Nutrition Research Committees and Working Groups

The following committees provided essential support in the development of the Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research.

• Nutrition Research Coordinating Committee (NRCC) – The NIH NRCC was established by the NIH Office of the Director in 1975. The NRCC aims, at a grassroots level, to coordinate research within NIH and between other government agencies engaged in nutrition research and provides an open forum for members to discuss current and future research challenges and opportunities. While some NRCC members are appointed by their ICO Directors, NRCC membership is open to any government agency staff member interested in carrying out any trans-NIH or trans-agency nutrition research efforts.
• Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research (ICHNR) – The ICHNR is charged with improving the planning, coordination, and communication among federal agencies engaged in nutrition research and aims to increase the overall effectiveness and productivity of federally supported or conducted human nutrition research. The ICHNR is co-chaired by the USDA Chief Scientist/Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, along with the HHS Assistant Secretary for Health. In comparison to the NRCC, the ICHNR is made up of appointed members who are authorized to represent their respective agencies from across the federal government. The Director of ONR is the Co-Executive Secretary of the committee for HHS and the office provides administrative support to the committee.
• Nutrition Research Task Force (NRTF) – The NIH NRTF served from 2016 to 2020 to guide the development of the first NIH-wide strategic plan for nutrition research.
• Obesity Research Task Force - The NIH Obesity Research Task Force (ORTF) was formed to provide the research community a platform to exchange information on a broad spectrum of NIH-sponsored obesity-related research, including molecular, genetic, behavioral, environmental, clinical, and epidemiologic studies. The ORTF is co-chaired by the Directors of NIDDK; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Members of the ORTF include representatives from these and many other NIH institutes and centers.