NUTRITION SOCIETIES PRESIDENTS FORUM - FUTURE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR NUTRITION SOCIETIES IN THE 21ST-CENTURY

The Chair introduced ''Pasteur's Quadrant'' as a potentially useful pa radigm for modem science. Developed by Princeton's Donald E Stokes, th e quadrant is two-by-two matrix that classifies knowledge as fundament al and/or applied. The Chair also noted the effect of competitive pres sures, and the necessity for cooperation among nutrition societies. Th e Presidents of The American Society for Nutritional Sciences (ASNS), The American Society for Clinical Nutrition (ASCN), The American Socie ty for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), and the Chair of the Institute of Food Technologist's (IFT) Nutrition Division presented th eir views on how societies can prepare to meet their members' upcoming needs. The Director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy discu ssed the future role of nutrition societies and how they might interac t with various interest groups. The Forum, which included an opportuni ty for audience participation, took place soon after the February 1996 release of ''Meeting the Challenge: A Research Agenda for America's H ealth, Safety, and Food.'' Published by the Executive Office of the Pr esident's Office of Science and Technology Policy, the report highligh ts the importance of nutrition to our nation's health.