Below are research opportunities shared with the NAAFA community
NAAFA is not conducting these studies. This is our effort to support research about fat community, weight stigma, and activism. These opportunities have been vetted, but we ask that you proceed with caution, prioritizing your safety and wellbeing.
If you’re conducting research and would like NAAFA to feature your study, please complete this form. Listings are approved on a case-by-case basis.
Format: Online Survey
Deadline: January 31, 2026
Researcher & Affiliation: Susan Garlington, Southern Connecticut State University
Link: Weight of the World. Why do Fat Women Feel the Need to Justify their Right to Take Up Space
Description: Interviews will cover topics like experiences with medical fatphobia, workplace discrimination, fetishization, fat activism, portrayal of fat women in the media and more. All topics I cover in my syllabus Introduction to Fat Studies.
Participant Criteria: Women (AFAB) ages 18+ who are size 14 and up.
Compensation: N/A
Additional Information: An informed consent document required by the IRB will need to be signed before interview.
Editor’s Note: This survey asks participants to consider a variety of characterizations of fat people, including depictions that may be objectionable to some respondents. We are sharing this opportunity because we think it's important that fat voices are included in more research, but we want to make sure participants are aware that it includes language that might be upsetting, so proceed with caution.
Format: Online Survey
Deadline: December 31, 2025
Researcher & Affiliation: David Vallejo, CSU Fullerton
Link: Understanding the Social Mechanisms of Online Communities in Shaping Health Practices
Description: This research study investigates how online communities shape human behavior, identity, and social belonging through an anthropological lens. It explores how participation in digital spaces influences cultural perceptions of health, well-being, and the body. By examining these virtual interactions as sites of social meaning and cultural exchange, the study aims to deepen understanding of how digital environments impact collective values and individual experiences in contemporary society.
Participant Criteria: All participants must be at least 18 years old.
Compensation: N/A
Additional Information: There may be a small risk to participants, as the subject matter of the survey will include questions about self-esteem, and self-perception. Should a participant become too uncomfortable to continue, they can simply leave the survey at any point. Their data will not be collected. Should anyone request an interview, they may also withdraw consent at anytime, and all of their data will be destroyed.