OppNet is a trans-NIH initiative that funds research and development activities that the collective body of knowledge about the nature of behavior and social systems to deepen our understanding of basic mechanisms of behavioral and social processes that relate to health and wellbeing. Basic research in the behavioral and social sciences (b-BSSR) elucidates the complex components of individual and group processes that inform health-related attitudes, behaviors, decisions, and social processes. Unlike basic biomedical research that targets a specific virus or gene, however, basic behavioral and social research targets the mechanisms and processes that influence individual and group behaviors related to behaviors that promote health (e.g., regular physical activity) and/or treatment (e.g., taking medicine as prescribed). All 24 NIH Institutes and Centers that fund research and five Program Offices within the NIH Office of the Director (ICOs) co-fund and co-manage OppNet. All OppNet funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) invite investigators to propose projects that advance a targeted domain of basic social and behavioral sciences to produce knowledge and/or tools that potentially relate to multiple domains of health- and lifecourse-related research. Individual ICs release FOAs on OppNet?s behalf;however, all OppNet grants can be tracked easily through its secondary assignment code, ?OP.? In FY2012, OppNet issued three FOAs: HD-12-204, HL-12-037, and MH-12-130.
