The Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center (BONRC), administratively based at Boston Medical Center (BMC), provides resources and support for studies in the area of obesity and nutrition. Funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Center was established to explore the natural history of obesity, to investigate energy metabolism in health and disease, and to educate and train new investigators in these areas.

The Center is comprised of four research cores located within the Boston area. Each core provides unique expertise and facilities to investigators whose research is in the area of obesity, energy expenditure, or nutrition. The core laboratories provide expert consultation and resources in the areas of adipocytes, epidemiology and statistics, body composition, energy expenditure and genetic analyses, and transgenic animal models. The intent of the cores is to provide the opportunity for scientists to share their research interests and activities, to learn new methods in this area of research and, in turn, to attract other established or new investigators to the area of obesity research.

In addition, the Center annually funds pilot and feasibility studies which are intended to support initial research efforts which can lead to further external funding. The Center also coordinates ongoing educational enrichment activities which include monthly seminars, mini-symposia, and travel assistance for junior investigators. Through these various avenues the Center hopes to create a collaborative research community in the field of obesity and nutrition.