Dear IFE CG and GNC colleagues

I hope this message finds you well. I am excited to share a timely and important opportunity to contribute to advancing infant and young child nutrition globally in particular, in humanitarian and fragile settings. We have have just launched a new research series titled: 

“Advancing the Evidence on Implementing the Operational Guidance on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (OG-IFE) in Humanitarian Contexts” Frontiers

Why this matters

• Infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IYCF-E) remains critically under-documented despite its life-saving potential. Disruptions in feeding practices—whether due to displacement, conflict, natural disasters, or disease outbreaks—pose serious risks for child malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality. Frontiers
• The Operational Guidance on IYCF-E (OG-IFE) provides a practical framework for policy, program planning, implementation, coordination, and accountability, but the evidence base for its real-world operationalization is still limited and fragmented. Frontiers
• There is a pressing need to document what works, what doesn’t, and how OG-IFE can be adapted to different contexts—especially fragile, crisis-affected, or rapidly changing environments. Frontiers

What kind of research we are seeking

We welcome diverse, original contributions that draw on experience, evidence, and innovation in applying the OG-IFE. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Operationalization of OG-IFE: how it is adopted nationally/subnationally; barriers and enablers; policy alignment & coordination with related sectors (e.g. WASH, protection, health, food security) Frontiers
• Support for breastfeeding: community-based and facility-based interventions; psychosocial or peer counseling; strategies addressing trauma, illness, or lactation disruptions Frontiers
• Capacity building: training models for frontline workers; innovations in delivery (remote, blended, cascade training); effectiveness and scalability of such interventions Frontiers
• Complementary feeding in emergencies: safe culturally appropriate approaches, fortified foods, responsive feeding, food distribution links Frontiers
• Human milk alternatives & innovations: donor human milk, human milk banks, relactation, wet nursing, novel delivery models, operationalization of UNICEF wet nursing guidance Frontiers
• Use of breast-milk substitutes (where necessary): cases where formula is required, monitoring and lessons learned in alignment with the OG-IFE and  international standards Frontiers
• Program effectiveness, ethics & accountability: cost-effectiveness, sustainability, community engagement, ethical dilemmas, monitoring and evaluation Frontiers

We encourage submissions from researchers, humanitarian practitioners, frontline implementers, government actors—especially those working in or with fragile/humanitarian settings. Collaborative research, especially involving local/regional partners, is highly valued. Practical lessons, real-world challenges, and recommendations for future programming are particularly welcome. Frontiers

Key Deadlines & Details

• This Research Topic is open for submissions now. Frontiers
• Multiple article types are accepted: original research, case studies, program evaluations, implementation science, field reports, mini-reviews, etc. Frontiers
• To ensure wide reach and impact, submitted papers should clearly describe the emergency or fragile context, explain how OG-IFE was applied, and share lessons learned with actionable recommendations. Frontiers

For any questions please contact me at: aiellamo@fhi360.org 

Please disseminate widely!