NIH Office of Science Policy

What NIH Office of Science Policy does

The NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) is a U.S. federal government policy office within the Immediate Office of the NIH Director, itself part of the Department of Health and Human Services. OSP develops, analyzes, and implements forward-looking policies to promote responsible conduct of research across the biomedical research enterprise, conducting horizon scanning and advising the NIH Director and the U.S. Government on issues of future scientific importance. Its work is organized across five operating divisions: Clinical and Healthcare; Scientific Data Sharing; Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Biotechnologies; Technology Transfer and Innovation; and Science Policy Coordination, Collaboration, and Reporting.

OSP's outputs are policy instruments and frameworks rather than commercial products: examples include the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy, the NIH AI Policy Framework (April 2024), the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy (effective January 2023), the Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy (October 2025), and the Biosafety Modernization Initiative (September 2025). The office does not develop or sell technology products or services, and there is no commercial pricing or revenue model; funding flows through congressional appropriations to NIH. OSP coordinates with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, HHS partner agencies, advisory bodies including NEXTRAC and NSABB, and the Foundation for the NIH (FNIH), which manages 61 scientific partnerships representing $501M in private sector funds.

The office serves the NIH Director and the U.S. Government as its primary constituency, with stakeholder engagement extending to researchers, policymakers, ethicists, research participants, legal scholars, and the American public. It is headquartered at 6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 630, Bethesda, MD, and operates with approximately 32 staff members. Engagement channels include its website (osp.od.nih.gov), the Under the Poliscope blog, OSP News email listserv, social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube), Requests for Information, and webinars/listening sessions.

Name

NIH Office of Science Policy

Legal name

NIH Office of Science Policy

Website

https://osp.od.nih.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) is a U.S. federal policy office within the Immediate Office of the NIH Director that develops, analyzes, and implements science policy governing biomedical research, advising the NIH Director and U.S. Government on issues of future scientific importance across data sharing, biosafety, AI, and public access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Science Policy

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAJ), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Science policy development
• Biomedical research policy
• Biosafety policy guidance
• Research data sharing
• Public access policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) develops, analyzes, and implements science policies for the National Institutes of Health across areas including biosafety, biosecurity, scientific data sharing, public access to research, AI in research, bioethics, clinical research, stem cell research, and healthcare research. OSP also conducts horizon scanning and advises the NIH Director and the U.S. Government on issues of future scientific importance, and partners with researchers, policymakers, ethicists, research participants, legal scholars, and the public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2024 NIH Public Access Policy Federal public access policy ensuring free, immediate, and equitable access to NIH-funded research publications; applies to NIH-funded researchers and the broader public who access PubMed Central.
• NIH AI Policy Framework Comprehensive policy framework governing the safe and responsible development and use of artificial intelligence technologies in NIH-funded biomedical research.
• NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (April 2024) Federal biosafety guidelines governing research practices and containment procedures for recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecule research.
• NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy NIH policy requiring researchers to submit and comply with a Data Management and Sharing Plan for NIH-funded research, governing how scientific data are managed and shared.
• NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy Policy governing access planning for products developed from NIH-owned inventions, requiring outside licensees to describe steps to promote patient access to resulting drugs, biologics, or devices.
• NIH Biosafety Modernization Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1.4 million articles reporting on NIH-supported research freely available in PubMed Central

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Foundation for the NIH (FNIH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIH facilitates public-private partnerships through FNIH, a not-for-profit established by Congress. FNIH supports research partnerships, scientific education, training programs, and conferences. For every $1 NIH gives to FNIH, the Foundation raises $16 in private sector funding. NIH has 61 scientific partnerships with FNIH representing $501M in private sector funds.
• White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSP coordinates and prioritizes NIH engagement with OSTP. OSP supports the NIH Director who serves as Co-Chair of the White House National Science and Technology Policy Council (NSTC), coordinating the agency's participation on various committees, subcommittees, and working groups.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIH partners with AAAS to provide Science and Technology Policy Fellowships throughout NIH's 27 Institutes, Centers, and Office of the Director. Each year NIH sponsors up to 40 fellows. Fellows are classified as temporary federal employees for the duration of their fellowship.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSP has long-established working relationships with partner agencies within HHS for trans-governmental policymaking and policy coordination.
• Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Committee (NEXTRAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal advisory committee providing recommendations to NIH Director and public forum for discussion of exceptional or novel research technologies.
• National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal advisory committee addressing issues related to biosecurity and dual use research at the request of the United States Government.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): Major private biomedical research organization that operates alongside NIH-funded research and engages on federal science policy. Relevant as a comparator for biomedical research policy stewardship outside government.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): Strategic partner that places up to 40 Science & Technology Policy Fellows per year at NIH. Functions as a workforce pipeline and external policy voice with strong parallels to OSP's mission.
• National Academy of Medicine: Independent advisory body within the National Academies focused on biomedical and health policy. Frequently cited in NIH policy work and serves a parallel convening and advisory function.
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Independent nonprofit that produces authoritative science and policy reports often used by federal agencies. The closest external thought-leadership body that OSP and NIH engage with on policy research.

Direct peers

• Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH): Congressionally-chartered nonprofit that manages NIH's public-private partnerships; OSP has 61 active scientific partnerships with FNIH representing $501M in private-sector funds. Operates at the same intersection of policy and biomedical research.
• NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER): NIH peer office that administers the grant-making process and research policy for the extramural research community. Closest internal NIH counterpart in scope and stakeholder base.
• White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): Federal science policy counterpart that OSP coordinates with; the NIH Director serves as Co-Chair of the NSTC under OSTP. Directly comparable in mission and authority to advise on cross-government science and technology policy.
• HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP): Federal office within HHS that oversees protections for human research subjects. A sibling policy office that similarly translates federal research policy into operational guidance for the research community.

Broad incumbents

• National Science Foundation (NSF): Major U.S. federal research agency that funds non-biomedical science and develops its own science policy. Operates at a much larger scale than OSP but shares the federal science policy mandate.
• U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science: Federal R&D agency that funds scientific research across physics, biology, and computing. Comparable as a large federal science enterprise with its own policy apparatus serving national priorities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NIH_OSP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClLO4iMAvv2LIQDdAqtLs1Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nih-office-of-science-policy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NIH Office of Science Policy