Call for Food Policy Student Scholars

The Institute for Food Safety & Nutrition Security (IFSAN) will support five undergraduate students and five graduate students (MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH, JD, or MD) to attend the National Food Policy Conference held March 3 and 4, 2026 in Washington, D.C.

Selected student scholars will have their conference registration fees fully covered by IFSAN, and will attend the conference alongside Dr. Gabby Headrick and other IFSAN core faculty. Student scholars must commit to:

• Attending both full days of the conference (March 3 and 4, 2026)
• Participate fully as members of the selected Student Scholars cohort
• Write a post-conference blog post for IFSAN to share through established communication channels within two weeks of the conference (to be submitted to Dr. Gabby Headrick by March 18, 2026).

Student Eligibility

• Currently enrolled GW undergraduate or graduate student
• Availability to attend both full conference days
• Academic, work, or volunteer experience in the fields of nutrition, food safety, food policy, or food systems.

Selection Criteria

Student Scholars will be selected based on:

• Demonstrated interest in food policy and nutrition security
• Diversity in academic programs, lived experiences, and perspectives
• Clarity and thoughtfulness of application responses 
   

Application

To apply, please complete the attached application. Please submit your application as a PDF file to Dr. Gabby Headrick (g [dot] headrickgwu [dot] edu (g[dot]headrick[at]gwu[dot]edu)) by February 6, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (ET). 

Late submissions will not be considered.

Get started by downloading the flyer and fillable PDF or following the instructions below.

National Food Policy Conference Student Scholars: Application Questions

Please complete the following questions and send the completed application as a PDF file to Dr. Gabby Headrick (g [dot] headrickgwu [dot] edu (g[dot]headrick[at]gwu[dot]edu)) by February 6, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

1. What is your name (first and last)?
2. What is your GW email?
3. What degree program are you currently pursuing at GW and when is your anticipated graduation?
4. What draws you to attend the National Food Policy Conference (no more than 150 words)?
5. How does your academic, professional, or lived experience connect to food policy, food safety, food systems, or nutrition security (no more than 200 words)?
6. What perspectives would you bring to the IFSAN National Food Policy Conference Student Scholars cohort (no more than 150 words)?
7. If selected, you will be required to write a post-conference blog post for IFSAN. What topic or theme would you be most excited to write about (this can change when the time comes to write the post)? An agenda of conference sessions and topics can be found here: https://consumerfed.org/events/national-food-policy-conference/. Please respond in no more than 100 words.