At Issue . . . Allocation of Credit

Barbara Lohse, Ph.D., R.D., Principal Investigator

In the National Academy Press’s release of On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research (http://newton.nap.edu/html/obas/content.html) attention is given to “allocation of credit.” Specifically denoted is that “. . . credit is explicitly acknowledged in three places: in the list of authors, in the acknowledgements of contributions from others and in the list of references or citations.” All three are equally important, however most pertinent to the work of the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program and the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network is the acknowledgement of contributions from others. Contributions include scholarly assistance (e.g. reviewing a manuscript, survey instrument), organizational or physical help (e.g. participant/subject recruitment) and financial support. Crediting sources of financial support lends credibility to the project by showing peer support and implied accountability. In addition, funder interests, vision and commitments are acknowledged and promoted.

Funding for the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program, which includes the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network, originates from the Food Stamp Program (FSP) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Receiving credit for supporting nutrition education activities to food stamp eligible audiences and demonstrating commitment to these ideals is important to the USDA. Therefore, FSP guidance for Food Stamp Nutrition Education programs (FSNE) developing a proposal (http://panen.psu.edu/panep/index.html), clearly denotes that “all materials developed or printed using Food Stamp Nutrition Education funds must include the appropriate USDA nondiscrimination statement and credit to the Food Stamp Program as a funding source.” A new policy started in FY 2006 states that “all materials developed or printed using FSNE funds must include a brief message about how the FSP can help provide a healthy diet and how to apply for benefits,” explaining that “this change ensures communication regarding the link between FSP benefits and a healthy diet. Since FSNE materials are increasingly shared among states, inclusion of this message on all materials supports the broader use of quality materials for relevant audiences.”

To facilitate compliance of Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program projects and Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network partners with these three credit allocation requirements, the Management Entity at Penn State developed Policy NE-02, Required Messages on Materials and Presentations Developed or Reproduced with Food Stamp Program Funds. The policy specifies that credit must be attributed to the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program and the FSP as funding sources by using the following statement, “This material was funded by the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program, as part of USDA’s Food Stamp Program” on all materials, publications and presentations.

Furthermore, the policy indicates the outreach statement that must be provided on materials developed or printed with FSP funds: “The Food Stamp Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low incomes. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact [insert local office contact information].” A shorter message has been approved when space is limited: “To find out how the Food Stamp Program can help you buy healthy foods, contact the PA Department of Public Welfare’s toll-free Helpline at 800-692-7462.” Spanish translations are also denoted in the policy.

The Management Entity policy addresses compliance with the provision of a non-discrimination statement with standard and space-limited versions:

  • In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD).
  • This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Evaluation and monitoring activities at the Federal and Management Entity levels track use and dissemination of materials, information and impact as a result of FSP funding. Failure to properly allocate credit for the funding dilutes this data and ultimately weakens arguments for retaining and enhancing FSNE funding.

 

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

To help apply allocation of credit statements, look at the following examples and identify what is needed for policy compliance:

  1. Dr. Lohse and her graduate students are presenting findings from interviews with food stamp eligible individuals at a national scientific meeting. The research was supported in part by the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program and an NRI grant from USDA. What should the title slide include with respect to funding source?

    a) Funded by USDA
    b) Funded by the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program, as part of USDA’s FSP and an NRI grant from USDA
    c) This research was made possible by the Pennsylvania State University.
    d) None of the above, because a funding source doesn’t need to be listed on a presentation.

  2. Does the abstract submitted for the above presentation and published in the conference program or journal supplement need to include the funding statement?

    a)Yes
    b)No
    c)Depends on the conference/organizational policy

  3. BE HEALTHY, a Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program project, provides handouts and a monthly newsletter with recipes, tips and announcements for food stamp eligible audiences. Funders include the Valley Health Foundation with approximately 45% from FSNE monies. What should the funding statement say on the newsletter?

    a)Funding provided by the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program, as part of USDA’s Food Stamp Program and Valley Health Foundation.
    b)Funding provided by BE HEALTHY, a Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program.
    c)Funding provided by the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program and Valley Health Foundation.
    d)Funding provided by USDA and Valley Health Foundation.

  4. Optimal Health, Inc. uses funding from the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program to print 1000 copies of a brochure provided by Team Nutrition. Which statement must be added to the brochure?

    a)This material is funded by Team Nutrition, USDA.
    b)This material is funded by The Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program, as part of USDA’s Food Stamp Program.
    c)No statement is needed because the brochure was developed by Team Nutrition but printed by Optimal Health, Inc.

     

 

Answers: 1(b); 2(a); 3(a); 4(b).