Volume 34 (2015)
Science Subcommittee Discusses FY 2016 NSF Budget, Social Science Funding
On February 26, the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research Technology held an oversight hearing to discuss the fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget request for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The hearing featured testimony from NSF Director France CĂłrdova and Daniel Arvizu, Chairman of the National Science Board.
Nominations Sought for National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Nominations are currently being accepted for the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The National Medal of Science is awarded by the President to individuals deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding cumulative contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or behavioral or social sciences, in service to the nation. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is awarded to individuals, teams, companies, or divisions of companies for contributions to Americaâs economic, environmental, and social well-being. Nominations for the National Medal of Science are due on April 27, 2015. More…
FDA, OHRP Seek Comment on Proposed Guidance on Electronic Consent
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released draft guidance on using electronic media and processes to obtain informed consent in FDA-regulated clinical investigations. The guidance covers how and when electronic informed consent information should be presented, how to ensure subjectsâ understanding of the information, how to maintain confidentiality and security, and how to keep appropriate documentation of the consent process. FDA is seeking public comment on the draft guidance by May 8, 2015. Instructions and more information are in in the Federal Register notice. The Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) is soliciting comments on whether the FDAâs draft…
Events Calendar
American Psychosomatic Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Savannah, GA, March 18-21, 2015 Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, March 19-21, 2015 Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 25-29, 2015 Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, March 26-29, 2015 Midwest Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO, March 26-29, 2015 Southwestern Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, April 8-11, 2015 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, April 16-20, 2015 Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, April 16-19, 2015 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, April 21-25,…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 34 Issue 3
Featured News COSSA Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day, March 9-10 â Still Time to Register! COSSAâs Analysis for the Presidentâs FY 2016 Budget Request COSSA in Action COSSA Develops State by State Funding Fact Sheets COSSA & NDD Partners Call for End to Sequester Congressional News Congress Introduces Flurry of âHealthâ Bills Senators Release Innovation for Healthier Americans Report, Request Feedback HELP Committee Approves Strengthening Education through Research Act Federal Agency & Administration News New NIJ Director Sworn In NSF Releases Report on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering NCHS Seeks Health Statistics Service Fellow COSSA…
COSSA Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day, March 9-10 â Still Time to Register!
The 2015 COSSA Annual Meeting and Social and Behavioral Science Advocacy Day is fast approaching. Join us on March 9-10, 2015 in Washington, DC for a day of discussion on federal issues impacting social and behavioral science research. The preliminary program is available here. Visit the COSSA Annual Meeting page for full details.
COSSAâs Analysis for the Presidentâs FY 2016 Budget Request
President Obama released his fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget request to Congress on February 2, officially kicking off the FY 2016 appropriations process. COSSA has released its analysis of the Presidentâs budget request. The 62-page report provides funding details for all federal departments, agencies, and programs important to social and behavioral science research. It outlines the Presidentâs funding proposals as they compare to current (FY 2015) levels. In addition, the document serves as a helpful catalog of social science programs and initiatives across the federal government. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
COSSA Develops State by State Funding Fact Sheets
COSSA has developed a series of fact sheets describing the amount of federal funding for social and behavioral science that is provided to each state. These fact sheets are intended to illustrate the economic impact of federal investment in social and behavioral science research, including as a driver for innovation at universities across the country. While federal investment in social science research is significant ($921 million), it pales in comparison to the total amount of annual federal funding for all of science and engineering ($40.1 billion). Back to this issueâs table of contents.
COSSA & NDD Partners Call for End to Sequester
On February 18, COSSA joined more than 2,100 organizations on a letter to Congress calling for an end to sequestration in fiscal year (FY) 2016 and protection of nondefense discretionary (NDD) spending from additional cuts. The letter was organized by NDD United, a broad coalition of organizations that have banded together to combat cuts to NDD funding. Participants represent sectors from science and health to environment, justice, and civil rights. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Congress Introduces Flurry of âHealthâ Bills
Over the last few months, a number of bills in support the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been introduced by members of the 114th Congress. These authorizing bills would address various aspects of NIH, including increasing the amount of funding that can be appropriated to it. Read on for details on the follow bills: 21st Century Cures Act Discussion Draft Accelerating Biomedical Research Act American Cures Act Medical Innovation Act Back to this issueâs table of contents.
New NIJ Director Sworn In
On February 9, Dr. Nancy Rodriguez (Arizona State University) was sworn in as director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Rodriguezâs research expertise includes topics such as collateral consequences of imprisonment; issues pertaining to race, ethnicity, crime, and justice; and longitudinal studies of families affected by maternal/paternal incarceration. She was appointed by President Obama in October 2014. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
NSF Releases Report on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering
The National Science Foundation (NSF) National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) has released its biennial report, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering. Mandated by the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act, the report details the participation of these underrepresented groups in science and engineering. The data is organized by enrollment, field of degree, occupation, employment status, and academic employment. More information, including downloads of the report digest and data, are available on the NCSES website. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
COSSA Welcomes Fielding Graduate University
COSSA is thrilled to welcome Fielding Graduate University as its newest university member. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, Fielding boasts scholarship and practice in fields such as clinical psychology and media psychology, human and organizational development, and educational leadership and change. COSSAâs full membership list can be viewed here. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
ACJS Introduces Policy Notes
The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), a leading authority on criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis, has announced the creation of Policy Notes, a new series of free online, policy-focused abstract summaries that highlight the findings and implications of leading peer-reviewed research from ACJSâ flagship publication Justice Quarterly. The first Policy Notes looks at what the latest research on residence restrictions for sex offenders mean for future housing policy and is available here. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Events Calendar
Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA, February 26-28, 2015 Congressional Briefing – NIH 101: Peer Review & Priority Setting, Washington, DC, February 27, 2015 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, March 3-7, 2015 Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations Annual Meeting, New Brunswick, NJ, March 5-7, 2015 COSSA Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day, Washington, DC, March 9-10, 2015 American Psychosomatic Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Savannah, GA, March 18-21, 2015 Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, March 19-21, 2015 Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 25-29,…
21st Century Cures Act Discussion Draft Released
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) released a discussion draft of the 21st Century Cures Act on January 27. The draft bill is the culmination of a year of hearings and roundtable discussions held by the Committee. Its release was accompanied by a section-by-section discussion of the document and a one-pager highlighting the legislative ideas. The Committee has repeatedly stated that the draft is a “starting point in the legislative process to spur discussion.” Accordingly, they are seeking public feedback on the proposals. The Committee also cautioned that the “inclusion of a policy in the draft should…
Accelerating Biomedical Research Act Introduced in House and Senate
On January 26, Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Brian Higgins (D-NY), and Peter King (R-NY) reintroduced the bipartisan Accelerating Biomedical Research Act (H.R. 531).The bill “would allow Congress to restore the purchasing power of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)âs funding to what it would have been if it had kept up with inflation since 2003.â It would create a new Budget Control Act cap adjustment for the agency. Any funding provided in excess of $29.4 billion would trigger a budget cap increase to accommodate the additional funding provided. The measure would allow appropriators to increase NIH funding by ten percent for the…
Medical Innovation Act Introduced in House and Senate
On January 29, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ben Cardin (D-MD.), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Medical Innovation Act (S.320), which is designed to increase “funding for critical medical research.” A companion bill, H.R. 744, was introduced in the House by Representatives Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Kathy Castor (D-FL). According to the press release, the measure would require large pharmaceutical companies that break the law and settle with the federal government to reinvest a small percentage of their profits into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and…
American Cures Act Introduced in Senate
On January 28, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) reintroduced the American Cures Act (S. 289). The bill would support research at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program. The measure is designed to set a steady growth rate in federal appropriations for biomedical research conducted at these agencies. Annually, the bill would increase funding for each agency and program at a rate of GDP-indexed inflation plus five percent. The “steady, long-term investment” provided by the legislation, if enacted, “would allow the agencies…
Senators Release Innovation for Healthier Americans Report, Request Feedback
On January 29, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Richard Burr (R-NC), released Innovation for Healthier Americans: Identifying Opportunities for Meaningful Reform to Our Nationâs Medical Product Discovery and Development. The report addresses challenges to getting safe treatments, devices, and cures to patients more quickly and effectively, looking specifically at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).