The Nutrition Academic Award: brief history, overview, and legacy.

The Nutrition Academic Award (NAA) was developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with additional support from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The purpose of the NAA was to formally integrate nutrition education within the medical school curriculum. Twenty-one medical schools were funded by the NAA in 2 waves of 5 y each, beginning in 1998 for the 10 vanguard schools and ending in 2005 for the second wave. The organizational structure, goals, objectives, and results of the NAA are summarized. The overall strengths, challenges, and recommendations for future medical nutrition education efforts are also provided.