DIRECTOR’S SPOTLIGHT
by Jane M. Simoni, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research
Ethics and Behavioral and Social Sciences Research
Ethicists—people trained in the theory and practice of moral reasoning—are sometimes viewed as a sort of “advice columnist” for those seeking guidance on serious matters: When, if ever, am I allowed to lie? Should I allow my children to participate in sports that pose a higher risk of head injury? Should I pursue chemotherapy for my elderly dog?
And just like with your favorite advice column, the guidance provided by ethicists may be unsatisfactory if you are seeking a definitive answer. Ethicists can help people reason from a set of guiding principles, but often, no single best course of action exists, given the complexity and nuance of most ethically challenging situations. Of course, wrong courses of action definitely are possible!
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Advancing Nursing Research to Support Healthy School Environments for All Virtual Meeting
June 11, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET - NIH OBSSR Director’s Webinar: Developing a Scientifically Accurate Genetics Curriculum in High School and College Classrooms
June 30, 2025, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Understanding the Effects of Violence Among People with HIV and How to Improve the Delivery of Care
Violence is a major public health issue with profound effects on lifelong health, opportunity, and overall well-being. People of all backgrounds can encounter many different types of violence, including adverse childhood experiences, intimate partner violence, and community-based violence. Gaining a deeper understanding of how violence affects populations with specific health needs is essential to improving care and treatment strategies. In this NIH-funded study, published in 2024, researchers found frequent and common histories of interpersonal and community violence experiences among people with HIV.
NEWS
NIH OBSSR Director’s Webinar: April Recording Now Available
In case you were unable to tune in live, the recording is now available for the April OBSSR Director’s Webinar, “The Neural Code Supporting Multidimensional Social Relationships,” featuring Michael Platt, Ph.D. In this webinar, Dr. Platt discussed how his research combines ethological analyses with new wireless recording technologies and computer vision to uncover neural signatures of natural behavior in unrestrained, socially interacting rhesus macaques.
Early Career Rigor Champions Prize Accepting Submissions Through June 6
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Early Career Rigor Champions Prize is accepting submissions through June 6, 2025. This challenge is open to individuals and small teams of early career champions who have enhanced attention to rigor. Submissions require responses to six prompts describing the individual’s efforts in the field, and up to two $10,000, three $5,000, and six $2,500 cash awards are available.
National Library of Medicine Request for Information Open
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has announced a Request for Information (RFI): Inviting Comments on the Future of the National Library of Medicine Biomedical and Data Science Extramural Research Programs. NLM seeks insights, comments, and suggestions related to biomedical information and data science research priorities for its Division of Extramural Programs. This RFI is open to responses from interested parties through July 14, 2025.
NIH Office of Disease Prevention Early Stage Investigator Lectures
The NIH Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) Early Stage Investigator Lectures recognize early career prevention scientists who have made outstanding research contributions to their respective fields. Meet three future leaders in prevention research: Nilay S. Shah, M.D., Julia Chen-Sankey, Ph.D., and Michael Fang, Ph.D.! Register today for the 2025 NIH ODP Early Stage Investigator Lectures on Wednesday, June 4, at 10:00 a.m.; Thursday, June 5, at 10:00 a.m.; and Friday, June 6, at 2:00 p.m. All times are Eastern.
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Whole Person Health and the Nutrition Continuum Webinar
Join the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements on Wednesday, June 25, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET. for a seminar on whole person health and the nutrition continuum. Helene Langevin, M.D., Director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at NIH, will be presenting. Registration is required for this webinar.
NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health Small Business Opportunities for Innovative Women’s Health Research Webinar
The Small Business Programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund, are composed of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. This webinar will focus on small business opportunities for women’s health research, with the goal of introducing the women’s health research community to small business opportunities and the small business community to women’s health research priorities. Staff from the NIH Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development Office and selected institute small business programs will provide overviews of the SBIR and STTR programs and IC-specific interests. The webinar will be held on June 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
PATH Study Data User Workshop Applications Open
The NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is sponsoring an online Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Data User Workshop to further the understanding and use of PATH Study data files. Applications to attend are due by June 30, and the workshop will be held on August 13 and 14. This free workshop is designed for academic faculty and research professionals, as well as graduate students who are interested in tobacco regulatory science and/or prevention and translation research. Participants will learn how to conduct longitudinal analyses to estimate changes over time and pseudo cross-sectional analyses to estimate prevalence.
Quit & Thrive Challenge: Community-Derived Solutions to Reduce Menthol Cigarette Smoking
The ODP Quit & Thrive Challenge is accepting submissions. This challenge is geared toward agencies and organizations that delivered successful and innovative community-derived solutions that have reduced menthol cigarette smoking among populations with disproportionately high rates of menthol cigarette use. Up to nine prizes of $100,000 each will be awarded to the winning submissions. Submissions are due by September 2, 2025.
RECENTLY PUBLISHED FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Short Courses on Innovative Methodologies and Approaches in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R25 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): February 10, 2025
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Understanding and Addressing Weight Stigma, Bias, and Discrimination to Promote Health for All
First Available Due Date: February 12, 2025
Notice of Change to Receipt Dates for RFA-OD-25-003 “Short Courses on Innovative Methodologies and Approaches in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R25 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)”
Release Date: May 19, 2025