Behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR) plays a crucial role in improving health outcomes by informing strategies for health promotion and disease prevention. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) leads efforts to enhance the impact of health-related BSSR.
Since we opened our doors in 1995, OBSSR has been instrumental in advancing and coordinating BSSR, including supporting research that considers the structural, environmental, and social determinants of health and well-being. Rigorous BSSR is a key component in fulfilling NIH’s mission to improve health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.
I’m proud to introduce the OBSSR Strategic Plan 2025–2029—OBSSR’s fourth strategic plan and my first as OBSSR Director. This update reflects a systematic 3-year planning process of assessing accomplishments, evaluating future directions, and collecting input from the research community, NIH staff, and federal and community partners. The new plan reflects the changing nature and increasing urgency of integrating BSSR in overall health research. Building on previous accomplishments, it charts a course forward, capitalizing on OBSSR’s unique coordinating role and ability to adapt to and address contemporary challenges. Its research, scientific capacity, and operational priorities align with the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan.
OBSSR has a rich history of supporting research and scientific initiatives that address health disparities, fostering greater opportunities for underrepresented groups in scientific fields, improving research inclusivity, and examining policy matters that affect minoritized populations. It is fitting, therefore, that OBSSR has designated health equity as a crosscutting theme in this new strategic plan. Health equity is achieved when we all have a fair and just opportunity for optimal health and well-being.
BSSR can advance health equity by identifying and addressing the social, economic, and environmental drivers of health disparities that impede health and well-being. This central focus aligns with the broader U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Equity Action Plan and will guide strategic directions at OBSSR to enhance inclusivity in scientific research and promote health for all.
Additionally, the plan introduces OBSSR’s new vision: the synergistic integration of behavioral and social sciences into health research, leading to accelerated scientific discoveries, effective health interventions, and equitable health outcomes.
The OBSSR Strategic Plan 2025–2029 highlights three equally important research priorities:
- Coordinating and promoting collaborative science
- Encouraging innovative scientific investigation
- Committing to implementation, dissemination, and equitable impact of research and its relevance for policy consideration
To keep pace with the rapidly evolving landscape of BSSR, this update calls for the refinement of BSSR measurement and use of advanced data analytics. OBSSR’s strategies to catalyze the development of computational and statistical tools and methods for BSSR include support for the ethical applications of artificial intelligence and enhanced computational training for the next generation of BSSR researchers. I am optimistic that by encouraging novel approaches, we will accelerate scientific advances and support a more comprehensive and seamless integration of BSSR into the larger health research enterprise.
This strategic plan’s scientific capacity priorities highlight the importance of training and BSSR workforce development, which are foundational to our vision. We also prioritize an inclusive and efficient organizational climate, as the effectiveness of OBSSR and research staff is key to the coordination and integration of BSSR across NIH and the broader research community.
The plan’s operational priorities emphasize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as fostering partnerships and effective outreach and communication to maximize the real-world impact of BSSR findings. These values are aligned with the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and emphasize that OBSSR functions as a person-centered organization.
The plan will guide OBSSR in its efforts to fill existing gaps and seize opportunities to advance the state of BSSR as we continuously assess its progress. Our collective efforts to integrate and advance BSSR into the biomedical research infrastructure at NIH offer the potential to transform lives, strengthen communities, and shape a healthier future for all.
Please review our new plan to see where you can join us. It is an exciting time to be part of the NIH BSSR community!
