NIH Matilda White Riley Distinguished Lecture

Matilda White Riley

The NIH Matilda White Riley Distinguished Lecture is an annual event that honors an outstanding social and behavioral scientist whose work has made significant contributions to the field. 

Named in recognition of Matilda White Riley, Ph.D. (1911–2004)—a celebrated scientist, member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a pioneering leader in the behavioral and social sciences—the lecture commemorates her transformative impact on research at the National Institutes of Health. 

The distinguished lecture reflects Dr. Riley’s enduring legacy and commitment to advancing rigorous, interdisciplinary science that informs health and wellbeing across the lifespan.

View the scientists that have been recognized in previous years.

Nomination Criteria:

The nominee should have a research career that has advanced behavioral and social scientific knowledge within NIH's mission and built upon Dr. White Riley's work. Nominees' research should reflect one or more of the following areas central to her legacy:

  • An expanded conceptualization of health and wellbeing that includes effective cognitive, affective, and social functioning, and quality of life
  • Behavioral and social sciences research that improves the lives of individuals and society
  • Illumination of the complex and dynamic interplay among processes at multiple levels (e.g., interactions between genes and the built, natural, and social environment)
  • The influence of social and behavioral factors on physical health and the utility of this knowledge for clinical practice and health policy
  • A life course perspective on the development, health, and wellbeing of individuals and societies
  • Research approaches that build theory and methods in the advancement of knowledge on health and wellbeing

Nominees do not need to have NIH funding.

2026 Submissions:

Please save your nominee information as a PDF and send it to Dr. Erica Spotts via email at  [email protected], by 5:00 p.m. ET on May 28, 2026. Self-nominations will not be accepted. Submissions should include:

  • Page 1: Nominee’s full contact information, including link to their webpage(s)
  • Page 2: A one-page statement demonstrating how the nominee’s research results and practice correspond with Dr. Riley’s vision
  • Page 3: Nominee’s CV and/or NIH biosketch

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Erica Spotts, [email protected], Chair, NIH Matilda White Riley Lecture Selection Committee.