Is it possible to tackle obesity and undernourishment simultaneously? That’s the question 2017 Research Award Recipient Carly Hayes set out to answer. Peru, she says, “suffers from a double burden of malnutrition: over 59% of the adult population are overweight or obese, while many children in rural areas are stunted or suffer from anemia.”

Peru has carried out a concerted program to reduce stunting in children under five, says Hayes, but efforts to address obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes have been piecemeal and lack overall policy coherence. A debate is underway as to whether the policies that solved one problem could be retrofitted to address another.

Hayes concluded that retooling existing nutrition policies is a viable option, but “these policies shouldn’t take the place of a more holistic nutrition strategy that seeks to create a healthier food environment.”

Hayes’ says the research and fieldwork in Lima, the Department of Cusco, and the town of Ollantaytambo in the high Andes “gave me the chance both to deepen my knowledge of non-communicable disease prevention and to strengthen my skills in logistics and planning, monitoring and evaluation, and communications.”

“I feel that I grew a lot as a researcher, as a professional, and on a personal level throughout my year as a research awardee.”

However, Hayes considers that one of the most valuable opportunities “was the chance to interact with a cohort of awardees who bring a wide variety of experience, knowledge, and skills to the program. Learning from this remarkable group has allowed me to expand my knowledge of 10 international development issues, instead of just one!”

“Research should be a public good,” says 2016 IDRC Research Award recipient Erika Malich. “No matter how rigorous it is, and no matter how important the findings, research does not speak for itself.”

Malich came to this conclusion after asking researchers, communicators, and policymakers in Peru what they thought made research accessible. “I found that research accessibility is a multi-dimensional concept,” she says. “We need to think about how the research is communicated to various audiences, and ways of involving beneficiaries throughout the process to increase understanding and use.”

Through this research, Malich became “more aware of how important the role of any researcher is.” She found, for example, that university researchers in northern Peru had difficulty accessing research because of the cost. “This reminds me that we can all make our work more accessible,” she says. One way is through publishing open access and using different kinds of platforms, such as blogs.

During her year at IDRC Malich feels that she has “grown both as a researcher and a professional. I feel this knowledge and experience greatly positions me for my future career, no matter where it may take me.”