British Nutrition Foundation Early Career Scientist Award 2026

🏆 About the Award

The British Nutrition Foundation Drummond Early Career Scientist Award is an annual initiative designed to recognize early career nutrition scientists who demonstrate exceptional potential to become future leaders in the field. This award is open to individuals working in academia, policy, or industry.

🎁 Benefits

• Publication Opportunity: The winner and any runners-up will be invited to turn their abstract into a mini-review paper for publication in Nutrition Bulletin.
• Honorarium: Upon acceptance of the paper, the winner will receive a £500 honorarium and a year’s online subscription to Nutrition Bulletin.
• Recognition Event: Winners and runners-up will be invited to receive their award at the prestigious British Nutrition Foundation Annual Conference in central London in November 2026 (attendance is optional).

📜 Eligibility Criteria

The award is open to:

• Students currently pursuing a postgraduate qualification in human nutrition or a related field.
• Individuals within three years of being awarded a PhD (date of thesis amendments accepted and degree awarded).
• Individuals within six years of being awarded an MSc (date of receiving transcript) for those without a PhD.

Additional Notes:

• Eligibility is based on the launch date of the award (2 February 2026).
• Applicants who took formal time off for personal reasons (e.g., maternity/paternity/adoption leave, long-term illness) may still qualify. Such cases will be reviewed individually.
• Applications are welcome from candidates worldwide.

For eligibility inquiries, contact Emma Rowley at e.rowley@nutrition.org.uk.

📝 Application Process

Applicants must complete all sections of the application form, which includes:

1. Abstract Submission:

   • A 300-word maximum abstract for a mini-review paper describing an emerging, topical area of human nutrition science.
   • The abstract should include:
     • Title, author(s), and affiliations (these do not count towards the word limit).
     • Type of review (narrative or systematic) and methodology used.
     • Types of studies to be included.
   • The applicant is expected to be the first or last author.
   • References are optional and do not count towards the word limit.

2. Focus Areas for Abstracts:

   • Biochemical and physiological basis for the role of nutrients in the human body.
   • Epidemiological associations between diet/nutrients and human health, including population sub-group issues.
   • Human nutrition interventions in disease prevention.
   • Psychobiological and behavioral aspects of human nutrition.
   • Impact of food manufacturing and supply methods on human diet/nutrition.

Note: Abstracts describing original research, animal studies, or modeling work will not be considered.

Selection Criteria:

• Abstracts will be judged on scientific merit and clarity of communication.
• Application forms will help identify applicants with the greatest potential to become future leaders in the field.

📅 Application Deadline

10 May 2026

🌐 Application Portal

• View details of the award on the British Nutrition Foundation website.
• Download the application form here.

For further inquiries, please visit the official website or contact the British Nutrition Foundation directly.

• The winner and any runners up will be invited to turn their abstract into a mini-review paper for publication in Nutrition Bulletin.
• Upon acceptance of the paper, the winner receives a year’s online subscription to Nutrition Bulletin, plus a £500 honorarium.
• Winners and any runners up will be invited to receive their award at the British Nutrition Foundation Annual Conference in central London in November 2026 (attendance is optional).