IAFNS’s Core Values:
Scientific integrity and transparency are core values of IAFNS.
We bring scientific experts and leaders together to catalyze science for confident decision-making by all sectors. IAFNS believes researchers from the public and private sectors can and should work together on science and public health issues. Public-private collaboration - where all interests are declared and all funding is acknowledged - can advance science for public benefit.
IAFNS has earned the 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency! View our Candid nonprofit profile.
Integrity in Science - It's Who We Are
Scientific integrity is essential to advancing credible science for the purpose of improving society. IAFNS is a recognized leader in addressing issues of scientific integrity, research public-private partnerships, and conflict of interest through our work with federal agencies and scientific professional societies. We are proud of our extensive programs on scientific integrity, and we integrate scientific integrity into every step of our research programs.
Assembly on Scientific Integrity
The Assembly on Scientific Integrity includes the IAFNS Board of Trustees, IAFNS Scientific Leadership Council, and all IAFNS members from government, industry, and academia. With representation from all three sectors of our membership, the Assembly is active in ensuring IAFNS achieves and promotes the highest standards of scientific integrity.
View the Assembly’s current and recent projects and efforts.
Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines
The Center for Open Science's Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines provide actionable steps for institutions to practice and promote transparent, reproducible, and rigorous research. IAFNS is a TOP Guidelines signatory. As a signatory, IAFNS supports the principles expressed in the guidelines and supports the implementation of these principles by our funded researchers. All new projects moving forward will work to adhere to the TOP Guidelines.
Our commitment to transparency is evidenced by our establishment a Collection page on the Open Science Framework. The IAFNS Collection aggregates all IAFNS-supported research projects that are registered on the Open Science Framework in one place. It provides greater visibility of the breadth and rigor of research that has been undertaken by the investigators we support, and allows the scientific community to more easily discover our work.
IAFNS's Leadership in Scientific Integrity:

Publications
An Updated Framework for Industry Funding of Food and Nutrition Research: Managing Financial Conflicts and Scientific Integrity
The Journal of Nutrition, 2023
Update on “A Partnership for Public Health: USDA Global Branded Food Products Database”
Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2022
IAFNS is one of six partners whose goal is to improve public health and the sharing of open data by expanding and enhancing the USDA National Nutrient Database — now known as USDA FoodData Central — with nutrient composition and ingredient information on branded and private label foods to better reflect the food supply.
Scientific Integrity Principles and Best Practices: Recommendations from a Scientific Integrity Consortium
Science and Engineering Ethics, 2019
The Scientific Integrity Consortium developed a set of recommended principles and best practices that can be used broadly across scientific disciplines as a mechanism for consensus on scientific integrity standards and to better equip scientists to operate in a rapidly changing research environment.
Using Risk of Bias Domains to Identify Opportunities for Improvement in Food- and Nutrition-Related Research: An Evaluation of Research Type and Design, Year of Publication, and Source of Funding
PLoS ONE, 2018
Risk of Bias (ROB) study pinpoints ways to improve quality of food & nutrition research.
Events
Metascience 2023 Conference
May 9, 2023 – May 10, 2023
Washington, United States
The scientific community is making a conscious shift towards transparency in science and is seeking prescriptive ideas on how the research process can be improved. The Metascience 2023 Conference will bring together researchers and stakeholders to share ideas to make meaningful change to the practice of research and foster a culture of continuous experimentation and improvement.
Live Microbe Data and How to Submit to the Global Branded Food Products Database
February 27, 2023
Virtual, Event
Food manufacturers can now include information on the amount of beneficial live microbes present in food products, specify the level (low, medium or high) of microbes and optionally indicate the microbe species. These data will support research on associations between beneficial live dietary microbes and health when linked to biomarkers of health and data on health outcomes.
Read more about Live Microbe Data and How to Submit to the Global Branded Food Products Database
22nd IUNS ICN
December 5, 2022 – December 10, 2022
Tokyo Japan, With Remote Options
IAFNS is presenting a poster on guiding principles for funding food science and nutrition research.
Knowledge Mobilization, Scientific Integrity and Transparency
October 5, 2022
Virtual, Event
IAFNS joined the SOT SCCT-ELFSI Webinar Series (Society of Toxicology Sustainable Chemicals through Contemporary Toxicology and Ethical, Legal, Forensics and Societal Issues Specialty Sections) to discuss knowledge mobilization and scientific integrity.
Read more about Knowledge Mobilization, Scientific Integrity and Transparency
Best Practices in Funding of Food and Nutrition Research
September 29, 2022
Virtual, Event
In a virtual lunch and learn session, IAFNS reviewed Best Practices in Funding of Food and Nutrition Research with global scientists.
Read more about Best Practices in Funding of Food and Nutrition Research