OSTP positions and areas of focus can dramatically change across administrations, greatly diminishing continuity and long-term effectiveness. OSTP staffing is often small, transient, and reliant on temporary (“detailed”) staff from relevant departments and agencies. Success of this approach would be highly dependent on the skills and interests of the new Associate Director, rather than any concrete or consistent structure or process for strengthening federal nutrition research through increased coordination, funding, and alignment. OSTP initiatives may not align with focus or levels of research funding.