The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are calling for nominations to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The independent advisory committee will review the scientific evidence to help inform the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The deadline to submit nominations for the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is October 6, 2018, at 11:59 pm, Eastern Time.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans serves as the cornerstone of federal nutrition programs and policies, providing food-based recommendations to help prevent disease and promote health. Under the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990, the guidelines are mandated to reflect the preponderance of scientific evidence and to be published jointly by USDA and HHS every five years.
The next edition of the guidelines will take a life stage approach, reflecting an expansion to include women who are pregnant and children from birth to 24 months as mandated by the 2014 Farm Bill. The scientific review conducted by the advisory committee will be guided by topics and supporting questions that reflect earlier public and federal agency comments. The agencies are seeking nominations that reflect expertise related to these topic areas.
The following factors will be considered in reviewing nominations:
- Educational background – advanced degree in nutrition- or health-related field, including registered dietitians, nutrition scientists, physicians, and those with public health degrees
- Professional experience – at least 10 years of experience as an academic, researcher, practitioner, or other health professional in a field related to one or more of the topics to be examined; consideration of leadership experience and participation on previous committees or panels
- Demonstrated scientific expertise – expertise related to one or more of the topics to be examined by the committee as demonstrated by number and quality of peer-reviewed publications and presentations
- Obligations under the Federal Advisory Committee Act – ensuring the Committee is balanced fairly in points of view and types of expertise
- Requirements regarding a balanced membership – including, to the extent possible, individuals who are minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and representatives from different geographic areas and institutions
More information is available on DietaryGuidelines.gov: