_______________________ Update – SNAP & EFNEP: Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Centers of Excellence (RNECE) _______________________ Helen Chipman, PhD, RD National Program Leader. NIFA, USDA 9 February 2016

Background Purpose – Conduct program implementation research for EFNEP and SNAP-Ed to strengthen the evidence-base and assure that programs are effective, innovative, replicable, sustainable, and cost effective Timeline – FY 2014-2017 Funding – FNS and NIFA; 8 million; 7 multi-year awards Overarching Goal: To improve the health of low-income Americans through multiple strategies, including complementary nutrition education and public health approaches No additional funds to agencies Not FNS in FY 2016; Both agencies are still committed to the goals and objectives of the initiative. Actively exploring other options to continue to support the objectives of the initiative The intent has never been to establish a number of individual centers of excellence; rather it has been to create a few centers that involve multiple entities – across research and program, across states, across types of expertise, etc. 

RNECE Objectives Strengthen evidence-base – identify and confirm what works Evaluate long-term effectiveness of interventions and opportunities for new research for underserved and disadvantaged populations Identify and create research collaborations and synergistic relationships: researchers, programs, implementers, government Enhance impacts – public health-related training and dissemination of evidence based practices

A Social Ecological Approach – Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, A Social-Ecological Model for Food and Physical Activity Decisions A Social Ecological Approach – Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 Direct education; policy, systems, and environmental change, comprehensive and integrated approaches as appropriate to each program and per program policy Adapted from Adapted from: (1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Addressing Obesity Disparities: Social Ecological Model. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/health_equity/addressingtheissue.html. Accessed October 19, 2015. (2) Institute of Medicine. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance, Washington (DC): The National Academies Press; 2005, page 85. (3) Story M, Kaphingst KM, Robinson-O’Brien R, Glanz K. Creating healthy food and eating environments: Policy and environmental approaches. Annu Rev Public Health 2008; 29:253-272.

A Social Ecological Approach – Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 / http:///rnece-ncc.org/ A Social Ecological Approach – Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 New in FY 2015 – a PSE Center and a longitudinal study Stay tuned – Thursday session for details on the work and progress of the Centers

Expectations of Research Centers Involve implementing organizations, researchers, and associated interests Conduct regional and PSE projects Manage sub-awards to augment work Coordinate efforts to complete Agency specific priorities – Ex. SNAP-Ed toolkit Evaluate, aggregate, translate and disseminate interventions so useful for program practitioners and others Provide training and other supportive resources for implementation Very different types of grants – grantees working collaboratively as well as individually

RNECE Role for SNAP-Ed and EFNEP Implementers Be connected to the RNECE Centers through formal and informal relationships Inform – Provide stakeholder input Apply for sub-awards – Conduct research Use resources that are developed – Apply interventions as intended Encourage and facilitate involvement of other implementers in your state – Share/coordinate with others If the type of research is something of interest to you, watch for future RFAs, whether through NIFA, USDA or other sources that can further the goals and objectives of the initiative.

A Social Ecological Approach – Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 http://nifa.usda.gov Program: RNECE

FNS and NIFA RNECE Contacts Food and Nutrition Service Ms. Jane Duffield, Branch Chief Dr. Anita Singh, Branch Chief National Institute of Food and Agriculture* Dr. Helen Chipman, National Program Leader (Primary Contact) Phone: (202) 720-8067;  Fax: (202) 401-0776 Email: hchipman@nifa.usda.gov Ms. Marly Diallo, Program Specialist *Initial contact for grants management questions NIFA charged with implementing the grants, and I am the point person at NIFA to provide oversight. I work closely with FNS – in doing so.