Funding
Active
9. Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Leak (Co-I)
Amount: $453,120 (Subaward $46,300), Jan. 2025 – Dec. 2026
New York Healthy Incentives Program Electronics Benefit Transfer (EBT) Integration Initiative
Create a coalition of key stakeholders, state officials, & nutrition incentive program operators to develop a unified program model & comprehensive project plan for the integration of the NY Healthy Incentive Program (NYHIP) directly on the NY Electronics Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card.
8. City of Rochester Leak (Co-I)
Amount: $937,250 (Subaward $25,000) Apr. 2024 – June 2026
Field and Fork Network: Double Up Food Bucks NY Fresh & Frozen 24 Month Pilot with Tops Friendly Markets
To examine whether expanding the Double Up program to include frozen fruits and vegetable increases Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participant enrollment in the program (for every $1 of SNAP benefits spent on fruits and vegetables, $1 is provided for a future purchase) and purchase of fruits and vegetables.
7. Multi-Investigator Seed Grant, Cornell University Leak (PI)
Amount: $75,000, Jan. 2024 – Dec. 2026
Examining the Preliminary Efficacy of a Telehealth Lifestyle Intervention for Black Female Adolescent/Caregiver Dyads at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
To examine the preliminary efficacy of the 12-week in person Black Girls for Wellness (BGW) intervention (mindfulness, Afrocentric dance classes, nutrition lesson, at home self-guided cooking experiences) on diet and physical activity among Black adolescent girls at risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and a female caregiver.
6. Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, NIFA, USDA Leak (Co-PI)
Amount: $8,077,000, Sept. 2023 – Sept. 2027
Double Up Food Bucks New York State: Innovating Solutions to Improve Food Access
To examine whether 3 new strategies increase SNAP participant enrollment in the Double Up program and purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables: 1) automatic enrollment of SNAP participants into the Double Up program, 2) making the Double Up program available for online purchases, and 3) offering the Double Up program via community supported agriculture (i.e., buy one get one free produce box).
5. National Cancer Institute (U54); Leak (Co-I)
Amount: $154,651 (Subaward), July 2023 – June 2028
The Social Capital (SoCa) Center: Promoting Multigenerational Health
To examine whether interventions offered in several settings reduce adverse health behaviors associated with cancer risk among youth and adults from marginalized communities in New York City.
4. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, NIFA, USDA Leak (PI)
Amount: $990,000, Nov. 2020 – Oct. 2025
The Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) Urban 4-H After School Club: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Aim: To examine the effectiveness of the 12-week ACE 4-H after school club (mindfulness, professional development, nutrition education, and at home cooking labs involving plant-based ethnic dishes) on diet and body composition among 7th and 8th grade students attending NYC Title I schools.
3. Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, NIFA, USDA Leak (Co-PI)
Amount: $3,077,153, Sept. 2020 – Aug. 2025
Double Up Food Bucks New York State: Innovating Technologies and Expanding Geographies
To implement and evaluate the feasibility of implementing, as well as the impact of the Double Up program on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants fruit and vegetable purchases.
2. New York State Legislative Budget Leak (Co-PI)
Amount: $1,500,000, Apr. 2022 – Mar. 2025
Cornell University Cooperative Extension of New York City (CUCE-NYC) and Cornell Action Research Collaborative (ARC)
To expand CUCE-NYC programming and the ARC evaluation unit, which offers program planning, design, implementation, and evaluation services to community organizations that work with some of NYC’s most vulnerable populations.
1. National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Leak (PI)
Amount: $321,938, Jan. 2022 – Nov. 2025
The preliminary efficacy of a culturally tailored, telehealth lifestyle intervention for Black adolescent girls with prediabetes: a pilot randomized controlled trial
To examine the preliminary efficacy of the 12-week telehealth BGW intervention on diet and physical activity among Black adolescent girls at risk for T2D and a female caregiver.
Completed
16. Cornell Center for Social Sciences, Pilot Research Grants, Cornell University Leak (PI)
Amount: $8,000, June 2021 – June 2025
Reducing risk factors for type 2 diabetes among adolescent girls from low-income backgrounds
To collect formative data to examine the feasibility of conducting an intervention to reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes among adolescent girls from low-income backgrounds in NYC.
15. Collaborative Pilot Project, Cornell Center for Health Equity, Weill Cornell Medicine Leak (PI)
Amount: $50,000, July 2021 – June 2024
Addressing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Disparities Among Low-Income Households with Adolescents Using a Novel Telehealth Lifestyle Intervention
To examine spillover effect of the 12-week Black Girls for Wellness intervention on caregiver diet and physical activity.
14. Engaged Research Seed Grant, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University Leak (PI)
Amount: $4,000, Aug. 2022 – Aug. 2023
Expanding Gardening and Nutrition Education Opportunities for Families in Transitional Housing
To examine the feasibility of implementing an 8-week intervention where caregivers with children in transitional housing in NYC participate in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and learn to grow vegetables and herbs.
13. Hatch/Smith Lever, NIFA, USDA (2018-19-125); Leak (PI)
Amount: $195,000, Oct. 2018 – Sept. 2022
The Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) 4-H After School Club: Curriculum Development and Pilot Test
To examine the feasibility of conducting the 12-week ACE 4-H after school club with 7 th and 8 th grade students at three Title I schools in Brooklyn, NY.
12. Engaged Undergraduate Research Grant, Engaged Cornell, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $45,000, Apr. 2019 – June 2022
To examine whether providing undergraduate students with research opportunities with ACE will improve their intercultural competence, understanding of integrative learning, and critical reflective skills.
11. Engaged Curriculum Grant, Engaged Cornell, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $60,000, June 2018 – June 2022
Global Public Health Science Major
To increase the number of experiential learning opportunities sites for students majoring in Global and Public Health Sciences and evaluate the impact of these experiences on various learning outcomes.
10. Engaged Opportunity Grant, Engaged Cornell, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $5,000, Mar. 2020 – June. 2022
Development of a culturally informed, technology enhanced infant feeding education program for low-income Latina mothers.
To conduct qualitative interviews with low-income Latina mothers and community health workers that work with low-income Latina mothers to explore their perceptions about an online based infant feeding education program.
9. NHLBI (R25HL126146); Bibbins-Domingo (PI)
Amount: $11,500 (Subaward), Nov. 2020 – Mar. 2022
Identifying lifestyle intervention strategies to test with adolescents from low socioeconomic status households who have prediabetes/type 2 diabetes and obesity
To explore facilitators and barriers to eating healthy and being physically active among adolescent girls at risk for type 2 diabetes that have Medicaid insurance through qualitative interviews.
8. Tuft Family Foundation; Leak (PI)
Amount: $25,000, June 2021- Dec. 2021
Examining the Feasibility of a Food Justice Intervention on Snacking Behaviors of Urban Youth.
To examine the feasibility of a 12 session food justice intervention on snacking behaviors among adolescents
attending a Boys and Girls Club in New York City.
7. Institute for the Social Sciences Small Grants Program, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $4,000, April 2018 – April 2020
Examine the perspectives of New York City principals of Title I middle schools about a culturally relevant after school program that aims to improve student culinary science knowledge, cooking skills, and cooking self-efficacy.
6. President’s Council of Cornell Women Affinito-Stewart Grant, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $10,000, July 2018 – June 2019
Explore the perspective of diverse, urban middle school students about after school activities they participate in and factors that influence participation.
5. National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes for Health; Leak (PI)
Amount: $5,000, Mar. 2018 – June 2018
Unlocking the Potential of Science Knowledge with Hands-On Teaching in Food and Nutrition (UPSHOT)
Planning grant to examine the feasibility of developing an integrated nutritional sciences and health curriculum for K-5 students attending an elementary school located in North Central Brooklyn.
4. Duke-UNC USDA Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research; Leak (PI)
Amount: $15,000, Sept. 2016 – Sept. 2018
Examining the feasibility of altering the food choice architecture in corner stores
Examine the feasibility of selling whole grain snack packs in New York City bodegas.
3. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; Leak (Co-I)
Amount: $217,516, Sept. 2016 – Nov. 2017
Food Overcoming our Diabetes Risk (FoodRx) pilot study
A 16-week pilot intervention where fresh vegetables and whole grains were delivered to low-income households with at least one obese child diagnosed with pre-diabetes.
2. Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Leak (PI)
Amount: $5,000, July 2013 – Nov. 2014
Familial consequences of an intervention to increase vegetable intake among young children
Assessed the role of adolescents residing in low-income households in home food preparation.
1. Food Policy Research Center, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Leak (Co-I)
Amount: $5,000, Oct. 2013 – Apr. 2014
School meal regulations and child nutrition: environmental approaches to improve intake
Examined previous and current School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program requirements, and recommended behavioral economics-informed strategies that can be incorporated into these programs.