NNEdPro Chair's Summary
We had an exceedingly successful Summer School (n=46) with a completion rate of ~90% followed by an equally successful International Summit (n>100) with high uptake of the e-poster/video competition as well as the official launch of International Knowledge Application Network Hub in Nutrition 2025 (I-KANN-25). The proceedings of the last two summits were published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health (NPH) in time for the event and the proceedings as well as individual abstracts of the 2020 Summit will also be published similarly. These events (all held online and remarkably smoothly following investment in digital platforms) were capped off by excellent discussions in our Global Strategy Day (n~40) leading to the finalisation of our fully refreshed 2021-2025 Strategic Plan which has now been released internally in December 2020.
Figure 1. The NNEdPro Nine
The International Academy of Nutrition Educators (IANE) has experienced growth of about ~2/3rd following the summer events and now has over 130 members connected through the dedicated membership portal. Further, we successfully held 5 webinars and 5 linked journal clubs covering a range of current topics. The IANE awards and fellowship have been announced at the Summit and preparations have taken place to operationalise these features in the New Year. Our flagship journal, BMJ NPH has met its 3-year financial and strategic targets at 2-years and is now indexed in PubMed, Scopus and DOAJ with a promising trajectory for its first impact factor in 2021/22.
Development of our Regional Networks reaches completion with the online launch of the 12th network in December 2020 and this provides strategic regional coverage across six continents in a manner that is expected to synergise with I-KANN-25, IANE and our 2021 Summer School and Summit which are now scheduled for May and July, respectively. The UK and Ireland Regional Network is also linked with the Nutrition Implementation Coalition (NNEdPro, Nutritank, Culinary Medicine UK and ERImNN) which held its annual ‘Brighton Showcase’ (n>100) fully online in November 2020 focussing on region-specific case studies.
Figure 2. Map of NNEdPro Regional Networks
Our flagship projects, the Mobile Teaching Kitchen (MTK) model in India as well as our Nutrition Education Policy for Healthcare Practice (NEPHELP) model in the UK have been written up for peer review to share transferrable elements from both across all networks. Our science communications are now strengthened by two associated strands of activity in digital marketing and advocacy for impact and we have placed greater resource as well as focus in this domain given the digital transformation of 2020.
Figure 3. Strategy for Digital Marketing, Science Communications, and Advocacy for Impact
The Nutrition and COVID19 Taskforce has gone from strength to strength working in close partnership with BMJ NPH and this has led to over 20 key outputs adding pandemic-specific insights as well as dissemination pieces including a webinar in December 2020 along with colleagues from ESPEN and DSM reaching ~27K recipients. The work of the Taskforce has led to considerable impact including policy influence within the region.
Figure 4. Nutrition & COVID-19 Infographic
The Nutrition Research and Innovation Consortium (NRIC) incorporates multiple substantively funded research projects all of which are progressing steadily including those with the Swiss Re Institute in Data Science (Causal Inference Analyses in Cardiometabolic Risk, Health Risk Transition in India and Emerging Risks with COVID19), University of Cambridge (Global Challenges in India and South East Asia), Ulster University (Biomedical/Vascular Studies and Educational Innovation) and Imperial College London (Ethnic Inclusivity in the South London Cohort). In all these areas significant further funding has now been applied for. Additionally, further funding has been applied for in relation to regional networks, I-KANN-25 and the work of the COVID19 Taskforce.
Figure 5. iKANN Infographic
As a global think-tank, our wider membership by invitation to one or more networks stands between 400-500. Within this, the Virtual Core (n~40 comprising about half SLA-holders, half volunteers and multiple external contractors also providing services over and above the Virtual Core) has been galvanised through listening exercises and regular engagement including a recent survey with high returns as well as a series of individual reviews. As a result, in December 2020, the Virtual Core appears to be on board for 2021 activities which have now been planned and timelines as well as roles and responsibilities have been agreed in principle. This includes the addition of new internal leadership positions: Non-Exec Associate Director (International Knowledge Exchange, Scientific & Strategic Development), Assistant Director (Digital Operations, Admin, Finance & Enterprise) and Assistant Director (Nutrition in Medicine, Flagship Projects & Organisational Development) as well as new leads for the Summer School and Summit for 2021. All successful applicants to these roles are from within the existing Operations and Strategy Team and are already familiar with NNEdPro.
Over the 2020 calendar year we have been fortunate to have maintained a favourable ratio of income and expenditure along with a limited amount of cost savings pertaining mainly to travel. The extraordinary commitment of our members during this incredibly challenging year was therefore deserving of reward and recognition. We therefore provided internal recognition awards to 46 different people, with a total of 58 awards including career development training awards, Amazon Vouchers for Faculty & Mentors Panel as well as Summer School Faculty and achievement awards announced on the Global Strategy Day.
List of Award Recipients
Outstanding Contributions to Strategic Operations and Key Projects
Matheus Abrantes, Breanna Lepre APD, Sucheta Mitra, Dr. Marjorie Lima Do Vale RD
Excellence in Education, Training & Science Communications
James Bradfield RD, Shane McAuliffe RD
International Impact
Dr. Luke Buckner, Jorgen Johnsen, Helena Trigueiro RD
GIP Volunteer Awards: Rising Star
Dr. Dominic Crocombe, Melissa Adamski APD
GIP Volunteer Awards: Sustained Excellence
Dr. Kathy Martyn RN RNutr, Professor Eleanor Beck APD, Emeritus Professor Caryl Nowson
Extraordinary Achievement Awards (2011-2020)
Dr. Celia Laur
All in all, this has been a surprisingly productive and successful year despite the pandemic and several systems and processes as well as projects and outputs have been greatly strengthened through considerable innovation. With secured funding for the coming calendar year we are now planning ahead for very promising new horizons in 2021 as well as an array of future possibilities in line with our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.
By Professor Sumantra Ray
Founding Chair and Executive Director
NNEdPro Global Center for Nutrition and Health
St. John's Innovation Center
Crowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WS, UK
Edited by
Shane McAuliffe
Science Communications Lead
NNEdPro Global Center for Nutrition and Health
St. John's Innovation Center
Crowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WS, UK
Kai Sento Kargbo
Assistant Project & Communications Officer
NNEdPro Global Center for Nutrition and Health
St. John's Innovation Center
Crowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WS, UK