Are you interested in helping shape the future of USDA human nutrition research? What human nutrition-related issues are you interested in? Childhood obesity? The nutrient content of foods? Health promotion and disease prevention? Now’s your chance to let your voice be heard. Be an active participant by visiting our “Idea Space” and sharing your thoughts with us. Your input will help guide us in setting our human nutrition research priorities for the future. Our research helps solves problems that affect Americans’ lives every day. Help us decide which problems should be our priorities.
As USDA's chief scientific research agency, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is leading America towards a better future through agricultural research and information. Now ARS wants your input in planning its human nutrition research program for the next five years.
“We’re trying something new here,” says David Klurfeld, one of ARS’ National Program Leaders for Human Nutrition. “Traditionally, we’ve held face-to-face workshops with our stakeholders and customers to gather input on setting research priorities. Resources are limited—not just for Federal agencies—but for everyone. So, we’re looking for new ways to do business, efficiently and effectively.” He says, “This tool will give us the opportunity to not only change our process, but also to forge a new path—hopefully for other organizations as well—for gathering information from a wider range of customers, stakeholders and the public.”
ARS’ research plays a vital role in generating information and tools needed to improve the production, quality, and quantity of food for Americans and people around the world. ARS scientists explore how food choices and dietary patterns can help maintain good health and prevent disease for everyone, from newborns to seniors.
Its human nutrition research program focuses on nutrition monitoring—the scientific evidence base for dietary guidance, preventing obesity, and studying how nutrition affects health throughout the human life. Most of ARS’ human nutrition research is conducted at its six human nutrition research centers. This research provides unique and important scientific information that serve as the foundation for many diet and health policy decisions in the United States. Scientists, medical doctors, the food industry, regulatory agencies, policy makers, and others use ARS’ nutrition research data, including its nutrient database and food composition data, to identify ways to improve human health through food.
The comment period only lasts a short time—September 4, 2012, to October 15, 2012. So, don’t delay…we’re listening!