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 RecordingOBSSR 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.
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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 Category
Director's Webinar Series | Matilda White Riley BSSR Honors | BSSR Festival | All Past Events
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 RecordingDistinguished 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.
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).