NIH Matilda White Riley Early Stage Investigator Paper Competition
The Matilda White Riley (MWR) Paper Competition, sponsored by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), recognizes Early Stage Investigators (ESI) whose research reflects Dr. Matilda White Riley’s vision of excellence in health-related behavioral and social sciences research.
OBSSR will invite up to 12 ESI honorees to present findings from their research paper and participate in a two-day (in person) OBSSR MWR ESI Research Workshop on transitioning research ideas into NIH grant applications. The workshop will take place on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, MD on June 9-10, 2025.
The workshop will include:
  • Presentations from previous MWR honorees who have successfully transitioned from ESI to funded NIH investigator
  • Presentations from program officers and review officers about writing NIH grant proposals and the NIH review process,
  • Networking opportunities with NIH program officers and other MWR ESI honorees.
The workshop will culminate with the annual presentation by the MWR Distinguished Lecturer.


Important Dates
ESI Paper Competition Open: January 13, 2025 - February 18, 2025
Submission Deadline: February 18, 2025 at 11:59 p.m ET
Awardees Notified: April 15, 2025
NIH Matilda White Riley Honors Event: June 09, 2025


Eligibility Criteria
  1. Candidates must meet NIH’s definition of an ESI, at the time of the submission due date, which includes:
    1. Having completed their terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training, whichever date is later, within the past 10 years.
    2. Not having held a substantial, independent NIH research award as a PD/PI (e.g., R01).

  2. Applicants may submit only one (1) original research article on the study of behavioral and social phenomena relevant to health. Conceptual, review, or meta-analysis papers are not eligible for this competition and, if submitted, will not be considered. Articles without direct relevance to health will not be considered. Applicants who submit more than one (1) article or who have been honored in previous years will not be considered.

  3. Applicants must be the sole or primary author of the article.

  4. The article must be published or accepted and in-press between January 1 and December 31, 2024.

  5. The article must involve original research published in a peer-review journal.


Selection Process
A review committee of NIH scientists will consider all eligible submissions, assessing the potential impact of the article on the field as well as the applicant’s responses to the following:

  1. How does this article serve as the basis or inspiration for an NIH grant application? This could include pilot data, methods, or a literature review discussed in the article that provides the foundation for a future research project. Briefly describe the project/well-scoped research agenda for a future NIH grant application, including explaining the significance of the work, the specific aims, and potential approach/methods (max 4000 characters).

  2. Describe how participating in the OBSSR MWR ESI Research Workshop will help you achieve your current career and/or research goals (max 2000 characters).

  3. Briefly describe your top accomplishments to date, which can include both professional and/or academic accomplishments. (max 1000 characters).
Awardees will be notified on or by April 15, 2025.
Applicants, please click this link to submit
Administrators/reviewers, please click this link