards. Our human nutrition solutions include vitamins and carotenoids, plant sterols, lutein and sterol esters, emulsifiers, high-concentrated omega-3 fatty acids, human milk oligosaccharide and peptides. Vitamins and carotenoids also form an important part of our animal nutrition portfolio, as do other feed additives such as trace elements, enzymes and organic acids. We provide the pharmaceutical industry with a broad range of excipients and selected large-volume active pharmaceutical ingredients such as ibuprofen and omega-3 fatty acids. Leveraging our advanced technology, we create high performance industrial enzymes for different markets, such as ethanol production. Furthermore, we offer aroma ingredients such as citral, geraniol and L-menthol. BASF Nutrition & Health operates sites in Europe, North America, South America and in Asia-Pacific. For more information, go to www.basf.com
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
