News and Events

Archived Content

The Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (OBSSR) archives materials older than three years that are no longer updated. This content is available for historical purposes, and the information and links may have changed over time.

January 25, 2018

Director's Voice

New Year Brings New Opportunities to Communicate Effectively About Our Science. If you offered people on the street $100 to name a living scientist or an institution where medical or health research is conducted, most could not. A recently released Research!America nationwide survey on Americans’ attitudes about the visibility of scientists and the scientific community found that 81 percent could not name a single living scientist and over two-thirds could not name a single institution, company, or organization where health research is conducted.

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Research Spotlights

Findings from Recently Published Research

Online game increases family physical activity levels

Gamification of physical activity interventions results in greater increases in physical activity levels in families according to a recently published NHBLI-funded study. The study included 200 adults enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study, comprising 94 families.
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Obesity gene: Thinking you don't have it can increase unhealthy eating behaviors

Could being told you are not genetically susceptible to obesity cause you to eat more unhealthy foods and exercise less? The answer is yes, according to a recent NHGRI-funded study. Learn More

Cognitive behavior therapy treats depressive symptoms as well as antidepressant medications

Should those being treated for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) receive either cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or antidepressant medications depending on which depressive symptoms they have?
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In the Know

Events and Announcements

11th NIH Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Honors

The OBSSR invites you to attend the 11th NIH Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Honors on Thursday, May 31, 2018, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, MD (Wilson Hall, building 1). The festival is free and open to the public. Free registration for this event is required. This meeting will not be live webcast. Please register to attend this meeting in person.
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OBSSR's Early Stage Investigator Call for Papers Now Open

The submission period is now open for the 11th NIH Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Honors Early Stage Investigators (ESI, within 10 years of their terminal degree) paper competition. The OBSSR will pay the travel expenses for up to five ESI honorees to present the findings from their accepted paper and participate in a moderated discussion of future research possibilities during the meeting. The submissions deadline is February 16, 2018, 9 a.m. ET.
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NIH's All of Us Research Program Seeks Input on Research Priorities

The All of Us Research Program invites you to submit your ideas of important research questions the program could answer. This input will help the program identify new features to add to the All of Us platform to support research across a range of health topics and advance precision medicine. The program requests submissions by February 23, 2018, in advance of the All of Us Research Priorities Workshop in March.
Submit an Idea

CHIPS Research Training Institute Accepting Applications

If you are a child psychiatry resident, postdoctoral fellow, or junior faculty member with a strong interest in mental health research for children and adolescents, you are invited to apply to the Child Intervention, Prevention, and Services (CHIPS) program training institute to be held May 21–24, 2018, in Baltimore, MD. Funded through a 5-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, this interdisciplinary training consortium will help enhance your career and help you find direction and faculty mentors. Applications are due by Monday, February 26, 2018.
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NCI's TIDIRC Training Now Accepting Applications

NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences is hosting a Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) Research in Cancer to provide participants with a thorough grounding in conducting D&I research with a specific focus on cancer, across the cancer control continuum. In 2018, the institute will utilize a combination of a 4-month online course (six modules with related assignments) between March 15 and June 29, 2018, and a 2-day in-person training to be held July 9 and 10, 2018, in Bethesda, MD.
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Funding Announcements

Research on the Mechanisms and/or Behavioral Outcomes of Multisensory Processing (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to invite applications that elucidate the mechanisms and/or behavioral outcomes of multisensory processing, the integration or processing of at least two distinct types of sensory input as defined by distinct receptor-type transduction, neural pathways and cognate perceptual quality. The FOA is intended to encourage basic, behavioral, and/or clinical research projects examining the interactions between other neural systems, such as cognitive, affective, or motor processes, and multiple sensory modalities.
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Social and Behavioral Research eLearning Course

Good Clinical Practice in Social and Behavioral Research

Complete the free NIH Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Training through the Society of Behavioral Medicine. In September 2016, the NIH issued a Policy on Good Clinical Practice Training for NIH awardees involved in NIH-funded clinical trials. The principles of GCP help assure the safety, integrity, and quality of clinical trials. Certificates will be given upon completion of the training.
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