Issue 11 (May 28)
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 38 Issue 11
Featured News
COSSA in Action
Congressional News
- Joint Economic Committee Holds Hearing on 2020 Census and Business Impacts
- International Education Reauthorization Bills Introduced in Both Chambers
Federal Agency & Administration News
- Nomination Opportunities
- Funding Opportunities
- Notices & Requests for Comment
- Fellowships & Professional Development
Community News & Reports
House Panel Approves FY 2020 Funding for NSF, Census, BJS, and NIJ
On May 22, the House Appropriations Committee approved its fiscal year (FY) 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill; the CJS Subcommittee advanced the bill on May 17. This bill contains annual funding proposals for the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Census Bureau, among other federal departments and agencies. Overall, the House bill is favorable to agencies important to the COSSA community, with increases proposed across the bill’s jurisdiction.
At a glance…
- The House CJS bill includes $8.6 billion for the National Science Foundation in FY 2020, which, if appropriated, would be a significant increase of more than $561 million or 7 percent over FY 2019.
- The House bill would provide the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) with $37 million and $43 million, respectively. This would represent flat funding for NIJ and BJS compared to their FY 2019 funding levels.
- The House’s proposal would provide the Census Bureau with a total of $8.45 billion for FY 2020, which is $2.3 billion above the amount requested by the Administration and in line with the amount sought by the Census stakeholder community.
Read on for COSSA’s analysis of the House Appropriations Committee’s proposals for the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and Census Bureau.
Joint Economic Committee Holds Hearing on 2020 Census and Business Impacts
On May 22, Congress’ Joint Economic Committee held a hearing on “The Economic Impacts of the 2020 Census and Business Uses of Federal Data.” Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), who co-chairs the House Census Caucus, presided over the hearing, which featured testimony from Andrew Reamer, Research Professor at the George Washington University’s George Washington Institute of Public Policy; Howard Feinberg, Vice President for Advocacy at the Insights Association and Co-Director of the Census Project; Mallory Bateman, Senior Research Analyst at the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute; and Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. Members questioned the witnesses on the impact of the citizenship question on the 2020 Census, risks of underfunding the Census, and collecting information about participants’ involvement in the criminal justice system on federal surveys like the American Community Survey and the Current Population Survey. A recording of the hearing, members’ opening statements, and written testimony from the witnesses are posted on the committee’s website.
International Education Reauthorization Bills Introduced in Both Chambers
On May 7, Representatives David Price (D-NC), Susan Davis (D-CA) and Andy Levin (D-NJ) introduced Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act (H.R. 2562) to reauthorize the Title VI International Education programs at the Department of Education. Both bills aim to support the existing international education programs at the Department. The bill is a companion to S. 342 introduced earlier this year by Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). More information can be found in Rep. Price’s press release.
AAAS Accepting Nominations for 2020 Awards & Prizes
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has opened the nominations process for several of its annual awards and prizes that recognize significant contributions to science and the public’s understanding of science. The awards and prizes currently accepting nominations include: AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy, AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science, AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards, AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science, AAAS Mentor Awards, AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize, AAAS Philip Hauge Abelson Prize, AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, John P. McGovern Award Lecture in the Behavioral Sciences, and Science Magazine Awards. More details about each of these awards can be found on the AAAS website. Details about the Science Magazine Awards can be found on the Science Magazine website.
National Academies Release New Report on Adolescent Development
A new report on factors affecting the development of adolescents in the U.S. was released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). The NASEM report, titled The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth, identifies the characteristics unique to adolescent brains as well as environmental challenges to the development of adolescent brains, especially economic, social, and racial inequities. The report also offers recommendations for the national education system, the health system, the child welfare system and the justice system to remedy the effects of inequalities on adolescent brain development. More information can be found on the NASEM website.