April 20, 2026: New NIH Highlighted Topic Encourages Investigator-Initiated Research on Chatbots

NIH logoThe NIH has posted a new highlighted topic for investigator-initiated grant applications in research on chatbots and their usage.

From the topic description:

This topic encourages multidisciplinary research that identifies, measures, and explains the benefits and harms associated with chatbot use…across a variety of populations, use cases, and settings. Of interest are studies that move beyond proof-of-concept to characterize mechanisms, safety, and impacts on behavior, decision-making, and health outcomes.

NIH highlighted topics represent selected research priority areas within one or more NIH Institute, Center, or Office. The NIH maintains a centralized list of highlighted topics for researchers to consider as they develop investigator-initiated grant applications.

Read the full topic description.