WIC Research Agenda

The Food and Nutrition Service awarded a contract on a sole source basis to the National Academy of Sciences, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 under the authority of FAR 6.302-5. The National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine (IOM), was established to investigate, examine, or experiment upon any subject of science or art of significance to an executive agency and to report on those matters to the Congress or any agency of the Federal Government. IOM has no institutional self interest in the outcome of its studies. It provides scientifically valid, impartial, and balanced advice and a neutral meeting ground for its committees. The National Academy of Sciences has been identified as the only impartial source that can provide the measure of expertise, independence, objectivity, and audience acceptance necessary to deliver results that will help FNS in shaping the future direction of WIC research funds. The National Academy, through its Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) will examine the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) future research Agenda. This contract will commission a conference to address key research issues, methodological issues and solutions related to the future research agenda for the WIC Program. Results of the workshop will help to shape the future direction and decisions on the use of WIC research funds. The estimated cost of this effort is $300,000. The proposed project will be conducted as part of the program of the Institute of Medicine and coordinated by the FNB. The FNB was established more than 60 years ago, primarily to address issues of national importance that pertain to the safety and adequacy of the nation's food supply; to establish principles and guidelines for adequate nutrition; and to render authoritative judgment on the relationships among food intake, nutrition, and health. The FNB is a multidisciplinary group of biomedical scientists with expertise in various aspects of nutrition, nutritional biochemistry, food science and technology, epidemiology, food toxicology, food safety, public health, and food and nutrition policy. These scientists deliberate on global issues concerning food and nutrition, initiate studies that are later assigned to standing or ad hoc FNB committees, and then oversee the work of these committees.