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American Sociological Association


Nomination Solicitation Alert . . . (4/1/05)

First Annual
Matilda White Riley NIH Lecture in the
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Call for Nominations
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), National Institutes of Health, announces the establishment of an annual lecture in the behavioral and social sciences named in honor of sociologist Matilda White Riley (1911-2004) (see January 2005 American Sociological Association (ASA) Footnotes newsletter, p. 1), former President and Executive Officer of the ASA. In addition to serving as the Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging, Dr. Riley provided leadership across the NIH in her role as chairperson of landmark committees regarding health and behavior. She was co-chair of the joint ADAMHA (Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration) and NIH Steering Committee for the Institute of Medicine's Project on Health and Behavior (1979-1982) and chair of the trans-NIH Working Group on Health and Behavior (1982-1991). In these capacities she served as the senior NIH spokesperson on the behavioral and social sciences, encouraged coordination among NIH Institutes, oversaw the production of numerous reports to the Congress on behavioral research at the NIH, provided advice to several NIH Directors, and initiated the behavioral and social sciences seminar series at the NIH. In effect, she laid the groundwork for and was the precursor to OBSSR.

The Lecture Selection Committee seeks nominations of an accomplished behavioral and social scientist to deliver the first Matlida White Riley Lecture in the fall of 2005 or winter of 2006. The annual award will honor an individual whose research has contributed to behavioral and social scientific knowledge and/or the application of such knowledge relevant to the mission of the National Institutes of Health. Nominees should also reflect Matilda Riley's commitment to research characterized by values such as:
  • Strong linkages among theory, methods, and research topics/goals;
  • Recognition of complexity of, and dynamic interplay among, processes at multiple levels of explanation (i.e., a biopsychosocial perspective);
  • Encouragement of research on behavioral and social factors in physical health and of the application of such knowledge in clinical practice and health policy;
  • Advocacy of a life-course perspective, both at the level of individuals and of societies (i.e., development/aging of people and the reciprocal influence of societal processes on development and of people as they develop/age on society);
  • Emphasis on the potential for improving the lives of people and society (i.e., research should be "significant");
  • Conceptual expansion of "health" beyond biological outcomes (disease and death) to include "effective functioning" (functional health), such as cognitive, affective and social functioning, and quality of life; and
  • An optimistic view on the ability of social and behavioral science to develop interventions to improve the lives of people of all ages.
The recipient of the award will be invited to deliver a presentation at NIH, in Bethesda, MD. OBSSR will provide the awardee with an honorarium and a suitable commemorative plaque or sculpture as well as publish the annual lecture on the OBSSR webpage at obssr.od.nih.gov/Activities/MWR_Lecture/index.htm.

 Nomination Procedures

Send nominations to the Ronald P. Abeles, Selection Committee Chair, by June 1, 2005. Your nomination should include the individual's name, terminal degree, discipline, institutional affiliation, and abbreviated curriculum vitae (if readily available) as well as a brief statement (maximum of one page, single-spaced) regarding the candidate's accomplishments and appropriateness for the Matilda White Riley NIH Lecture. Candidates may be government (including NIH) employees or from outside of the government. Feel free to nominate more than one person. Those not selected in 2005 will be reconsidered for subsequent years! Self nominations are discouraged. As nominator, include your name and contact information in the submission.

Last Updated on April 06, 2005
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