NOW Health Group (Bloomingdale, IL) and the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM) announced the Protocol for Life Scholarship, a pioneering initiative named in honor of NOW Founder Elwood Richard.

With a six-figure investment spread across five years, the scholarship marks the single largest commitment ever made to advance naturopathic residency programs, NOW said.

According to NOW, the Protocol for Life Scholarship is designed to enhance the accessibility, sustainability and standardization of naturopathic residency training, addressing a critical need in the field. The investment will create more residency opportunities for future naturopathic doctors (NDs) while ensuring the highest quality standards. The scholarship is flexible, allowing it to be used across various aspects of residency training.

The scholarship comes at a pivotal moment for the naturopathic community, as residencies play a crucial role in professional development for NDs. By expanding training opportunities and standardizing training, the scholarship addresses a growing need for highly skilled naturopathic primary care providers and that they are well-equipped to deliver effective natural and sustainable health care solutions, NOW said.

“The Richard family was inspired by my mother, Betty Richard, who grew up very poor and received financial aid to go to college,” said Dan Richard, vice president of global sales and marketing at NOW. “Our family is helping pay for residency education and training as a way to ‘pay it forward’ to others who also have financial needs. The important work INM does in whole-person health aligns very well with our company’s philosophy.”

Yalda Shokooh, PharmD, PhD, director of science and nutrition at NOW, added, “Supporting residency opportunities best serves people. I am very grateful for the generous donation from the Richard family and cannot wait to see the tremendous impact it will have on education.”

For more information, visit www.naturemed.org or www.nowfoods.com.