Center for California Studies Faculty Research Fellows Program - Effect of Store Closures on Consumer Behavior

Deadline: Friday, January 24, 2025

Amount: $30,000

This is funded by the Faculty Research Fellows Program, a program run by the Center for California Studies at Sac State. The program is intended to connect the research skills and subject-matter expertise of the CSU faculty with the policy research needs of state policy makers.

About: Proposed research should focus on neighborhoods located in “food deserts” and that have endured recent store closures in one of three areas (northern California, the Central Valley, or southern California). It should then explore the reasons for the closures and resultant impact on access to food and resident behavior. This would likely involve surveys of neighborhood residents and study of demographic data. However, requesters are open to other methods or methodologies that researchers think would best answer the desired questions. Surveys could be supplemented with other methods of identifying barriers to food access such as difference in prices or food options at local grocers compared to supermarkets, and data on access to vehicles among residents.

Research will address the following questions:

• How do neighborhood residents get food after their local supermarket closes?

• What impact does the closing of a neighborhood supermarket have on the type of food that neighborhood residents purchase and consume?

• What practical challenges do neighborhood residents face in obtaining fresh and healthy food after the closing of a neighborhood supermarket?

• Are there marginalized communities (i.e. people of color, immigrant communities, and those who receive public assistance such as SNAP, WIC, or social security benefits) who are most impacted by food deserts?

Eligibility: Faculty and staff at any California State University campus may submit proposals. Preference is given to principal investigators who are full-time faculty or staff, but part-time faculty may also apply. Part-time faculty and CSU students may also be included as secondary investigators and assistants.

Apply: For full program details and application information, please click through to the research portal to find the attached RFP.

NOTE: If you are interested in applying or have any questions, please contact our Pre-Award Specialists Pia Gabriel at pg12@humboldt.edu, Kaz Wegmuller at kaz.wegmuller@humboldt.edu, or Jocelyne Takatsuno at jt366@humboldt.edu ASAP.