NIH

Headlines Webinars continue March 27

COSSA’s 2024 Headlines Webinar series will continue to feature discussions with leaders of federal science agencies, providing opportunities for the social and behavioral science community to learn about agency research programs, funding opportunities, and priorities. Upcoming Webinars: Did you miss February’s webinar? You can watch the recording now to catch up on our discussion about the research and data activities within the National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations.

Mental Health Director Dr. Joshua Gordon Departs from NIMH

On February 29, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli announced the departure of Director Dr. Joshua Gordon from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). As previously reported by COSSA, Director Gordon joined NIMH in August 2016 after previously serving as an associate professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and as a research psychiatrist at New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). Dr. Gordon will return to Columbia as the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Psychiatrist-in-Chief of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital campus at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He…

OPPORTUNITY: FY 2025 Funding Request for NIH

COSSA, a member of the steering committee of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, has signed on in support of a funding request of ā€œat least $51.303 billionā€ for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in fiscal year (FY) 2025. The request would represent a $3.579 billion or 7.5% increase over the level included in the Senate bill for FY 2024. Other organizations wishing to lend their support to the NIH funding request for FY 2025 are encouraged to sign-on by March 1. 

Nominations Open for Distinguished Lecturer at the 17th Matilda White Riley Honors

The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is accepting nominations for an outstanding social-behavioral scientist as candidates for Distinguished Lecturer at the 17th Matilda White Riley Honors. The Matilda White Riley Honors are an annual event recognizing transformative work in the fields of social and behavioral science along with early-career researchers. Nominees should have a research career that has ā€œadvanced behavioral and social scientific knowledge in areas within NIHā€™s mission and that expands upon Dr. White Rileyā€™s work.ā€ Nominees need not have NIH funding. More information is available on the OBSSR website. Nominee information should…

NIH Requests Comments on Strategic Plan for Data Science

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a request for information (RFI) on their draft Strategic Plan for Data Science. As previously reported by COSSA, the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science was initially released in 2018. The plan is intended to address advances in data collection, including the increase in quantity and diversity within data, and support data science as a tool for understanding health sciences. In the draft, NIH outlines five goals, including aims to improve NIH policy for data collection, maximize data for research, expand opportunities in data collection services, including artificial intelligence (AI), support a federal biomedical research data…

OBSSR Opens Applications for Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research

The Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (OBSSR) within the National Institute of Health (NIH) is currently accepting proposals for the Career Enhancement Award to Advance Research on Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention grant program. Applications should focus on firearm injury and mortality prevention research with topics in areas such as accidental injury, intimate partner/dating violence, youth violence, and more. Applications are due March 15.

OBSSR Hosts Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival

On December 5, the National Institutes of Healthā€™s (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) held their annual Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival. The festival highlighted various research areas supported by the office and the full agenda can be found here. In her opening remarks, newly appointed OBBSR Director Jane Simoni identified the officeā€™s scientific interests for 2024, including theory-informed research on behavior change and mechanisms of impact, social connection and health, multi-level research, health communication science, and the integration of BSSR into biomedical research (see previous COSSA coverage). The recording of the festival is expected to be published here within…

Biden Administration Appoints New NCI Director

On November 17, the Biden Administration announced intent toĀ appointĀ Dr. W. Kimryn Rathmell as Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The position was previously held by Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, the recently confirmed Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (see previous COSSA coverage). Dr. Rathmell currently serves as the Physician-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She received her PhD in biophysics and her M.D. from Stanford University following a Bachelor of Science in biology and chemistry from the University of Iowa. Dr. Rathmell also served as an internal medicine resident, fellow…

White House Announces Initiative on Womenā€™s Health Research

On November 13, the White House and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden announced a new initiative to advance womenā€™s health research, recognizing gaps in funding for this research as a barrier to accessible healthcare for women. The Initiative on Womenā€™s Health Research will be led by Dr. Biden and newly appointed Chair Dr. Carolyn Mazure, a previous National Institutes of Health (NIH) fellow and researcher at Yale University. Dr. Biden highlighted the importance of the new initiative, stating that ā€œthereā€™s just not enough research yet on how to best manage and treat even common womenā€™s health conditionsā€¦Our new White House Initiative on…

Monica Bertagnolli Confirmed as NIH Director

On November 7, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli was confirmed by the Senate as the new National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director in a bipartisan 62-36 vote after having been nominated by the Biden Administration in May and experiencing several deterrents from Senators, including Chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), who requested Bertagnolli address pharmaceutical drug prices (see previous COSSA coverage). Despite her challenging confirmation process, Bertagnolli will be the 17th Director of the NIH following a two-year gap in leadership with Dr. Lawrence Tabak as Acting Director (see previous COSSA coverage). Following her confirmation, Bertagnolli stated, ā€œAs…

NIH Director Nomination Progresses

On October 25, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) voted to advance Dr. Monica Bertagnolliā€™s confirmation as the next Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (see previous COSSA coverage). Six Senators voted against her confirmation, including the Chair of the HELP Committee Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), citing concerns about rising drug prices in the United States. If confirmed, Bertagnolli will replace the current Acting Director, Dr. Lawrence Tabak, who has been serving since the departure of Francis Collins in 2021. During her nomination hearing, Bertagnolli spoke of the importance of the social and behavioral sciences stating,…

NIH Releases RFI on Draft Scientific Integrity PolicyĀ 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a request for information (RFI) on the draft of their new Scientific Integrity Policy. This policy is in response to the White Houseā€™s Office of Science and Technology Policyā€™s (OSTP) memorandum requiring federal agencies to develop scientific integrity policies to restore trust in science (see previous COSSA coverage). NIH expects the policy to ensure that research is trustworthy and available to the public, and that their policies and programs are transparent, and evidence based. The draft policy changes include a new definition of scientific integrity; roles and responsibilities of the new positions NIH Chief Scientist and NIH…

OBSSR Launches Two Funding Opportunities focused on Intimate Partner Violence Research

On October 4, the National Institutes of Healthā€™s (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) announced two Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Visions for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative funding opportunities focused on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) research. NIH launched the IMPROVE initiative in 2019 to support research that aims to minimize preventable causes of maternal mortality and improve maternal health outcomes. Within this initiative, the Career Enhancement Award to Advance the Study of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the Context of Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Research invites experienced researchers in maternal morbidity and mortality to enhance their skills and knowledge in…

National Academies Hosting Workshop Encouraging Greater Science Accessibility

On November 30 through December 1, the National Academies of of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will be hosting a public workshop aiming to provide crucial insights and recommendations to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This two-day event is set to address topics surrounding scholarly publications and key focus areas of the workshop include promoting equity in publication, enhancing accessibility, addressing publication and increasing transparency of research. The National Academies invites all interested parties to participate and contribute to this vital conversation. For more information and to register,…

Senator Bill Cassidy Requests Comments on Reforming the NIH

On September 29, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) released aĀ request for informationĀ (RFI)Ā seekingĀ ways to reform the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Senator Cassidy is the ranking member of theĀ Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. According to Cassidy, the RFI is intended to gain insight on ways to increase the pace of science and better organize the NIH, including ways to improve the federal research grant application process and improve collaboration and transparency within both academia and federal agencies. A detailed list of the questions asked can be foundĀ here. Comments are due October 27 and should be sent to NIHModernization@help.senate.gov. 

NIH Requests Comments on Biomedical and Behavioral Research Real-World Data

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released aĀ request for commentsĀ on the collection, use, and sharing of biomedical and behavioral science research real-world data (RWD). RWD refers to observational data that is gathered from patients in real-world settings, including but not limited to patient surveys and electronic records. As the NIH develops guidelines for RWD, submitted comments are expected to aid the NIH in understanding public concerns of this type of data. The public is asked to comment on the following items: Comments are requested by December 14 and can be submitted here. 

NIMH Launches New Podcast Series to Commemorate its 75th Anniversary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in celebration of its 75th anniversary, announced the inauguration of their new podcast series, ā€œMental Health Mattersā€. This series aims to dive deep into the narrative journeys of key figures making strides in mental health research while also spotlighting the experiences of individuals navigating life with mental health challenges. Episode one is titled, ā€œUnderstanding and Preventing Youth Suicide.ā€ The episode features a compelling conversation between NIMH’s Director, Dr. Joshua A. Gordon, and Dr. Arielle Sheftall, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of…

NIH Requests Comments for Updating Mission Statement

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking comments from the public on updating their mission statement. The mission statement currently reads, ā€œTo seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.ā€ The NIH is proposing to change this statement to read, ā€œTo seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to optimize health and prevent or reduce illness for all people.ā€Ā  All interested parties are invited to comment on the proposed change by…

Save the Date: 2023 NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival

The annual National Institutes of Health (NIH) Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival will take place virtually on December 5, 2023 and will be hosted by theĀ NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)Ā and the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee. The festival will highlight recently funded behavioral and social sciences research supported by the NIH; bring together behavioral and social scientists within NIH communities to network and share ideas; and explore ways to advance behavioral and social sciences research.Ā  Agenda and registration information is coming soon and will be available on theĀ NIH website.

NIH Releases RFI For Biomedical and Behavioral Science Research

The Common Fund of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a request for information for challenges, opportunities, workshops, pilot initiatives, and other potential programs anticipated to advance areas of science within biomedical and behavioral research. The Common Fund is intended to support short-term, high-risk initiatives with the potential for high impact. To this end, NIH requests that submissions consider the potential impact on human health as well as the expected results within 5-10 years. The deadline for submissions is August 11. 

Subscribe

Past Newsletters

Browse

Archive

Browse 40 years of the COSSA Washington Update.