One of the charges from Congress when the OBSSR was created was “to coordinate research conducted and supported by the agencies of the National Institutes of Health.” The OBSSR coordinates the behavioral and social sciences among the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). This coordination prioritizes important research areas or initiatives that affect multiple ICs and would be challenging or inefficient for one or two ICs to address on their own. Coordination at OBSSR includes formal mechanisms, such as the Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee (BSSR-CC), as well as informal working groups and collaboration with NIH extramural program staff, scientific review officers, and intramural researchers. The goals are to advance high-priority behavioral and social science research, training, or resource gaps and to provide support and tools for behavioral and social scientists to succeed in an ever-changing landscape of research policy and practice. The OBSSR also facilitates behavioral and social science coordination between the NIH and other federal and non-federal agencies and organizations.
Learn more about the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Coordinating Committee and attend an upcoming BSSR-CC meeting.
The OBSSR is also involved in integrating behavioral and social sciences research within large NIH-wide initiatives led or initiated by the NIH Office of the Director, including:
