Progress Made in Federal Human Nutrition Research Planning and Coordination; Some Improvements Needed
CED-82-56
Published: May 21, 1982. Publicly Released: May 21, 1982.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO reported on the planning and coordination of federally supported human nutrition research.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should amend Memorandum No. 2030, dated April 9, 1981, which established the Human Nutrition Board of Scientific Counselors, to include USDA officials and ex officio Board members and exclude them from serving as chairman and vice chairman of the Board. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should revise the charter of the Human Nutrition Board of Scientific Counselors to reflect the USDA reorganization, including the nutrition activities transferred to the Assistant Secretary for Food and Consumer Services. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Office of Science and Technology Policy | The Director, OSTP, should direct the OSTP Joint Subcommittee on Human Nutrition Research to develop a federal nutrition research plan by updating and expanding its December 1980 report on federally supported human nutrition research. In updating the report, the Subcommittee and the federal departments and agencies should work together to develop specific goals, objectives, and strategies and to identify the responsibilities of the federal departments and agencies and the required resources and time frames to accomplish the research goals. |
The Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research, which replaced the OSTP Joint Subcommittee, developed and issued a federal 5-year plan for human nutrition research to aid in developing research strategies in specific areas for federal nutrition research and to increase federal and private coordination.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, in developing their plan, should address the need to obtain expert and user advice and comments from nutritionists and other scientists; library, computer, and budget specialists; congressional staff; and others external to the federal departments to help the Secretaries develop a system that will provide research information and cost data that is timely, useful, comprehensive, reliable, and widely accepted by Congress, the executive agencies, and the nutrition community. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, in developing their plan, should address the need to obtain expert and user advice and comments from nutritionists and other scientists; library, computer, and budget specialists; congressional staff; and others external to the federal departments to help the Secretaries develop a system that will provide research information and cost data that is timely, useful, comprehensive, reliable, and widely accepted by Congress, the executive agencies, and the nutrition community. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health to: (1) include other federal nutrition research center representatives as participants in the planned Clinical Nutrition Research Unit (CNRU) site visits, or revisits; and (2) prepare a summary report on the CNRU reviews and provide the information to other federal nutrition research administrators and other interested parties, such as the appropriate congressional committees and the scientific community. This report should include an assessment of all seven CNRU's. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
Full Report
Topics
Federal agency reorganizationInteragency relationsNutrition researchPlanningResearch program managementNutritionReorganizationScientistsResearch programsAgricultural research