The NINDS Office of Research Quality (ORQ) is dedicated to promoting:
- Experimental and analytical rigor
- Measures to reduce bias
- Transparent reporting
- High-quality scientific research
NINDS is dedicated to increasing attention to principles of good study design and transparent reporting, which are integral to research quality. These principles are essential to enable the scientific community, as well as the community at large, to assess the value of scientific findings. You may learn more about ORQ below or contact us for more information.
Applicant Guidelines
NINDS provides guidance on how to enhance the quality of NINDS-supported research through rigorous study design and transparent reporting when preparing grant applications.
Rigor Champions
NINDS calls for members of the scientific community to identify themselves as champions of scientific rigor and to share best practices. On our Rigor Champions page, you can learn more about what we are doing, including:
Training in the Principles of Rigorous Research
NINDS has launched an initiative to develop an educational resource on the principles of rigorous research. This resource will be user-friendly, adaptable, and openly accessible in order to promote awareness, understanding, and utilization of the principles of rigorous research.
- We also provide a list of other rigor and transparency resources.
ORQ Contact Information
Shai Silberberg, Ph.D. | Director, Research Quality
SilberbS@ninds.nih.gov
Devon Crawford, Ph.D. | Program Director
devon.crawford@nih.gov
Mariah Hoye, Ph.D. | Project Manager
mariah.hoye@nih.gov
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NINDS/ORQ Video Presentations
- Enhancing the Value of Research Findings: Activities at NINDS and Beyond by NINDS ORQ and OTWD staff (NINDS OPEN Stage Webinar Series, August, 2023)
- Addressing Publication Bias in Biomedical Research by Shai Silberberg (NANDS Council Meeting, September, 2022, starting at 01:16:10)
- Scientific Rigor and Transparency by Devon Crawford (NIH Clinical and Translational Research Summer Course, recorded May, 2021)
- Rigor and Transparency in Research by Devon Crawford (NINDS Metabolism-Based Therapies for Epilepsy Workshop, November, 2020)
- When Rigor Goes Wrong by Shai Silberberg (NINDS R25 Grantee Workshop, March, 2018)
- NINDS Historical Perspective on Research Rigor by Shai Silberberg (NIH Workshop on Reproducibility in Cell Culture Studies, October, 2015, starting at 00:13:21)
- Improving the Quality of Preclinical Research Through More Rigorous Study Design and Transparent Reporting by Story Landis (NIH ACD Meeting, June, 2013, starting at 02:26:18)
NIH and NINDS Guide Announcements
- Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Administrative Supplements to Active NIH Awards to Support Replication Studies Using Independent Contract Resources (NOT-RM-24-013)
- NINDS Sustainable Transformation of Institutional Research Rigor (STIRR) (RFA-NS-25-019)
- Materials to Enhance Training in Experimental Rigor (METER) (RFA-NS-25-002)
- Request for Information on Potential Solutions for Reducing Publication Bias Against Null Studies (NOT-NS-24-052)
- NINDS Announces Plans to Publish the “NINDS Rigor Champions Prize” Challenge Competition (NOT-NS-23-085)
- NIH Encourages the Use of the ARRIVE Essential 10 Checklist in all Publications Reporting on the Results of Vertebrate Animal and Cephalopod Research (NOT-OD-23-057)
- Creating an Educational Nexus for Training in Experimental Rigor (CENTER) (RFA-NS-21-009)
- NIH and AHRQ Announce Upcoming Changes to Policies, Instructions and Forms for Research Training Grant, Fellowship, and Career Development Award Applications (NOT-OD-20-033)
- NIH & AHRQ Announce Upcoming Updates to Application Instructions and Review Criteria for Research Grant Applications (NOT-OD-18-228)
- Improving the Quality of NINDS-Supported Preclinical and Clinical Research through Rigorous Study Design and Transparent Reporting (NOT-NS-11-023)
NINDS/ORQ Events
- NINDS Webinar: Winners of the Inaugural NINDS Rigor Champions Prize (April 23, 2025)
- NINDS Workshop: Novel Approaches to Preventing Publication Bias (May 20-21, 2024)
- NINDS OPEN Stage Webinar: Enhancing the Value of Research Findings: Activities at NINDS and Beyond (August 1, 2023)
- NINDS Workshop: Catalyzing Communities of Research Rigor Champions (May 23-24, 2022)
- NINDS Workshop: A Visionary Resource for Instilling Fundamental Principles of Rigorous Neuroscience Research (October 22-23, 2018)
- NINDS Workshop: Optimizing the Predictive Value of Preclinical Research (June 20-21, 2012)
NIH and NINDS Articles and News
- NIH Launches Experimental Science Rigor Initiative (NINDS Press Release, August 4, 2022)
- Addressing Rigor in Scientific Studies (NIH Science, Health, and Public Trust Perspectives, August 10, 2023; reposted on NIH Open Mike, August 14, 2023)
- New Activities and Resources for Enhancing Research Quality (NINDS Director's Message, May 26, 2023)
- Take Advantage of Our Many Resources for Enhancing the Rigor of Animal Research (NIH Open Mike, February 10, 2023)
- Good Science is Rigorous Science (NINDS Director's Message, August 9, 2021)
- Resources for Rigorous Research (NIH Open Mike, December 13, 2018)
- Rigorous Resources for Rigorous Research (NIH Open Mike, July 2, 2018)
- Rigor Not Mortis - Strengthening the Quality of Neuroscience Research (NINDS Director's Message, April 5, 2017)
- Scientific Premise in NIH Grant Applications (NIH Open Mike, January 28, 2016)
- Scientific Rigor in NIH Grant Applications (NIH Open Mike, January 28, 2016)
- Updates on Addressing Rigor in Your NIH Applications (NIH Open Mike, January 11, 2016)
- Bolstering Trust in Science through Rigorous Standards (NIH Open Mike, October 30, 2015)
- From Methods to Monographs: Fostering a Culture of Research Quality by Crawford et al (eNeuro, 2023)
- Framework for Advancing Rigorous Research by Koroshetz et al (eLife, 2020)
- Shake Up Conferences by Silberberg et al (Nature, 2017)
- Accelerating Biomedical Discoveries through Rigor and Transparency by Hewitt et al (ILAR J, 2017)
- Policy: NIH Plans to Enhance Reproducibility by Collins & Tabak (Nature, 2014)
- Should Clinicians Care about Preclinical Animal Research? by Silberberg (Neurology, 2013)
- A Call for Transparent Reporting to Optimize the Predictive Value of Preclinical Research by Landis et al (Nature, 2012)