Director’s Voice Blog
NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival: Celebrating Innovative and Exciting BSSR to Advance Health.
On December 5, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm EST, the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee will host the annual NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival (BSSR) Festival. This event provides a venue for NIH Institutes and Centers to highlight exciting research results, emerging research areas, and innovations in the behavioral and social sciences. We hope you will save the date on your calendar and register here for this virtual event.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Spotlights
Disparities in sleep-wake patterns by labor force status: Population-based findings
Sufficient sleep is crucial for maintaining heath, and sleep insufficiencies are associated with mental and physical health conditions, including major depressive disorder, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies have found associations between sleep duration and socioeconomic status (SES), employment status, the presence of children in the household, age, gender, and ethnicity/race. Individuals who are unemployed often report less than ideal sleep duration and poor sleep quality. In a recent publication supported by NHLBI and NINDS, researchers investigated differences in sleep-wake patterns by labor force status (employed, unemployed, and out of the labor force) along with sociodemographic variables.
Modulating effect of the gut microbiome on the effect of second-hand smoke exposure on behavioral and cognitive performance: a mouse model
Second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure is a significant global health risk which has been associated with neurological impairments and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the biological mechanisms underlying how SHS affects the brain remain unclear. Previous research has highlighted a link between the gut microbiome and cognitive and behavioral performance via the gut-brain axis. In a recent publication, researchers supported by NIEHS, NIA, and others investigated whether SHS exposure induces gut microbial alterations.
Results from “Live Well,” a randomized controlled community-based participatory intervention to prevent obesity in new immigrant mother-child dyads
Immigrants who move to the U.S. often experience weight gain, which results in disproportionate rates of overweight and obesity among populations that formerly had a lower prevalence of overweight and obesity than their U.S.-born counterparts. Researchers, supported by NICHD and others, assessed whether an intervention developed with active input from community partners could prevent unhealthy weight gain among new immigrant (≤ 10 years in the U.S.) mothers and children in the Greater Boston area.
News and Events
NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (BSSR) Festival
Tuesday, December 5
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET (8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT)
Event Overview: The annual NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (BSSR) festival, which is hosted by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) in collaboration with the NIH BSSR Coordinating Committee, showcases exciting research results, emerging research areas, and innovations in health-related BSSR. Intended for the broader BSSR community, the festival helps to build our understanding of transformative behavioral, social, and systems-level research that may lead to sustainable improvements in health and well-being.
Agenda: https://www.scgcorp.com/OBSSRFestival2023/Agenda
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NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (BSSR) Festival
Tuesday, December 5
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET (8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT)
Event Overview: The annual NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (BSSR) festival, which is hosted by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) in collaboration with the NIH BSSR Coordinating Committee, showcases exciting research results, emerging research areas, and innovations in health-related BSSR. Intended for the broader BSSR community, the festival helps to build our understanding of transformative behavioral, social, and systems-level research that may lead to sustainable improvements in health and well-being.
Agenda: https://www.scgcorp.com/OBSSRFestival2023/Agenda
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Understanding and Addressing the Health Impacts of Online Abuse and Harassment Workshop
Thursday, December 7
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT)
NIH Videocast Link Day 1: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=52604
Friday, December 8
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT)
NIH Videocast Link Day 2: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=52606
Workshop Overview: The White House Task to Address Online Harassment and Abuse was established via Presidential Memorandum on June 16, 2022 to address online harassment and abuse, specifically technology-facilitated gender-based violence. In consultation with survivors, advocates, educators, experts from diverse fields, and the private sector, the Task Force will develop specific recommendations to improve prevention, response, and protection efforts through programs and policies in the United States and globally. As part of this effort, NIH is hosting a virtual scientific workshop to identify gaps, opportunities, and challenges in advancing a research agenda to better understand the clinical, health, and developmental impacts of online harassment and abuse and develop innovative prevention and intervention efforts.
Agenda: https://www.scgcorp.com/onlineharassmentwksh/Agenda
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Music as Medicine: The Science and Clinical Practice Workshop
The workshop “Music as Medicine: The Science and Clinical Practice,” taking place December 14–15, 2023, aims to highlight accomplishments from the last 6 years in advancing scientific research on music and health, develop a blueprint for the next phase of research, and further build the research community. The workshop is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and jointly organized by NIH, the NEA, the Renée Fleming Foundation, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The workshop is cochaired by Dr. Francis Collins, former NIH director, and Ms. Renée Fleming, the renowned soprano and arts and health advocate, both of whom will deliver keynote speeches.
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NIH designates people with disabilities as population with health disparities
Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), designated people with disabilities as a population with health disparities for research supported by the National Institutes of Health. The decision was made in consultation with Robert Otto Valdez, Ph.D., the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, after careful consideration of a report delivered by an NIMHD advisory council, input from the disability community and a review of the science and evidence. A report issued in December 2022 by the Advisory Committee to the (NIH) Director (ACD), informed by the work of the Subgroup on Individuals with Disabilities, explored similar issues faced by people with disabilities. The designation is one of several steps NIH is taking to address health disparities faced by people with disabilities and ensure their representation in NIH research.
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NIH launches community-led research program to advance health equity
NIH is funding a first-of-its-kind community-led research program to study ways to address the underlying structural factors within communities that affect health, such as access to safe spaces, healthy food, employment opportunities, transportation, and quality health care. Through the NIH Common Fund Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) program, NIH made 26 awards to community organizations and a coordinating center, totaling approximately $171 million over five years, pending the availability of funds. Through these awards, ComPASS will enable research into sustainable solutions that promote health equity to create lasting change in communities across the nation.
General overview of ComPASS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVQVYQBh6KM.
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NIH to address unmet clinical needs in testing, monitoring, and treatment technologies
NIH will advance the development of home-based and point-of-care health technologies with awards to six technology research and development centers around the country. The centers comprise the Point of Care Technology Research Network (POCTRN) and will parlay the momentum of the original network established in 2007 by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). In the first year of the new five-year grant period, these six centers will share $9.6 million in total awards. Through technological advances, health care can be delivered closer to the patient, leading to more timely and convenient care and ultimately better outcomes.
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Recently Published Funding Opportunities
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