Building Your Team to Broaden Your Funding: Leveraging SBM Resources to assemble a multidisciplinary team to secure diverse streams of funding

Heather J. Leach, PhD, FACSM, FSBM - The Scientific Education Council

The current research funding climate presents both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges for behavioral medicine scientists. Federal funding remains highly competitive, paylines are often uncertain, and many investigators face pressure to demonstrate interdisciplinary impact, community engagement, dissemination potential, and translational relevance. At the same time, new funding mechanisms are emerging across healthcare systems, foundations, industry partnerships, philanthropy, implementation science initiatives, and community-based organizations.

In this environment, diversifying funding streams is no longer simply advantageous—it is essential for sustaining a successful research program. Investigators who cultivate multidisciplinary collaborations and pursue varied sources of support are often better positioned to weather fluctuations in federal funding, expand the reach of their work, and accelerate innovation.

Fortunately, as part of membership benefits the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) offers a robust ecosystem of resources that can help members identify collaborators, strengthen interdisciplinary teams, and position themselves for diverse funding opportunities.

An effective strategy for funding diversification is intentionally building a multidisciplinary network before a grant opportunity arises. Many successful grant applications now require expertise that spans behavioral science, clinical care, biostatistics, implementation science, health equity, communication, policy, and community engagement. Rather than attempting to assemble a team at the last minute, SBM members can proactively cultivate these connections through several existing society resources.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) remain one of the most powerful entry points for collaboration. Joining SIGs and subscribing to their listservs allows members to engage with researchers across disciplines, institutions, and career stages who share common scientific interests. These networks frequently become the foundation for symposium proposals, manuscripts, multi-site studies, and grant applications. Importantly, SIGs can also expose investigators to funding opportunities outside their primary discipline, including foundation grants, community partnerships, and cross-sector initiatives. 

SBM’s Annual Meeting similarly serves as a critical venue for developing multidisciplinary collaborations. Beyond presenting research, members can strategically use the meeting to identify complementary expertise, meet potential co-investigators, and explore emerging areas of science that align with evolving funding priorities. Some of the strongest collaborative teams begin through informal conversations during poster sessions, networking events, and SIG meetings.

For members seeking more structured mentorship and guidance, SBM offers several formal programs that can strengthen funding readiness. The Early Career Researcher Mentoring Program connects early-stage investigators with experienced mentors who can provide advice on navigating funding mechanisms, expanding professional networks, and identifying collaborative opportunities. SBM also offers annual Mid-Career and Diversity Leadership Institutes that can help participants build skills that are increasingly important for leading large multidisciplinary projects.

SBM’s Consultation Program provides another valuable avenue for strengthening grant competitiveness. Members can seek consultation on research design, career development, behavioral intervention methods, dissemination strategies, and other specialized areas that may enhance multidisciplinary proposals. Accessing expert consultation early in project development can substantially improve the rigor and innovation of grant applications.

Communication skills also play an increasingly important role in securing funding from diverse sources. Investigators are now expected to communicate the public health significance and real-world impact of their work to reviewers, stakeholders, donors, policymakers, and community partners. SBM’s Sci Comm Toolkit and webinar offerings provide practical resources for improving scientific communication, dissemination, and public engagement. These skills are particularly valuable when pursuing foundation funding, philanthropic support, or community-engaged research initiatives where storytelling and accessibility are critical.

SBM members also benefit from access to the society’s journals, Annals of Behavioral Medicine and Translational Behavioral Medicine. Publishing in these journals can help establish scientific credibility, demonstrate translational impact, and position investigators for future funding opportunities. In addition, reading across both journals can help members identify emerging interdisciplinary trends and potential collaborators whose expertise complements their own.

Another valuable but often overlooked resource is the SBM Scientific Advisor Directory available through the member portal. This tool allows members to identify potential collaborators and advisors with specialized expertise that may strengthen multidisciplinary grant teams. Whether seeking a qualitative researcher, implementation scientist, clinician partner, or health communication expert, the directory can help investigators rapidly identify new collaborators within the SBM community.

SBM recognition programs can also indirectly support funding success. SBM achievement awards enhance visibility, demonstrate leadership, and strengthen an investigator’s national reputation—all factors that may improve competitiveness for grants and partnerships.

Finally, members should not underestimate the value of staying informed and engaged through SBM’s bi-weekly digest e-newsletter. Funding announcements, webinars, networking opportunities, and collaboration requests frequently circulate through these communications, helping members stay connected to evolving opportunities across behavioral medicine. To subscribe to SBM mailing lists and get connected, click here.

As funding landscapes continue to evolve, multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to funding diversification and long-term success in behavioral medicine research. By strategically leveraging the many professional development, networking, mentoring, and communication resources already available through SBM, members can strengthen their collaborative networks, broaden funding portfolios, and position themselves for sustained scientific impact.

AI Disclaimer: The contributing author used AI to assist with the initial drafting of this article.