Purpose
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) recognizes the value of industry-sponsored research to advance knowledge, innovation, and achieve its mission. This policy outlines the principles and procedures governing the acceptance, conduct, and reporting of industry-sponsored research within the organization.
Research Content
Research should be of intellectual and/practical interest to SNA members and responsibility for directing the research must reside with either a SNA research staff Principal Investigator (PI) or a designated PI at a non-sponsoring partner organization (this is often a university, foundation, or non-profit organization).
All sponsored research projects must be PI-directed; a sponsor cannot alter or modify any scope of work without PI approval.
Sponsors are not permitted to “accept” or approve project results or deliverables or make payment contingent upon certain results. SNA maintains scientific independence in all research activities, regardless of the funding source.
Publication of Results
SNA retains the right to publish research results freely.
Some full reports of survey results may be available for a fee, but executive summaries of the research results will be made publicly available for purchase, if this is the case.
Intellectual Property and Results of Research
SNA retains the intellectual property of all research it conducts, even if it is sponsored.
Disclosure of Sponsor Research
Transparency in financial relationships, research findings, and methodologies is paramount. SNA will disclose all financial interests and potential conflicts of interest related to industry-sponsored research.
SNA does not conduct any ‘secret’ research. Disclosure of the sponsor of any research, including the sponsor’s name, will be made to survey respondents before they agree to take part in any research, as well as in any reporting of findings or presentations of results.
Submission and Approval Processes
Proposals for industry-sponsored research must include detailed information on the project’s objectives, methodology, timeline, budget, and potential conflicts of interest. Proposals may be submitted to education@schoolnutrition.org. This proposal form can be found here.
All proposals of industry-sponsored research will be reviewed and approved/disapproved by the SNA Nutrition and Research Committee and the SNA Executive Committee. Proposals will be judged on their perceived value and importance to the broader SNA membership and the school nutrition field, the feasibility of the research, proposed budget. This review process only applies to industry-sponsored research.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
SNA will maintain accordance with all applicable data protection laws. Individual responses will be kept confidential, and any data collected as part of a sponsored research study will be used solely for the purposes outlined in the survey. Participants will be informed about how their data will be used and assured that their privacy will be protected.
Any questions regarding SNA’s policy on industry research can be addressed to education@schoolnutrition.org.
Any organization that provides support, products or services to school foodservice professionals and school nutrition programs is eligible to join SNA as an industry member. SNA’s industry members represent various supply chain segments, including:
- Manufacturers of food and beverage products
- Equipment manufacturers
- Computer hardware/software and other technology companies
- Foodservice suppliers and smallwares companies
- Brokers and distributors
- Organizations that provide consulting services to the school nutrition profession
