Cornell, Purdue, North Carolina and Colorado State universities will establish research centers on nutrition education and obesity prevention with $3.4 million in funding from the Agriculture Department. The University of Kentucky will operate a national coordinating center, USDA said in an announcement. Together, the centers will focus on under-served, low-income families. Nearly one in three children is overweight or obese. “Each regional center will administer at least one signature research project that will be tailored to address a specific need in that region,” said USDA. The centers also will award competitive grants for their regions.