Opportunities for Neuroeconomists at the
National Institute on Aging
and through NIH-wide initiatives
Lis Nielsen
nielsenli@nia.nih.gov
Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR), NIA
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ExtramuralPrograms/BehavioralAndSocialResearch/
National Institute on Aging
Research Priorities at BSR/NIA
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Neuroeconomics and Decision Research *
Social Neuroscience of Aging *
Behavioral Economics
Mechanisms of Behavior Change *
Integrating genetics into behavioral models
Economic Phenotypes *
Economics of Aging (Health and Retirement)
Training Interdisciplinary Scientists – need good K and F32
applicants bridging econ/psych/neuroscience
*review
National Institute on Aging
Understanding NIA
• Aging-relevant research is NOT just the study of older
people
• Lifecourse perspective – aging as a process that unfolds;
early life factors impacting trajectories of health and
(subjective/economic) well-being in mid-late life
• Aging-relevant phenomena – self-regulation, motivation,
delay discounting, susceptibility to fraud, social influences
on decision making – through a lifecourse lens
• Changing demographic of population impacts structure
of institutions, policies, and choices of individuals
National Institute on Aging
Resources at NIA
• Recent RFAs (inactive) reflect our ongoing interest in:
– Neuroeconomics of Aging
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AG-06-011.html
– Social Neuroscience of Aging
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AG-09-006.html
• Priority areas for research training
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ExtramuralPrograms/BehavioralAndSocialResearch/
PriorityAreas.htm
• Workshop Reports highlight needs for future research
in these and related areas, including genetic
approaches:
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ExtramuralPrograms/BehavioralAndSocialResearch/
CMW.htm
National Institute on Aging
Emerging Opportunities at NIA
http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/
• Genotyping 20,000 individuals with longitudinal survey
data on health and economic behaviors
• Lab-based methods (imaging) most likely to find heritable
phenotypes closely linked to biology
• But only very large samples will allow genetic model
estimation and replication
• Critical need for lab-survey interface around economic
phenotypes
National Institute on Aging
Emerging Opportunities at NIA
• Network to advance Decision Neuroscience of Aging
• Over five years this network grant will support scientific
meetings, intensive training workshops for researchers at
all stages, and a pilot grant competition for researchers
new to the field.
• Core Network Personnel: Laura Carstensen (Stanford),
Samuel McClure (Stanford), Gregory Samanez Larkin
(Vanderbildt), Camelia Kuhnen (Northwestern), David
Laibson (Harvard)
National Institute on Aging
“In this economy, it’s crucial to begin every
sentence with ‘in this economy.’”
NIH-wide initiatives
Science of Behavior Change
http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/behaviorchange/index.asp
OppNet
http://oppnet.nih.gov
Health Economics
http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/healtheconomics/
National Institute on Aging
Science of Behavior Change
NIH Roadmap Program
• Trans-NIH initiative to focus on approaches to improving
initiation and maintenance of positive health behaviors
• Leveraging advances in emerging basic behavioral and
social science domains
• NIH Directors approved Roadmap funding for
developmental activities including planning meetings.
• DPCPSI, FIC, NCCAM, NCI, NHGRI, NHLBI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID, NIAMS, NICHD,
NIDA, NIDCR, NIDDK, NIGMS, NIMH, NINDS, NINR, OBSSR
National Institute on Aging
Poor Health Behaviors Kill
Schroeder et al. (2007, NEJM)
Behavior Change is Powerful
A 7% weight reduction and 2.5 hour per week activity increase led to a
58% reduction in the cumulative incidence of Type 2 diabetes in
insulin-resistant individuals (Diabetes Prevention Program Research
Group, 2002).
Balkanization of Behavior Change
Behavioral
Science
Economics
Genetics
Neuroscience
Smoking
Cessation
Moderate
Drinking
Increase
Exercise
Medication
Adherence
Financial
Planning
17 different ICs support research in
(very specific areas of) behavior change.
Policy
Emergence of Transdisciplinary Science
Behavioral
Science
Economics
Genetics
Neuroscience
Behavior
Change
Relevant science is rapidly emerging but is
not optimally focused on Behavior Change.
Policy
SOBC Roadmap RFA-RM-10-002
Focused on Mechanisms of Change
Mechanisms of decision-making
e.g., risk perception, temporal discounting
Mechanisms of control and self-monitoring:
e.g., executive function, interoceptive awareness, emotion regulation;
Mechanisms of social and cultural transmission of behaviors and of
interpersonal transaction:
e.g., contagion, mimicry, modeling, norms, peer effects, competition;
Structural mechanisms:
e.g., choice architectures, defaults, environmental affordances;
Neurobiological and genetic mechanisms:
e.g., related to these processes, including those associated with individual
differences in biophysiologic capacity or psychological
resilience/vulnerability.
National Institute on Aging
OppNet: Mission and Goals
• To strengthen basic Behavioral and Social Science Research (bBSSR) across NIH institutes, innovating beyond existing investments
• Build a body of knowledge about the nature of behavior and social
systems, focused on basic mechanisms of behavior and social processes
• Three domains:
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Behavioral and Social Processes (e.g., learning, social cognition, group
processes, migration patterns)
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Biobehavioral and Biosocial Research (e.g., social, cognitive, affective and
economic neurosciences)
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Methodology and measurement (e.g., data collection, modeling, research
design)
OppNet FY2011 FOAs
RFA-AG-11-010 BASIC RESEARCH ON SELF-REGULATION (R21)
2 yr; $275K total direct costs. Due Date: January 6, 2011
* Related to SOBC
1) to precisely identify and operationally reconcile the basic processes and
mechanisms involved in self-regulation of cognition, emotion, and behavior, and
refine their measurement and theoretical conceptualizations, 2) to assess
relations among various self-regulatory functions and their sub-components,
and 3) to systematically characterize changes in self-regulatory functions over
time, across different social and environmental contexts, and across the lifespan
CAPACITY BUILDING
RFA-CA-10-017 Due Date: December 14, 2010
Scientific meetings for creating interdisciplinary research teams in emerging b-BSSR (R13)
2 year; $50K/year direct
RFA-NR-11-002 Due Date: January 6, 2011
Short-term Interdisciplinary Research Education Program for New Investigators (R25)
1 year; $150K direct costs.
Research Community Input Shapes OppNet’s Directions:
OppNet Meeting: Expanding Opportunities in
Basic Behavioral and Social Science
Research
Thursday and Friday, October 28-29, 2010
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Free registration
Visit OppNet’s website for more information: http://oppnet.nih.gov