Please note:
The 2025 WHO/Cochrane/Cornell University Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health Summer Institute for Systematic Reviews in Nutrition for Global Policy Making begins with one online week, at your own pace and according to your own schedule, and concludes with an immersive in-person week at Cornell University. All work is in May and June 2025. The first step is to apply. Once your application is accepted, you will be invited to register for the program.

Once you are accepted to the Institute, you will receive notification and further details about registration in March. We will require you to register for the program, including completing payment, and your acceptance letter will provide you with detailed instructions on the steps. 

Briefly, the steps in the registration process are: 

  1. Complete the registration process through Cornell Conferences Services using the link provided in your acceptance letter
  2. Be ready to provide payment at the time of registration, communicate any questions on payment to SummerInstitute@Cornell.edu
  3. Complete a short biography for the Institute directory and register for a Cornell University NetID, following directions in your acceptance letter
  4. On or about May 1, 2025, you will be invited to complete one pre-institute information session to learn more about how to access Institute materials, discuss review topics, and hear more about the plan for working in groups
  5. Once systematic review groups are assigned, you are encouraged to meet at least once before the Summer Institute starts to meet the group and discuss the Systematic Review status

Please visit the main page of the Institute for instructions on how to apply.

Registration Fees: 

The registration fee of $2000 covers the following costs: advance preparation materials,, materials used in first week of Institute (asynchronous content), all course instruction, access to Cornell’s library resources, access to Cornell’s Statistical Consulting Unit advisors, access to the Institute’s virtual platform, two coffee breaks per day, the welcome tour, the opening reception, and the Institute dinner. 

As described below, participants from Low-middle-income countries (LMIC) and Upper-middle-income countries (UMIC) will be considered for a scholarship only if they meet the delineated criteria (please review the criteria and be sure you address these criteria in your cover letter). For participants who are directly affiliated with Institute partners, further discounts will apply, and these applicants should indicate their affiliation in the application.

Estimating the cost of Housing and Meals: 

Housing and the majority of meals are not included in the registration fee, but the Institute registration fee does include a social tour, an opening reception, coffee breaks twice/day, and one dinner. 

Housing is available in the Cornell Town Houses located on the north campus and approximately 15 minutes walking distance from the Summer Institute site. In 2025, the housing cost will be $129.25 per night per single bed in a shared townhouse. Each townhouse has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living/dining room, and a kitchen. All townhouses are close to dining options on Cornell’s north campus, specifically, Morrison Hall, which is Cornell’s newest and highly acclaimed eating establishment offering a wide range of options. Participants are not required to stay in the campus housing, but most participants typically do opt for the campus housing given proximity to the Institute building, ease of arrangement, and proximity to the dining facilities. If you wish, you may instead choose from hotels and/or any other housing options in Ithaca, but you must carefully consider transportation options to and from campus. Participants typically use campus dining options for meals, which are very economical, with approximate costs of $40/day to cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Accommodations have cooking facilities available. Participants are responsible for their own transportation costs, including flight tickets, taxis, or buses.

A very limited number of scholarships for participants from low- and middle-income countries are available to help cover registration, travel, accommodation, and/or other expenses associated with participating in the WHO/Cochrane/Cornell University Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health Summer Institute for Systematic Reviews in Nutrition for Global Policy Making 2025.

Funds are limited, so applicants must also take responsibility to explore partial or full funding options from other sources, such as your institution or available grants.

Scholarship criteria:

We will consider individuals for a scholarship if they meet the following criteria, which should be addressed in your cover letter:

  • Permanent residents (living and working in) in low-, lower-middle- and upper-middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank.
  • Able to attend the entire Summer Institute 2025 and ensure that the Institute dates do not conflict with any other commitment you may have and that your employer agrees to release time to allow you to attend the Institute and to continue working on systematic reviews at some level after completing the Institute. 

Partial funding: to be able to fund as many people as possible to attend the Summer Institute, our preference will be to provide partial support only. Your chances of receiving a scholarship are higher if you demonstrate that you can cover part of the costs from other sources (for example, cover some of the following: travel, meals, registration, or accommodation).

Persons temporarily based in high-income countries: applications from residents of low- and middle-income countries who are currently based in a high-income country may be considered on a case-by-case basis if the stay is clearly limited to a specific period and the applicant does not receive a salary. 

Decision-making on scholarships:

Using the application information, the applicants will be assessed according to the following criteria:

  • Anticipated gains from attending the Summer Institute
  • Ability to raise partial funds to support attending
  • Letters of reference provided by people in your institution that address the relevance and the institutional value of your participation in the Summer Institute

Please be sure that your application includes the information above. 

What costs are covered?

Funds may be available for one or more of the following:

  • Travel to and from Ithaca, NY (at the level of the most economical return fare from your location)
  • Accommodation at Cornell campus townhouses during the in-person week
  • Summer Institute Registration fee

Further help

If you require assistance with your application, please contact summerinstitute@cornell.edu

Important Information About Visa Acquisition 

Depending on your country of citizenship, you may be required to have either a B-2 Tourist Visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) in order to enter the USA.

Participants are responsible for covering all costs associated with obtaining a visa for the summer institute. This includes but is not limited to, application fees, processing fees, travel to the consulate or embassy, and any other expenses related to visa acquisition.

The institute does not provide financial assistance, reimbursements, or sponsorship for visa-related costs. However, upon acceptance into the course, the acceptance letter from the Institute provides the information needed in support of obtaining a visa if a visa is required.

We recommend that participants begin the visa application process as early as possible to ensure timely processing. For further assistance or clarification regarding visa requirements, please contact your local consulate or embassy. 

If you are accepted to the Institute, further registration information will be forthcoming, and you will then be provided with links to complete payment and to gain access to the virtual platform.

WHO Cochrane Cornell Summer Institute, Contact Information

Patricia A. Cassano, PhD
The Alan D. Mathios Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences
Professor, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical
3310 MVR Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
+1 607.255.7551 (phone)
E-mail:  summerinstitute@cornell.edu