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This event marks the first-ever NIH-wide retreat for behavioral and social scientists organized by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and a trans-NIH planning committee. The retreat offers an unprecedented opportunity for behavioral and social scientists across the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to carefully and strategically consider effective ways to overcome common challenges including barriers to within institute/center and cross-institute/center collaboration as well as successful integration with biomedical sciences. Further, participants will discuss possibilities to move forward the next generation of behavioral and social sciences research.
Specifically, the retreat will engage the NIH behavioral and social science community with the primary goals of:
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Strengthening the community within and throughout the NIH Institutes/Centers |
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Advancing the science through collective brainstorming of ideas for furthering research as well as for effectively integrating with biomedical sciences |
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Enhancing communication and coordination across campus aimed at increasing efficiency and efficacy, ultimately to improve the public's health |
The first half of the day-long retreat includes a town hall meeting providing an overview and discussion of the future of behavioral and social science at NIH and the first group of breakout sessions covering Behavioral and Social Science in a Biomedical World. This group of breakout sessions will feature ten concurrent sessions with all participants addressing the same topic of “How do we thrive as behavioral and social scientists in an institution that is predominantly biomedical in orientation? What lessons have we learned about how to successfully advance and integrate our sciences and their contributions to the NIH mission?”. Each of the ten concurrent sessions will be led by a pair of co-moderators (listed on the Speakers page) who will facilitate the discussions.
An option for lunch is to join a senior member of the NIH behavioral and social science community for an informal conversation. Senior staff will host interactive lunch roundtables exchanging their NIH experience and perspectives with participants. All roundtable hosts are listed on the Speakers page with accompanying biosketches serving as a preliminary introduction.
The second half of the day begins with the second group of breakout sessions covering Next Generation Behavioral and Social Science. This group of breakout sessions will also feature ten concurrent sessions but each addressing different topics:
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Health Disparities |
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Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and Community Engagement |
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Brain and Behavior |
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Health Promotion/Prevention and Adherence |
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Theories of Behavior Change |
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Technology and Health |
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Genes and Environment |
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Measures, Methods and Data |
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Health Policy and Quality of Care |
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Social, Environmental and Psychological Factors Related to Health |
Each of the ten concurrent sessions will be led by a pair of co-moderators (listed on the Speakers page) who will facilitate the discussions. Participants are encouraged to register for their top three choices to ensure a balance in session attendance. Visit the Breakout Sessions page to view descriptions of all sessions.
The day will end with a capstone address by Dr. Raynard Kington, the NIH Acting Director, and a reception at which participants will be encouraged to continue networking and informal conversations.
Science writers have been arranged to cover the complete event including all breakout sessions. Summaries prepared by the team of science writers will be available approximately 4-6 weeks after the retreat and posted on this website.
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