On October 27, 2023, APA Services responded to Senator Bill Cassidy’s (R-Louisiana) request for information (RFI)opens in new window seeking input on modernizing the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Cassidy is the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and noted that the purpose of the RFI is to consider policies that will advance goals “to modernize the agency so it is more transparent, nimble, and forward-thinking” related to NIH reauthorization.
APA Services emphasized that the NIH is one of the largest funders of psychological, behavioral, social, and population science and noted that these sciences are critical to achieving the mission of the NIH to, “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.”
The association’s comments underscored that strong bipartisan congressional support has enabled the agency to fund research to improve health, revolutionize science, and serve society. Accordingly, NIH has contributed to breakthroughs in medicine and health and positively impacted the economy, productivity, and innovation. The value of behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR) is well established for enhancing lifestyle behaviors and preventing disease across the lifespan, managing acute and chronic diseases and conditions, and informing the conduct of science. BSSR is also crucial in improving health equity and eliminating health disparities. However, the response also highlighted the recent report by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), “Integration of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at the National Institutes of Health (PDF, 2 MB)opens in new window.” The report “found significant gaps and variation in behavioral and social science integration” by the 27 institutes, centers, and offices across the agency, further emphasizing the need for continued funding for the agency.
Other areas the comments addressed include:
- Basic science must remain foundational to NIH. Translational and clinical outcomes are only possible with a fundamental understanding of bio-behavioral systems.
- APA Services acknowledges and supports NIH’s increased efforts to diversify the scientific workforce and stresses that more work in this area is needed.
- NIH should consider a population health framework that considers how each of the institutes might contribute to such a perspective. Community-based infrastructure can extend the reach of formal health and mental health services to reduce barriers to care and coordinate mental health care with other necessary services and resources.
- NIH’s current structure works well. Offices like OBSSR provide programs and research opportunities that cut across the silos and internal NIH committees facilitate Institutes and Centers working together. Disrupting an agency whose work is highly successful must be thoroughly weighed against any efforts to make the organizational chart look better.
For more information, contact Angela L. Sharpe.