Vision
A world without malnutrition, where all people have the opportunity to thrive.
Mission
To advance human nutrition research, training, and outreach to improve the lives of vulnerable populations worldwide.
Originally established in 1987 as the Program in International Nutrition and officially designated as an Organized Research Unit in 1995, the Institute has served as a global leader in human nutrition research for more than 30 years.
Our overarching objectives include:
- To conduct basic and applied interdisciplinary research on issues of human nutrition through a lens of equity and social justice.
- To plan and manage the educational curriculum leading to a Designated Emphasis in International and Community Nutrition for doctoral students of the participating graduate programs, and to coordinate training activities for other graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.
- To provide technical assistance to national governments and international agencies concerned with food and nutrition policies.
- To foster collaborative exchanges of students and faculty between UC Davis and research and training institutions abroad.
Our Institute’s strengths lie in its ability to conduct interdisciplinary, applied research focused on nutrition and human health worldwide. We foster partnerships across institutions and disciplinary boundaries. Researchers within the Institute represent the diverse disciplines of nutrition, agricultural economics, epidemiology and public health, social sciences, psychology, human development, and biostatistics. Our research strengths include maternal and child nutrition; micronutrients; dietary assessment; development and evaluation of food or nutrition programs; and evaluating the interrelationships between nutrition, infection, and child development. Throughout our research, educational, and service missions, we express our core values of scientific rigor, transparency, equity, diversity, and service to the underserved.