ACN Advocacy
ASN Advocacy
The American Society for Nutrition advocates for its members by working with Congress and federal agencies on issues that impact the way nutrition scientists and clinicians conduct research or treat their patients. The Society’s members and staff also collaborate with organizations on common issues related to nutrition to build coalitions and advance issues of mutual interest.
Congressional Briefings
“Do We Need a Plan B for Plan S? The Impact of Open Access Publishing on Scholarly Publications and Scientific Societies,” February 25, 2019
“You Are What Your Bugs Eat! Diet, The Gut Microbiota and its Metabolome in Human Health and Disease,” October 25, 2018
“What are Children Eating at School Lunch? 5 Years After the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act;” September 11, 2015
“Maternal and Child Nutrition: New Learnings and Implications for Development Agencies,” June 2, 2014; US Agency for International Development (USAID) Brownbag Seminar
“Easy as ABC, 123! Integrating Nutrition and Activity in Early Childhood Learning to Build Lifelong Healthy Habits;” March 31, 2014
“From Childhood Obesity to SNAP: Opportunities and Challenges in Nutrition Research;” December 4, 2013
“Out of the Trash and Onto Trays: Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in the School Lunch Program;” September 14, 2012
“Advancing Discovery: The Role of NIH Research in Fighting Diabetes”; September 15, 2011; co-sponsored with the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), and other organizations.
Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, RN, parent of child with Type-1 Diabetes
“Bringing Urban Agriculture to Life“; May 9, 2011; co-sponsored with the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and the Council of Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics (C-FARE).
Dr. Katherine Alaimo, Dept. of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University
Dr. Jim Hanson, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland
Kristen McIvor, Community Garden Coordinator, Tacoma/Pierce County, Washington State
Coalition Involvement
AACN works through partnerships with like-minded organizations and coalitions, an alliance of organizations whose combined action can lead to a mutually beneficial end result: to advance human nutrition research and its funding, and ensure the sound application and translation of nutrition science in legislation and policy.
AACN is a member of various national coalitions and partnerships, including:
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Coalition
Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International
Friends of National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
Friends of National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
MyPlate National Strategic Partner
National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA)
National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NC-FAR)
Non-communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance
Research!America
Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance
Supporters of Agricultural Research (SOAR)
Hill Visits
On December 6, 2017, 10 AACN members participated in AACN Capitol Hill visits. Representatives of AACN met with 20 congressional offices, including four members of Congress, to urge them to negotiate an agreement to lift the budget caps established under the 2011 Budget Control Act and to pass a fiscal year 2018 budget through an omnibus appropriations bill or any format that avoids another “continuing resolution” (CR). AACN members framed their discussions by sharing personal stories about how federal funding cuts affect their research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other research agencies. Participants suggested that Congress view nutrition research laboratories as small businesses, which lose purchasing power and are forced to lay-off staff as a result of funding cuts. Several also spoke about the importance of having funding to train the next generation of nutrition scientists as well as the lack of career opportunities available for younger researchers in the current climate. Members of Congress and their staff expressed appreciation for the information shared by AACN members.
AACN has also held Hill Day events in 2007, 2013, and 2014, and regularly joins nearly 400 other advocates from scientific organizations, patient groups, and research institutions to take part in the Rally for Medical Research Capitol Hill Day. Now in its fifth year, this event urges Congress to provide support for the NIH.