Evidence-based Nutrition Education and Research Guidance (ENER-G)

R25 ENER-G Summary/Abstract There is a pressing need for nutrition-focused, methodologically sound, Evidence-Based Health Care (EBHC) skills training across the field of nutrition including the clinical interface. Emerging evidence points to largely low-quality systematic reviews informing clinical practice and policy in nutrition. While numerous successful models of EBHC skills training exist for physicians, these programs are not sufficient for nutrition trainees. Modified trainings are needed due to the sheer number of nutrition trainees and the unique challenges within nutrition such as limited randomized controlled trial data, observational study confounding, and the challenges of dose- response meta-analyses, dietary recall, adherence and quality among other issues. We’ve assembled a strong leadership team located on the East Coast, West Coast, and in the South, with a distinct portfolio of research, teaching and administrative skills to collaborate on this initiative entitled Evidence-based Nutrition Education and Research Guidance (ENER-G). Our overall objective is to implement, evaluate, and disseminate rigorous, nutrition-focused, EBHC training and research experiences for both conventional and integrative nutritional science trainees and professionals. In order to meet our objective, we have developed three specific aims. Aim 1: Deliver a nutrition-focused systematic review and meta-analysis course with a built-in mentored research experience (from initiation to publication); Aim 2. Deliver nutrition-focused skills training workshops in EBHC principles and practice; Aim 3. Deliver a semi-annual seminar series on the Nutrition Evidence Lifecycle addressing epistemological issues and relevant topics in translational nutrition research. We propose a 5-year program addressing the need for rigorous, innovative training in systematic reviews and EBHC skills. This will be accomplished through courses, mentored research experiences, workshops, and seminars across three primary, well-established, diverse nutrition institutions and two additional prominent nutrition programs. We will further extend this training to nutrition professionals and educators through continuing education and the SNAP-Ed program. In so doing the ENER-G project will lead to much needed research and EBHC skills sensitive to the Evidence Lifecycle. In total, ENER-G will train a large cohort of the next generation of nutrition professionals and researchers (up to 1750 individuals over 5 years), leading to a broad impact that supports patients and the strategic initiatives of the NIDDK.