Oregon Research Institute

What Oregon Research Institute does

Oregon Research Institute (ORI) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit behavioral sciences research center founded in 1960 in Eugene, Oregon, with current headquarters in Springfield, Oregon. The institute employs approximately 90 people and is dedicated to understanding human behavior and improving quality of life through prevention and treatment of health, educational, and social problems across the lifespan—from child development and education through aging populations. ORI develops and validates evidence-based intervention programs including The Body Project (eating disorder prevention, 8M+ participants globally), The Blues Program (adolescent depression prevention, adopted in the UK), Family Check-Up (parenting intervention evaluated in the 731-family Early Steps longitudinal study), Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance (fall prevention for older adults, including virtual delivery), Click City (tobacco/vaping prevention), and Smile Quest (digital dental health).

The institute's research spans addiction and substance use, depression and mental health, obesity and eating disorders, academic achievement, and aging-related cognitive and physical decline. ORI maintains longitudinal datasets spanning decades (Early Steps since 2002, Oregon Adolescent Depression Project) and has hosted Nobel-caliber researchers including Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky during their 1971-1972 sabbatical that catalyzed behavioral economics. In November 2023, Decision Research—a decision science and risk analysis center founded by Paul Slovic, Baruch Fischhoff, and Sarah Lichtenstein—joined ORI as an internal center.

ORI's business model is grant-funded nonprofit research: primary revenue comes from competitive federal grants (NIH, NSF, Department of Education's IES, NIDA, NCI, NIA) plus tax-deductible public donations. The organization has no large endowment, so each project must cover both direct and indirect costs. Go-to-market is community-led, recruiting research participants through a public Participate in Research page across populations (children, adolescents, adults, seniors) and disseminating findings via peer-reviewed publications and academic conferences. Programs are distributed to end-users through partner organizations, schools, clinics, and community groups (YMCA, Action for Children UK, Girl Scouts, Dove Beauty).

Name

Oregon Research Institute

Legal name

Oregon Research Institute

Website

https://ori.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Oregon Research Institute is an independent nonprofit behavioral sciences research center founded in 1960, employing about 90 people to develop and validate evidence-based intervention programs in mental health, substance use, aging, and education, serving children, families, and older adults through federally funded research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Educational Support Services (611710), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Program Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAI), Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ), Health Promotion, Prevention & Wellness Education (EDALAFAF), Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Lifestyle Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAL), Behavioral Therapy (ABA/ESDM/Positive Behavior Support) (EDACAFAE)

Keywords

• Behavioral sciences research
• Mental health interventions
• Substance use prevention
• Aging fall prevention
• Educational intervention research

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: ORI is primarily funded through competitive research grants from federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Education's Institute on Education Sciences, National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Cancer Institute, and others. As an independent nonprofit research institute with no large endowment, all projects must provide sufficient funding for both direct and indirect costs.
2. Donations: ORI accepts tax-deductible donations from the public to support research. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations fund support for promising early career scientists, scientific development activities, and recruitment of established scientists.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Oregon Research Institute is an independent nonprofit behavioral sciences research center that conducts research on human behavior and develops evidence-based intervention programs across addiction, depression, aging, physical health, and academic/social supports for children. The institute translates rigorous behavioral research into practical, ready-to-implement programs such as The Body Project, The Blues Program, Tai Ji Quan exercise programs, Click City tobacco prevention, Smile Quest dental health, and Family Check-Up.

Product overview

Oregon Research Institute is an independent non-profit behavioral sciences research center (founded 1960) dedicated to understanding human behavior and improving quality of life through prevention and treatment of health, educational, and social problems. ORI operates as a research institute rather than a product company, conducting behavioral sciences research across multiple domains. The institute's portfolio includes evidence-based intervention programs (The Body Project, The Blues Program, Click City: Tobacco Prevention), exercise programs (Tai Ji Quan for healthy aging), digital health programs (Smile Quest dental health), longitudinal studies (Early Steps Multisite Study, Family Check-Up), and specialized research centers (Decision Research Center). Decision Research, a renowned decision-making and risk analysis center, joined ORI as a center within the institute. ORI conducts research in partnership with federal agencies (NIH, Department of Education, NSF) and collaborates with universities and healthcare institutions on various studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Behavioral Sciences Research Services Conduct of applied behavioral sciences research and development of evidence-based intervention programs for federal grant sponsors and partner institutions; covers prevention and treatment of health, educational, and social problems.
• The Blues Program Adolescent depression prevention program designed as a six-hour classroom-style intervention; intended for schools, clinics, and youth-serving organizations.
• The Body Project Dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program for high school and college-aged women delivered through peer-led group discussions; distributed via schools, Girl Scouts, and Dove Beauty partnerships.
• Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance Evidence-based Tai Chi exercise intervention designed to reduce falls, improve balance, and support physical and cognitive function in older adults, including a virtual delivery format.
• Click City: Tobacco Prevention Program School-based tobacco and e-cigarette prevention program for youth, designed to reduce initiation and use of nicotine products among adolescents.
• Smile Quest Digital Dental Health Program Online dental health program for 7th and 8th grade students that focuses on tobacco/vaping prevention and reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption; available in English and Spanish.
• Family Check-Up (FCU) Intervention Strengths-based, family-centered parenting intervention designed to improve parenting practices and child outcomes; delivered annually from child age 2 through 10.5.
• Decision Research Center Center within ORI focused on judgment and decision making, risk analysis, and cognitive/emotional factors affecting preference.
• Coping with Depression Course Group-based depression treatment course developed by Peter Lewinsohn; translated into many languages and used internationally as a foundational Behavioral Activation approach.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Body Project has reached over 8 million young women worldwide
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025ORI has a sub-award with the University of Washington for the Assessing the Expectations Gap project examining critical infrastructure preparedness and response for the Cascadia earthquake.
• Georgia State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024ORI has a subaward with Georgia State University for the Smokers' Decision-Making about Tobacco Use project, with Terry Frank Pechacek as Co-Principal Investigator.
• Comagine HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Comagine Health is a Co-Investigator on the Peer Engagement in Methamphetamine Harm-Reduction with Contingency Management (Peer-CM) Supplement project with OHSU as the lead.
• GREDEG (Université Côte d'Azur)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Working paper by Jean-Sebastien Lenfant on the history of behavioral economics at ORI was published through the archives of GREDEG, an economics research unit at Université Côte d'Azur in France.
• Decision ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Decision Research, founded in 1976 by Paul Slovic, Baruch Fischhoff, and Sarah Lichtenstein, joined ORI as a center within ORI in November 2023. This partnership combines ORI's knowledge of behavioral health change and effective educational practices with Decision Research's expertise in personal and societal judgment and decision making.
• University of OregonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023ORI has a sub-award from the University of Oregon for the Developing an Early Mathematics Intervention for Children with Disabilities in the Home Learning Environment project, with Gena Nelson as PI.
• University of MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022ORI has a sub-award with the University of Michigan for the Biopsychobehavioral Investigation of Withdrawal from Ultra-Processed Food study, with Ashley Gearhardt as PI.
• University of MarylandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022ORI has a sub-award with the University of Maryland for the Reading Mastery Project, with Kelli Cummings as PI.
• Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2018ORI receives subawards from OHSU for projects including Preventing Falls and Frailty in Prostate Cancer Survivors (GET FIT Prostate) with Kerri Winters-Stone as PI, and Peer Engagement in Methamphetamine Harm-Reduction study.
• ORI Community and Evaluation Services (ORI-CES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORI-CES is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving individual and community health through evaluation and intervention services. Operates in close association with ORI, providing organizational expertise to administer grants and contracts for scientific projects, evaluations, and intervention services.
• Influents InnovationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerORI works with Influents Innovations on various projects. Dr. Camille Cioffi is also a Research Scientist at Influents Innovations, and Erika Westling has a grant at this sister organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE): Independent nonprofit research institute focused on substance use, behavioral health, and injury prevention with similar size and federal-grant-driven model. Closely comparable in scale, mission, and portfolio of prevention/intervention research.
• Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research: Embedded health research center conducting behavioral, prevention, and health systems research with federal grant funding. Overlaps with ORI in evidence-based intervention development, substance use, mental health, and aging-related research.
• Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC): Independent nonprofit research institute also based in Oregon, focused on child and family behavioral research including the similarly-named Family Check-Up and prevention science. Directly comparable as a small, independent, nonprofit behavioral science research center with overlapping family-intervention portfolios.

Broad incumbents

• American Institutes for Research (AIR): Large nonprofit behavioral and social science research organization with strong K-12 education and disability portfolios that overlap with ORI's school-based interventions (e.g., Click City, mathematics and reading interventions). Comparable nonprofit, federal-grant-funded model.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: Independent research organization conducting social science research funded by federal agencies. Overlaps with ORI in behavioral health survey research, longitudinal studies, and prevention/evaluation methodology, though operates at larger scale and broader scope.
• RAND Corporation: Large independent nonprofit research institution with a similarly diversified portfolio spanning behavioral health, education, and social policy. Comparable governance and funding model (federal grants, endowment) but operates at much greater scale and across many more domains than ORI.
• Mathematica: Nonprofit policy research and evaluation firm with a strong portfolio in health, education, and social program evaluation funded by federal agencies. Comparable as a nonprofit research organization competing for similar federal RFPs but operating at much larger scale.
• Abt Associates: Global research and consulting firm with substantial federal health and behavioral science work. Comparable in conducting federally funded behavioral, health, and education research, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader commercial footprint.
• Westat: Employee-owned research firm with deep federal contracts in health, education, and social sciences. Comparable in conducting behavioral and education research for federal sponsors, though typically operates as a larger survey and evaluation contractor than ORI.
• RTI International: Major nonprofit research institute conducting health, education, and behavioral science research funded heavily by federal agencies. Shares ORI's federal-grant-driven, prevention-and-intervention research orientation but at substantially larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OregonResearchInst
• Facebookfacebook.com/OregonResearchInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/56390/admin
• Xx.com/oregonresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Oregon Research Institute