Home > A-Z Health Topics > Health Information From Other Trustworthy Sources > Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, OD, NIH, HHS

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, OD, NIH, HHS

Mission Statement

The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) opened officially on July 1, 1995. The major responsibilities of the office and its director, set forth in its formal mission statement, are: to provide leadership and direction in the development, refinement, and implementation of a trans-NIH plan to increase the scope of and support for behavioral and social sciences research; to inform and advise the NIH director and other key officials of trends and developments having significant bearing on the missions of the NIH, DHHS, and other federal agencies; to serve as the principal NIH spokesperson regarding research on the importance of behavioral, social, and lifestyle factors in the causation, treatment, and prevention of diseases; and to advise and consult on these topics with NIH scientists and others within and outside the federal government; to develop a standard definition of "behavioral and social sciences research," assess the current levels of NIH support for this research, and develop an overall strategy for the uniform expansion and integration of these disciplines across NIH institutes and centers; to develop initiatives designed to stimulate research in the behavioral and social sciences arena, integrate a bio-behavioral perspective across the research areas of the NIH, and encourage the study of behavioral and social sciences across NIH's institutes and centers; to initiate and promote studies to evaluate the contributions of behavioral, social, and lifestyle determinants in the development, course, treatment, and prevention of illness and related public health problems; to provide leadership in ensuring that findings from behavioral and social sciences research are disseminated to the public; and to sponsor seminars, symposia, workshops, and conferences at the NIH and at national and international scientific meetings on state-of-the-art behavioral and social sciences research.

Contact Information

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, OD, NIH, HHS
31 Center Drive, Building 31, Room B1C19
Bethesda MD 20892-0183

Phone: 301-402-1146
Fax: 301-402-1150
Website: http://obssr.od.nih.gov/content

Is this your organization's listing? Contact us if your information has changed.

Return to top

Email Print