Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) awarded $516,468 to the University of Illinois on March 15, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to conduct research on physical activity (PA) timing in relation to glycemic control among night workers versus day workers. The five-year project, concluding February 28, 2031, will recruit 400 non-diabetic participants (200 night workers and 200 day workers) from transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and leisure/hospitality industries in the Chicago metropolitan area. Participants will wear continuous glucose monitors and PA monitors for two weeks while providing information on work schedules, meal and sleep timing, and perceived barriers and facilitators to PA at different times of day.

The research will deliver comparative analysis of timing-related activity profiles between night and day workers, examining when participants are most active, how PA bouts align with daily events such as meals and sleep, and the day-to-day regularity of PA habits. The project aims to determine whether the optimal timing window for PA to improve glycemic control differs between night workers and day workers, potentially challenging current evidence-based recommendations that suggest the ideal time window is one hour before bed. This research addresses a significant public health gap, as approximately 11 million Americans engage in frequent night work, which correlates with impaired glycemic control, yet night workers remain underrepresented in existing PA timing studies.