OBSSR Past Events

OBSSR organizes virtual and in-person meetings to showcase behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR). In collaboration with our National Institutes of Health (NIH) colleagues, federal partners, and the BSSR community, we facilitate opportunities to network, collaborate, explore, and advance BSSR.

Subscribe to our email updates to stay informed about the latest OBSSR events.

OBSSR Director's Webinar Series

This series showcases diverse BSSR topics, sharing the latest research findings to advance the field.

NIH Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Honors

This annual event celebrates early-stage investigators and outstanding social-behavioral scientists whose work reflects Dr. Matilda White Riley’s vision of research excellence in BSSR.

NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival

This annual event showcases cutting-edge research funded by the NIH, highlighting emerging scientific fields and health advancements in behavioral and social sciences. It keeps the BSSR community and our NIH colleagues updated on the latest NIH-funded BSSR projects and their impact on human health and well-being.

View the list of upcoming OBSSR events.


Past Events by Year

2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018

December 2, 2020, 8:00 – 11:00am | Virtual

The festival highlights exciting research results, emerging areas, and innovations in health-related BSSR. This NIH-wide event enables efficient leveraging of NIH resources and expertise. The BSSR-CC members contribute diverse and comprehensive perspectives on the NIH BSSR portfolio, thus facilitating the selection of an outstanding array of research results that are highlighted at the festival.

View Day 2 Recording
December 1, 2020, 8:00 – 11:00am | Virtual

The festival highlights exciting research results, emerging areas, and innovations in health-related BSSR. This NIH-wide event enables efficient leveraging of NIH resources and expertise. The BSSR-CC members contribute diverse and comprehensive perspectives on the NIH BSSR portfolio, thus facilitating the selection of an outstanding array of research results that are highlighted at the festival.

View Day 1 Recording
June 8, 2020, 9:00am – 12:00pm | Virtual

Distinguished Lecturer: Toni C. Antonucci, Ph.D.
Presentation: Social relations and structural lag: A brave new age

The 13th NIH Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Honors was held on Monday, June 8, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT, via WebEx. Toni Antonucci, Ph.D., psychology professor and program director at the University of Michigan, is the 2020 distinguished lecturer and will present, "Social Relations and Structural Lag: A Brave New Age." Dr. Antonucci’s research has improved our understanding of how social relations and networks impact health across the lifespan and particularly how social relations influence one’s ability to manage life’s challenges—a particularly timely research area given the pandemic challenges in the context of constrained social relations.

May 19, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00pm | Virtual
Presenter: John Besley, Ph.D.

Dr. Besley studies public opinion about science and scientists’ opinions about the public in the context of trying to help science communicators be more strategic. He wants to understand how views about decision-makers and decision processes affect perceptions of science and technology (S&T) with potential health or environmental impacts. This focus includes consideration of both media content about S&T (e.g., newspaper, TV, and web content), as well as S&T-focused face-to-face public engagement activities (e.g., public meetings).

View Recording