ENGINE - Empowering New Generations to Improve Nutrition and Economic Opportunities

The Empowering New Generations to Improve Nutrition and Economic Opportunities (ENGINE) Program is a five-year, integrated nutrition program intended to decrease maternal, neonatal and child mortality by improving the nutritional status of women and children less than 5 years of age through sustainable, comprehensive and coordinated evidence-based interventions in four major regions of Ethiopia. ENGINE is funded by USAID and implemented by Save the Children International with a consortium of partners, including Tufts University.

The expected results of the ENGINE initiative include the implementation of a rigorous and innovative learning agenda. The Friedman School, awarded 7.3 million USD, is tasked with the operational research component, including the generation of rigorous learning outcomes on key questions and innovative policy and operational approaches that will support the successful scale-up of programs to improve nutrition in Ethiopia. Tufts University is also partnered with local Ethiopian institutions Jimma University, Hawassa University and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) to carry out this research and learning agenda.

The Tufts ENGINE activities include a Nutrition Policy Research project (completed in 2014), secondary research analysis of existing Ethiopian national datasets, two longitudinal cohort studies (Agriculture-Nutrition Study and Birth Cohort Study), the Baseline and Endline Program Evaluation, a PhD program and advising on M&E activities. The Agriculture-Nutrition Study followed a sample of 1,200 smallholder agricultural households randomly selected from areas where ENGINE and the National Agricultural Growth Program (AGP) are active. Results will provide essential information about the best ways to sustainably improve the delivery and uptake of nutritionally enhanced agricultural practices. The Birth Cohort Study is an observation study providing an opportunity to understand how and why particular strategies and approaches address nutrition and health concerns of vulnerable populations, namely pregnant women and infants. The objective of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of the delivery of interventions to improve the health and nutrition outcomes of mothers and infants. In partnership with Valid International, Tufts also collaborated on the implementation of the Baseline Study and will implement the Endline Study to be completed in 2016.  

  • Eileen Kennedy: Project Director, PI Policy and Governance Study, PI PhD Program
  • Jennie Coates: PI, Agriculture-Nutrition Study
  • Shibani Ghosh: Co-PI, Birth Cohort Study
  • Jeff Griffiths: Co-PI, Birth Cohort Study