Equitable Obesity Care Grants

Applications for the current Obesity Care Grant funding cycle have closed. Check back in Fall 2026 for information about the next Call for Proposals.

Explore the 2026 Obesity Grant Awardee press release and 2025 Obesity Care Grant Awardee posters to learn how organizations across the country are advancing equitable obesity care through innovative, community-focused initiatives.

Through its Advancing Equitable Obesity Care through Regional Action Grants, ACP aims to inspire local collaboration models across the country to train and empower medical professionals to partner with patients to combat misinformation and heighten clinical capacity to manage care for people with obesity.

This initiative enables ACP members to design and implement practical, scalable, and innovative solutions that utilize existing resources and improve obesity care management nationwide.

Projects are encouraged to:

  • Educate physicians and care teams with existing CME on evidence-based approaches to obesity management (new CME program proposals will not be accepted)
  • Counter stigma, bias, and misinformation in healthcare
  • Improve care coordination and access for people living with obesity
  • Address links between obesity and cardio kidney metabolic syndrome (CKM)

Each funded project is expected to build collaboration among ACP chapters, health systems, academic institutions, and community organizations. Participants are encouraged to leverage ACP’s existing obesity-related resources and learning materials to close educational and training gaps.

Selected applicants receive funding and guidance from ACP. Grantees also participate in collaborative learning sessions, a Continuing the Mission: Obesity Grant Exchange event at ACP headquarters in Philadelphia, and opportunities to share project outcomes with the broader ACP community.

Funding Availability

  • ACP intends to fund up to 17 projects up to $25,000 each.

2026 Grant Cycle Timeline

  • December 15: Request for Proposal released
  • January 12: Question and Answer session with staff for interested applicants - View Recording
  • January 28: Proposals Due
  • Feb 25 - March 4: Reviewer Interviews
  • March 16: Grantees announced

Save the Dates

Grantees will be invited to attend the following:

  • January 12: Join the staff for a question-and-answer session for interested applicants - View Recording
  • April 16-18: Internal Medicine Meeting 2026, San Francisco, California (travel expenses not reimbursable). Take advantage of ACP’s premier event and visit the Obesity Grant Showcase featuring the 2025 awardee programs in the exhibit hall.
  • May 19: Continuing the Mission: Obesity Grants Exchange, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (travel expenses covered)

Additional Information

Eligibility

Applications may be submitted by either:

  • ACP chapters
  • ACP members leading collaborative regional efforts in the United States

Project leads must be current ACP members in good standing. Collaborative proposals that include partnerships with health systems, community organizations, or academic institutions are strongly encouraged.

Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health

The American Heart Association has joined ACP in providing financial support for this grant initiative. In 2024, the American Heart Association launched the CKM Health Initiative, answering the call to action laid out in a 2023 presidential advisory defining CKM Syndrome. The 4-year initiative provides a path forward for patients, communities and health care professionals, with a focus on care coordination and equipping patients for their health journey. This 4-year initiative will be implemented in 15 geographic markets, engaging 150 hospitals and sites and reaching more than a quarter-million patients. Learn more about the CKM Health Initiative.

Proposal Requirements

Adherence to Project Requirements

Project Title

Applicant Names and ACP Chapter

Submission Date

Project Description – Clear, concise overview of the project, including:

  • Goals, one or more of the following, relevant to this initiative
    • Physician education
    • Countering stigma and bias
    • Countering misinformation
    • Enhancing care management
  • Indicate whether the project focuses on the relationship between obesity and Cardiovascular-Kidney Metabolic Health
  • Measurable and achievable objectives
  • Intended outcomes and impact
  • Target population to be engaged
  • Implementation Plans

Collaboration and Resources

  • Identify project partners (e.g. healthcare systems, academic institutions, community organizations). For any collaborators outside your organization, please provide a letter of support from their organization confirming their interest in collaborating with you on this project.
  • Grantees are encouraged to leverage existing CME programs from ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine found on the Obesity Management Learning Hub. 

Budget and Funding Plan

  • Provide a detailed budget outlining how grand funds (up to $25,000) will be allocated.
  • Ensure that the proposed budget follows funding requirements and restrictions (below).

Feasibility and Sustainability

  • Describe how the project will be implemented (within a 10-12-month grant period).
  • Address potential barriers and strategies to overcome them
  • Explain how the project could be sustained or replicated beyond the funding period

Projects Requirements

  • Align with at least one program priority area (education, team-based care, stigma reduction, or misinformation)
  • Leverage existing education and resources to the extent possible
  • At least 3 grants to be awarded to programs focused on Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health
  • Be completed within a 10–12-month timeframe
  • Demonstrate potential for scalability or replication

Project Restrictions

  • Grant funds cannot be used to fund continuing medical education
  • Grant funds cannot be used for physician/clinician travel, or to provide payments to physicians or other healthcare providers/clinicians
  • Grant funds cannot be used to cover overhead, indirect expenses, or facilities and administrative (F&A) costs

2026 Grantees

Dawn E. Calamari-Brinkrode, D.O., FACOI, ACP New Jersey Chapter, The Valley Hospital/Valley Health System, Project name: Weighing In: Tipping the Scales of the Stigma of Obesity through Physician-Patient Partnerships in Education and Innovation

Ivan Cvorovic, M.D., FACP, and Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FAAP, FACP, ACP Pennsylvania Chapter, The Wright Center for Community Health, Project name: Advancing Equitable Obesity Care through Education, Engagement, and Advocacy

Reema Dbouk, M.D., FACP, ACP Georgia Chapter, Emory University, Project name: The Weight of Words: Reducing Weight Bias and Misinformation Across the Healthcare Team

Dhvani Doshi, M.D., MPH, and Riana R. Jumamil, M.D., MPH, ACP New Jersey Chapter, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Project name: Moving Toward Equity: Improving Access to Safe, Coordinated Physical Activity for Patients with Obesity in Newark and Essex County

Gilbert Hebert, M.D., ACP Louisiana Chapter, Tulane University Deming Department of Medicine, Project name: From the Kitchen to the Clinic: Obesity Bias and Stigma Reduction for Internal Medicine Residents

Kyleigh Kirbach, M.D., RD, and Francis Gerald Wade, M.D., DABOM, ACP Missouri Chapter, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Project name: STL STRONG (Shared Medical Appointments Targeted at Reducing Obesity and Normalizing Glucose): A Regional, Virtual Shared Medical Appointment Program to Expand Equitable Obesity Care

Michelle LaBrunda, M.D., ACP Florida Chapter, Health First, Project name: Nourish Brevard Community Health Initiative

Rachel L. Ramirez, M.D., FACP and Kamel Samara, M.D., ACP Pennsylvania Chapter, Jefferson Abington Hospital, Project name: Bridging the CKM Gap: An AI-Enhanced, Culturally Responsive Framework for Underserved Populations

Allison Rhodes, M.D., FOMA, ACP Ohio Chapter, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Project name: From Evidence to Execution: Building a Digital Obesity Care Implementation Toolkit for Primary Care

Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic-focused Projects

Vineet Gupta, M.D., FACP, SFHM and Tammy Lin, M.D., MPH, FACP, ACP California Southern Region 3 Chapter, Project name: Bridging Borders: Advancing Equitable Obesity Care Across Communities, Cultures, and Care Systems

Akash J. Shah, M.D., MBA, MS, FACP, ACP Connecticut Chapter, Nuvance Health, Project name: CKM Obesity Dashboard: An AI enhanced EHR-Integrated Clinical Decision Support Tool for Evidence-Based Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome Management at Nuvance Health

Sumit Sharma, M.D., ACP Ohio Chapter, Mount Carmel Health System - Graduate Medical Education, Project name: Strengthening Lifestyle Medicine–Driven Obesity Care in Mount Carmel Health System Graduate Medical Education and Community Settings

For more information, read the full press release.

2025 Grantees

View the 2025 Awardee Poster Gallery

Jennifer Meyfeldt, M.D., ACP Arizona Chapter, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix Internal Medicine Residency, Project name: Beyond the Scale: Empowering Resident Physicians in Comprehensive Obesity Care.

Julie A. Venci, M.D, ACP Colorado Chapter, Denver Health, Project name: A Community-Based Approach to Combating Obesity Stigma and Misinformation Amongst Interprofessional Healthcare Teams and Patients Experiencing Food Insecurity in Southwest Denver.

Bisi Alli, DO, MS, dipABLM, FACP, FAMWA, LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt, ACP Arizona Chapter, WellNEST Medicine, LLC, Project name: Transforming Obesity Care in Arizona through Food as Medicine.

Gerald A. Cox, II, M.D., MPH DABOM, DABLM, ACP Southern California Chapter, Region II, Mirror Health & Wellness LLC, Project name: Transforming Obesity Care: Bridging Communities with Education and Innovation.

Alicia D. Shelly, M.D. FACP DABOM, ACP Georgia Chapter, Healthy Living for Life LLC, Project name: Escape the Stigma: A Virtual Journey Through Obesity Medicine.

Meenal Shukla, M.D., ACP New York Chapter, Janice Prime Care Medical PC, Project name: 365 Days Obesity Challenge of Brooklyn.

Carla Margarita Martín, M.D., FACP, FAAP, DipABOM, DipACLM, ACP Rhode Island Chapter, Project name: Bilingual Family-Centric Educational Videos and Materials on Obesity.

Tammy Lin, M.D., MPH, FACP and Vineet Gupta, M.D., SFHM, FACP (University of California, San Diego School of Medicine), ACP California Southern Region 3 Chapter, Hosting an Inclusive Table: Expert Slices, Quick Bites, and Comfortable Spaces.

Catherine Tridico Hudson, M.D., ACP Louisiana Chapter, Project name: Scoring System for the Equitable Allocation of GLP1 Receptor Agonists in Patients with Obesity.

Judith A. Melin, M.A., M.D., FACP, ACP Massachusetts Chapter, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Project name: Addressing Obesity: Successful Implementation.

Cardio/Kidney/Metabolic-focused Projects

Arvind Kumar Venkataramana Raju M.D., George M Abraham M.D., MPH, MACP, FIDSA, FRCP(Lon.), ACP Massachusetts Chapter, Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA, Project name: From Awareness to Action: A Pilot Initiative for Management of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome in Vulnerable Communities.

Dawn E DeWitt M.D., MSc, CMedEd, MACP, FRACP, FRCP-London, ACP Washington Chapter, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University (WSU), Project name: From Knowledge to Application: Interprofessional Obesity Education Simulation.

Molly B. Southworth, M.D., MPH, MACP, ACP Alaska Chapter, Project name: Advancing Obesity Care for Alaskans: A Multi-Stakeholder Initiative.

For more information, read the full press release announcing this initiative.