Advancing "Science of Science" Research to Understand and Strengthen the Biomedical Research Ecosystem

Advancing "Science of Science" Research to Understand and Strengthen the Biomedical Research Ecosystem is sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH) - National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) / Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) / Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH). Advancing "Science of Science" Research to Understand and Strengthen the Biomedical Research Ecosystem is sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH) - National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) / Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) / Offic…

Advancing “Science of Science” Research to Understand and Strengthen the Biomedical Research Ecosystem | Grants & Funding U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Advancing “Science of Science” Research to Understand and Strengthen the Biomedical Research Ecosystem When beginning your next investigator-initiated application, consider the following NIH highlighted topic.

The area of science described below is of interest to the listed NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). This is not a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO). Apply through an appropriate NIH Parent Funding Announcement or another broad NIH opportunity available on Grants.

gov . Learn how to interpret and use Highlighted Topics . Post Date: March 31, 2026 Expiration Date: March 31, 2028 Biomedical innovation has positively impacted the lives of all Americans.

Underlying each basic and translational discovery is the biomedical research ecosystem – the networks of scientists, organizations, and policies – that promotes or constrains the ability to make breakthroughs and develop solutions that address critical public health challenges.

The “science of science” is a research field dedicated to understanding the mechanisms that underlie scientific advancement, and studies in this field contribute to sustaining a vibrant biomedical research ecosystem. This topic encourages research projects focused on a better understanding of the biomedical research ecosystem and strengthening the study of the “science of science” within biomedicine.

This includes, but is not limited to, studies from a variety of social science fields on topics such as: Sustaining a robust biomedical research workforce. Promoting research capacity at institutions and regions across the Nation. Spurring research innovation.

Promoting rigorous and reproducible research. Enhancing the efficiency of translation of basic discoveries into therapies and approaches that improve population health. Understanding the relationship between biomedical research investment and positive economic outcomes such as commercialization.

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, research in the following areas: The factors and mechanisms that promote interest, preparedness, retention and success in careers in the biomedical research workforce. Strategies to promote rigorous and reproducible research. Mechanisms to promote innovative and impactful research.

Fostering greater collaboration and team science. Approaches to sustainably enhancing research capacity and infrastructure. Economic outcomes of biomedical science investments.

IC may give special consideration to support meritorious applications in this topic area. National Eye Institute (NEI) Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas: Factors that enhance recruitment, interdisciplinary career development, and retention of ophthalmologists and optometrists in biomedical research to foster a sustainable, well-trained workforce in vision research.

Identifying barriers that slow or prevent the transition of basic research findings into community health, clinical, or commercial spaces to improve the vision health of the American population. New metrics (e.g., S-index) and strategies to evaluate data sharing in the vision research community. Pathways to promote data standardization, rigor and reproducibility of research findings.

Development of effective models for cross-disciplinary collaboration and team science. National Institute on Aging (NIA) Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: Identifying drivers of scientific innovation, collaboration, and idea development in aging and AD/ADRD research, including peer review, incentives, team structures, and researcher behavior.

Mapping pathways from discovery to intervention to pinpoint bottlenecks and assess how funding strategies, risk-taking, and disruptive science influence translation. Developing metrics to capture novelty, rigor, and quality through studies of prediction limits, reproducibility, and workforce dynamics. Applying analytics to evaluate data reuse, cost-effectiveness, societal returns, and spillover effects of investments.

Building shared tools and interdisciplinary networks to enhance the research ecosystem and decision-making.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: Strategies to promote rigorous training for clinical trials Long-term approaches to enhancing research capacity and organizational structure to support long-term and impactful training program Fostering approaches to recruit and retain scientific talent at all levels of the biomedical workforce Strategies to spur research and training innovation, including through team science approach Secure long-term support for bench to bedside training and research programs Strategies to promote rigorous and reproducible research and scientific accountability and integrity in training National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) Areas of interest to NIBIB include: Development of science of science methods related to the development of platform biomedical technologies to accelerate translation Mechanisms to support a workforce emphasizing rigorous, ethical, and reproducible biomedical technology development Approaches to enhance research capacity and infrastructure within biomedical imaging and bioengineering National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Areas of interest to NIDCR include: Strategies to develop and sustain a robust dental, oral and craniofacial (DOC) research workforce Approaches to promote research capacity building in DOC health research at institutions across the nation Mechanisms to support collaborative and team science research that integrate DOC with systemic health research Pathways that advance innovative training to enhance rigor and reproducibility, entrepreneurship and commercialization, and engage material, physical, data and AI scientists in collaborative DOC health research IC may dedicate funds available to support applications in this Topic area depending upon the availability of funds, the number of meritorious applications, and competing ICO priorities.

Shoba Thirumangalathu, PhD Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) OBSSR is interested in behavioral and social science aspects of the "science of science." As OBSSR does not award or manage grants, applications must be relevant to the objectives of at least one of the NIH Institutes or Centers listed in the topic.

Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) IC may give special consideration to support meritorious applications in this topic area. Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) ORWH interests include, but are not limited to, research in the following areas: The factors and mechanisms that promote interest, preparedness, retention and success in careers related to the research on women’s health.

Strategies to promote rigorous and reproducible research related to sex as a biological variable. Mechanisms to promote innovative and impactful research related to conditions that uniquely or predominantly affect women or that affect women differently, especially mechanisms that foster greater collaboration and team science. ORWH does not award or manage grants.

Applications must be relevant to the objectives of at least one of the NIH Institutes or Centers listed in the topic. National Library of Medicine (NLM) Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: Analysis of broad topical or structural trends across the biomedical research enterprise which inform research rigor, productivity, reproducibility, replicability, and translation.

Identification of factors that impede translation of basic biomedical informatics, data science, or health AI innovations into research and/or clinical practice and determine where interventions could accelerate impactful adoption.

Identification of high-impact opportunities to expand biomedical informatics, data science, and AI research participation and literacy into biomedical research efforts and develop, evaluate, and validate approaches to spur adoption in ways which strengthen scientific quality, transparency, and reproducibility.

Investigation of the drivers of recruitment, progression, and retention for informaticians and data scientists in biomedical research and identify evidence-based strategies that support a sustainable workforce.

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: Strategies that will enhance research environments, especially institutions receiving limited NIH funding, to increase the rigor of health disparities research and promote preparedness and success in the biomedical research workforce Fostering the integration of health disparities-focused researchers, including early-stage investigators (ESIs), into team science and cross-disciplinary collaborations Enhancing translational science training to transform basic discoveries into effective solutions that reduce health disparities and improve population health National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: investigations of Approaches to effectively build and sustain research capacity and infrastructure at institutions and regions across the Nation Approaches to develop, enhance, and sustain institutional and organizational factors that improve research capacity Factors and mechanisms that promote interest, preparedness, recruitment, and retention, and attenuate barriers to success in the mental health biomedical and behavioral research workforce across all career stages Effective approaches to promote, enhance and sustain cross-disciplinary collaboration and team science.

Tatiana Meza-Cervera, Ph. D. For technical issues E-mail OER Webmaster