In 1993, the United States Congress established the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH has a long history of funding health-related behavioral and social sciences research, and the results of this work have contributed significantly to our understanding, treatment, and prevention of disease. Indeed, much of our recognition of the health risks associated with smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol and drug abuse, poverty, and unhealthy diets is the result of NIH-funded research. The establishment of the OBSSR furthers the ability of the NIH to capitalize on the scientific opportunities that exist in behavioral and social sciences research, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the NIH as a whole. In addition, the office provides a focal point for the coordination of trans-NIH activities on health and behavior.
The OBSSR officially opened on July 1, 1995, following my appointment of Dr. Norman Anderson as its first director. In its two years of operation, the office has effectively highlighted the intellectual excitement and scientific opportunities that exist in behavioral and social sciences research and has emphasized its potential to advance public health. Because the office is relatively new to the NIH, it is important for it to have a blueprint for accomplishing its goals. The strategic plan outlined in this document provides such a blueprint, and should help to ensure the continued success of the office.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to the OBSSR, and to the scientists and administrators who worked to develop this plan.