OBSSR coordinates behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR) across the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) through the Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee (BSSR-CC). This coordination prioritizes emerging research areas or initiatives that impact multiple ICOs and would be challenging or inefficient for one or two ICOs to address on their own.

Goals of the BSSR-CC

• Advance High-Priority Research: Identify resource gaps and support research and training in the behavioral and social sciences.
• Support Researchers and Practitioners: Provide support and tools for behavioral and social scientists to succeed in an ever-changing landscape of research policy and practice.

BSSR-CC Meetings: Open and Closed Sessions

OBSSR also facilitates BSSR coordination between NIH and other federal and non-federal partners, therefore some BSSR-CC meetings are open to the public. The BSSR-CC conducts six closed “working” meetings annually, focusing on feedback and discussions with ICO partners. Additionally, it hosts four open meetings each year, which anyone can attend. Attendees at open meetings often include representatives from professional organizations and other federal agencies. These meetings typically feature announcements and updates from OBSSR, ICO partners, and scientific organizations.

Some presentations are recorded and made available on our past events page.

Leadership and Administration

Chair: Jane Simoni, Ph.D., Director, OBSSR

Executive Secretary: Farheen Akbar, M.P.H., Health Science Policy Analyst, OBSSR

For questions, feedback, or additional information contact us at [email protected].

BSSR-CC Membership

There are four levels of engagement with BSSR-CC members and attendees:

1. BSSR-CC ICO Representatives and Alternates
   • Each ICO designates at least one representative, nominated by the ICO’s Director and approved by OBSSR.
2. NIH Staff Members
   • Any NIH staff member interested in BSSR (including fellows and contractors) can attend both open and closed BSSR-CC meetings and have access to the BSSR-CC Teams site.
3. Representatives External to NIH (Scientific Organizations and Federal Agencies)
   • External representatives from scientific organizations and federal agencies can attend open BSSR-CC meetings to facilitate bidirectional communication with the NIH BSSR community and their respective organizations.
4. BSSR Community Members External to NIH
   • Members of academic institutions, community members, or other external groups can attend open BSSR-CC meetings when topics are relevant to their work.