Search Results: AI
NIH Suspends Gain of Function Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a notice to inform the biomedical research community of a termination of funding for gain-of-function research outside of the U.S. and a suspension of funding for any other projects or programs relating to gain-of-function research. Gain-of-function research has been a point of contention for many Congressional Republicans since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the research (see previous COSSA coverage). The notice, which was prompted by a guidance to NIH by the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP), is in-line with the Administrationâs Executive Order (EO) on Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research,…
Congress Begins FY 26 Appropriations; Reconciliation Remains Uncertain
Following a brief recess for Memorial Day, Congress has returned ready to tackle both budget reconciliation and fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations. As previously reported by COSSA, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1) passed through the House in a 215-214 vote in late May, sending the tax policy package to the Senate. Many members of the Senate have since indicated that the bill would likely see many changes before passing their chamber, and, more recently, House Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA), have come out against the bill, expressing regret for having voted for it. Despite Speaker Mike Johnsonâs (R-LA) self-imposed…
Now Available: May Headlines Webinar Recording
On May 21, COSSA hosted the most recent installment in the Headlines Webinar series. Mayâs meeting focused on the many challenges confronting higher education in this new political reality and featured guest speaker Tobin Smith, Senior Vice President for Government Relations & Public Policy at the Association of American Universities (AAU). The recording is available to view here. Recordings of previous Headlines webinars can be found on the COSSA website. Check back often for newly announced webinars.
Trump Administration Releases Preliminary Details on FY 2026 Budget
On May 3, the Trump Administration released preliminary, high-level details of its fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request, referred to as a âskinny budget,â and accompanying fact sheets. In the preliminary request, the Trump Administration reiterates its commitment to âreducing wasteâ and âimproving efficiencyâ through targeting programs that support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, climate change, green energy, and other topics that have been deemed âwokeâ by the Administration. Full budget details are expected in the upcoming weeks. As reported in the leaked Health and Human Services (HHS) passback, the budget proposes $27 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a…
Congress Inches Towards Budget Reconciliation; FY 2025 Appropriations Remains Uncertain
As the Republican-controlled Congress seeks to push forward the Trump Administrationâs policy goals, the House and Senate have proposed budget reconciliation packages relating to increasing funding for the border and defense as well as limiting spending and renewing tax cuts. On February 13, House Republicans struck a deal within their conference to push forward the proposed 2025 budget reconciliation package. The package would direct committees to find $1.5 trillion worth of budget cuts while simultaneously providing $4.5 trillion to the Ways and Means Committee for tax cuts. The reconciliation bill would increase the deficit by up to $4 trillion over a decade….
FY 2025 Appropriations Uncertain as Congress Approaches CR Deadline
Fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding is set to expire on March 14 unless Congress acts. As previously reported, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) in December to keep the government funded until March, which is nearly six months into the fiscal year. The first step is for Congressional leaders to agree on topline numbers (see previous COSSA coverage). Following the House Republicans policy retreat in Florida, it was reported that lawmakers are seeking to pass the final appropriations bills before President Trumpâs State of the Union Address, which has been scheduled for March 4. However, with the recent federal funding freeze memorandum…
Ronald Wasserstein Elected COSSA Board Chair
The COSSA Board of Directors has elected Ronald Wasserstein, Executive Director of the American Statistical Association (ASA), as its next chair. His two-year term began January 1, 2025. Ron has led the ASA since 2007 and prior to that served as a faculty member and administrator at Washburn University in Kansas for more than two decades. The American Statistical Association is one of 10 founding organizations of COSSA. “I am honored to serve as chair of the COSSA Board of Directors at this pivotal time for the social sciences,â said Wasserstein. âWith our robust network of member organizations and partners, COSSA is…
Meet COSSAâs Fall Policy Intern: Paige Kirkham!
Paige Kirkham started as COSSAâs fall policy intern in September. Before heading back to class later this month, she provided some reflections from her time at COSSA. How did you learn about COSSA and the opportunity to serve as a policy intern for the fall? I am a student at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was given the opportunity to come to Washington, DC through a program called âWisconsin in Washingtonâ in which the university brings a group of about twenty student-interns to DC for a semester. The coordinators of this program provide us with a list of opportunities to apply…
Trump Names David Sacks as AI Czar/PCAST Head
On December 4, President-elect Trump announced his plan to appoint tech venture capitalist and PayPal cofounder David Sacks to a new âAI czarâ position and advisor on cryptocurrency in the next Administration. The announcement also states that Sacks will lead the Presidentâs Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). While little more detail is known about Trumpâs plan for PCAST, the naming of Sacks as chair signals that the council will be maintained in Trumpâs second term. This is notable particularly because during Trumpâs first term, PCAST was not reconstituted until almost three years into his term. This is a developing story.
NSF Releases NAIRR Dear Colleague Letter for AI Research and Education
On November 15, the National Science Foundationâs (NSF) National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot released a Dear Colleague letter seeking datasets to âenable a broader set of researchers and educationsâ in artificial intelligence (AI) and foster the development of AI skills in educational environments (see previous COSSA coverage here). The deadline to submit datasets is February 7 and can be submitted here. Full details about the submission criteria and evaluation can be found here.
CNSF Celebrates Science Committee Chairman Lucasâs Service
On October 19, the Coalition for the National Science Funding (CNSF), of which COSSA is a member, celebrated Representative Frank Lucasâs (R-OK) service to the scientific community as Chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. With remarks from Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Tom Kean (R-NJ), and other members of Congress, CNSF applauded the bipartisan effort of the Committee under Chairman Lucasâs leadership. Image: Representative Frank Lucas at CNSF Celebration (Credit: CNSF X Account)
Congress on the Campaign Trail
Congress departed for the campaign trail on October 1 after passing a continuing resolution (CR) to extend the appropriations deadline to December 20 (see previous COSSA coverage). Expected to return on November 12 after the elections, Congress will return ready to draft the final appropriations bills or seek a second CR to allow for the new Congressional session to take the helm. Stay tuned to COSSAâs continued coverage of Congressional news.
NASEM Calls for Experts for AI and Climate Change Roundtable
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has released a call for experts for their new roundtable on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Climate Change that is intended to explore the intersection of these two topical issues. Particularly, NASEM is interested in experts in mathematics and statistics, human-centered AI, risk assessment and management, environment and public health, misinformation and disinformation, and more. A full list of topics can be found here. The Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) is one of the collaborators working with the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences on this roundtable and social and behavioral…
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair McMorris Rodgers Releases Framework for NIH Reform
Earlier this month, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), in partnership with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL), released a framework outlining potential reforms for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A one-pager on the framework can be found here as well as an opinion piece written by Chairs McMorris Rodgers and Aderholt. Chair McMorris Rodgers has also announced her intent to not seek re-election this November. The framework comes after a series of recommendations, including Senator Bill Cassidyâs (R-LA) white paper on NIH reform released in May (see previous COSSA coverage) and…
New Resources Detail Successes of DOJ Research Investments
In 2023, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) within the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a new website where visitors can obtain information on awards OJP has made to grantees. The main feature is a database that allows one to search for projects dating back to 2021. OJP is the organizational home for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), both of whose grants can also be found in the database. More recently, OJP produced a video to help visitors navigate the new award site. Additional features of the site include a compilation of success stories stemming from OJP investment and a Grantee…
Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group Releases Blueprint on AI Policy
The Bipartisan Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Mike Rounds, Senator Martin Heinrich, and Senator Todd Young, recently released a report, Driving U.S. Innovation in Artificial Intelligence: A Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Policy in the United States Senate. As AI becomes a topical issue in virtually all aspects of life, the Senate working group held a series of forums dedicated to understanding the benefits and detriments of potential uses of AI technology prior to the release of this report (see COSSAâs previous coverage on AI). The report recommends committees continue to collaborate on…
NIMH Releases RFI on Improving Research Frameworks on Studying Racism on Brain and Behavioral Health
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a request for information (RFI) seeking input on ways to improve research frameworks on studying racism on brain and behavioral health. The RFI seeks input on identifying and addressing gaps in the impact of structural racism on brain, cognitive, and behavioral function, and the role of structural and systemic racism on the conduct of brain and behavioral health research. Comments will be accepted through June 14, 2024. Submissions can be made here.
PCAST Releases Report on Supercharging Research: Harnessing AI to Meet Global Challenges
The Presidentâs Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)âŻannouncedâŻa new report onâŻSupercharging Research: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Meet Global Challenges. The report was developed in response to President Bidenâs Executive Order on theâŻSafe, Secure, Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial IntelligenceâŻ(see previous COSSA coverage) and explores the positive and negative impacts of AI technologies. PCAST emphasizes the importance of AI being used as a tool, not a replacement, for workers. PCAST included the following recommendations for the Biden Administration in the report: The full report can be viewedâŻhereâŻin addition to PCASTâsâŻletterâŻto the President and the Executive Summary of…
NIAID Accepting Comments on New Strategic Plan
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), within the National Institutes of Health, is accepting public feedback on proposed updates to its Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan would prioritize five key research topics in biomedical research, but NIAID also invites comments and suggestions on other themes: diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); Womenâs Health; health disparities; research inclusivity; global health; infrastructure and research facilities; data science and sharing; and workforce training. Responses are due to NIAIDStrategicPlanRFI@niaid.nih.gov in Word or PDF form by May 27. A full listing of the Request for Information can be found here.
NIJ Issues RFI on the Uses of AI in the Criminal Justice System
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) housed within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) in the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a request for information (RFI) on the future uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in the criminal justice system. In response to the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence Executive Order released by the Biden Administration in October 2023 (see previous COSSA coverage), NIJ seeks to understand the potential impacts of AI use in the criminal justice system to potentially influence a future report on the topic. Comments are requested by May 28 and should be emailed to mark.greene2@usdoj.gov.