The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) invites applications for a UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Specialist to become the next Director of the Nutrition Policy Institute. NPI engages in and incorporates others’ rigorous research to strengthen public policy relating to food and nutrition, particularly state and federal policy that focuses on food disparities impacting low-income individuals, families, and communities.
The Director leads strategic food and nutrition policy research, cultivates partnerships, identifies and secures grant funding, and provides overall leadership and operational oversight of the Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI). NPI is a special statewide program within UC ANR, with the mission of conducting, translating, and bringing to decision makers and the community policy-relevant research to transform environments for healthy children, families, and communities. NPI’s goal is to achieve optimal nutrition and health by improving federal, state and local nutrition programs and policies, food systems, and physical and social environments. NPI focuses on populations experiencing health disparities in California and nationally.
UCCE Specialists develop and conduct research and educational programs aimed at appropriate clientele groups in communities outside of UC campuses. UCCE Specialists have programs of primarily mission-oriented research or creative work that support the university’s efforts in extending knowledge, including outreach and community engagement. Mission-oriented research describes the complete research continuum that extends from basic research to applications of research results. This research is generally applied in nature and has, as a goal, the solution of a problem facing society that is related to the mission of the UCCE Specialist’s discipline and the UCCE mission. UCCE Specialists will publish the results of applied research in a combination of research publication types, whether peer-reviewed or not, based on the relevant audiences served by the UCCE Specialist’s program.
The extension program disseminates knowledge and information to clientele groups for their use in improving their abilities to understand and address problems and opportunities facing them. The extension educational program serves the University’s public service mission. Educational program activities include, but are not limited to, collaborations with UCCE Advisors, other UCCE Specialists, campus faculty, program teams, workgroups, or clientele groups; developing and presenting educational materials; communicating to clientele through broadcast, print, or electronic media; participating in meetings with clientele; developing and presenting in-service training courses; organizing or participating in workshops, field tours, symposia or conferences; and taking action to ensure appropriate stakeholder input, including the communities potentially involved in or impacted by the research, into the planning of research and educational programs by UCCE.
Much of this work is conducted in partnership with UC ANR’s locally based UCCE Advisors. The UCCE Specialist – Advisor and faculty partnership creates an applied research network that benefits both the University and the public at large.
Location Headquarters: University of California Office of the President, Oakland, California