Volume 38 (2019)
Census Bureau Releases “Demonstration” Decennial Data Products, Working with National Academies to Collect Public Input
On October 29, the Census Bureau released a set of demonstration data products that show how the privacy measures planned for 2020 Census data would have applied to data from the 2010 Census. In a blog post, Census Bureau Chief Scientist John Abowd and Associate Director for Demographic Programs Victoria Velkoff assert that the “methods we used to protect the 2010 Census and earlier statistics can no longer adequately defend against today’s privacy threats.” They describe the new disclosure avoidance techniques planned to protect 2020 Census data and invite researchers and data users to experiment with the new demonstration products…
November’s Headlines to Feature Deep Dive on 2020 Census
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly COSSA Headlines webchat on Thursday November 14, in which COSSA staff will recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer participants’ questions. The November chat will feature Mary Jo Hoeksema, Director of Government Affairs for the Population Association of America and Co-Director of the Census Project, on the 2020 Census. Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
FY 2020 Spending Still Uncertain, Continuing Resolution Likely Through December
As COSSA has reported, the federal government is currently operating under a continuing resolution (CR), a stopgap measure that has frozen funding for federal agencies at fiscal year (FY) 2019 levels, which is set to expire on November 21. On October 31, the Senate made progress on its FY 2020 appropriations work by passing a package of four spending bills, including the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill that funds the National Science Foundation and Census Bureau, but leaving the fate of the remaining eight appropriations bills – and final year funding – uncertain. While the final decisions on…
House Committee Passes Higher Education Act Reauthorization
On October 31, the House Education and Labor Committee reported out its version of the Higher Education Act reauthorization bill, The College Affordability Act. The legislation includes a reauthorization of the Title VI International Education Programs and extends the six currently funded international education programs, including both Domestic Programs (also known as Title VI) and Overseas Programs (also known as Fulbright-Hays). The legislation also proposes that the funding level for International Education Programs should be increased to $125 million and be updated annually to account for inflation. This would be significantly higher than the $72.2 million appropriated in fiscal year (FY)…
White House Hosts Summit of the Joint Committee on the Research Environment
The Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE), a committee of the National Science and Technology Council, hosted a White House Summit in Washington, DC on November 5. JCORE was established in May 2019 and, as COSSA has reported, is working to address some of the most pressing challenges facing America’s research and scientific community. COSSA, along with other members of the scientific community, attended and discussed topics including administrative burdens on federally funded research; rigor and integrity in research; and safe, inclusive, and equitable research settings. Representatives from industry, academia, and senior officials from the National Institutes of Health,…
New Advisory Committee on Evidence Building Seeking Nominations
The Department of Commerce is accepting nominations for a new Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence Building, established by the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (see COSSA’s coverage) and in accordance with the Federal Data Strategy. The Committee is authorized for two years and is tasked with assisting the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in carrying out its statutorily-mandated responsibilities related to evidence-building, “evaluating and providing recommendations to the OMB Director on how to facilitate data sharing, enable data linkage, and develop privacy enhancing techniques;” and “reviewing the coordination of data sharing or availability for…
NIH to Host 2019 Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) is hosting the 2019 NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival on December 6 on NIH’s main campus in Bethesda, MD. The festival brings together researchers from around NIH and will feature three plenary sessions. Chanita Hughes-Halbert from the Medical University of South Carolina will serve as a keynote presenter and Alia Crum from Stanford University will serve as a featured presenter. Registration details and more information about the festival may be found on the OBSSR website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Sudip Parikh Named Next AAAS CEO
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named Sudip Parikh its next CEO effective January 6, 2020. Parikh is currently Senior Vice President at DIA Global, a non-profit organization and publisher that mobilizes life science professionals from across all areas of expertise to engage with patients, peers, and thought leaders. He also worked at the research and development organization Battelle and served as a science advisor and professional staff for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. Parikh will succeed Rush Holt, who left the organization in September. AAAS CEO Emeritus Alan Leshner has been Acting CEO in the interim….
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 38 Issue 21
Featured News National Academies Releases Review of Minerva Initiative COSSA in Action NC State Psychologists Answer “Why Social Science?” Letters & Statements Congressional News Senate Continues to Debate Spending Bills as CR End Looms Senate Science Subcommittee Holds Hearing on “Research and Innovation: Ensuring America’s Economic and Strategic Leadership” Federal Agency & Administration News White House Reconstitutes President’s Council of Advisory on Science and Technology OSTP Committee Releases Roadmap on Stemming the Opioid Crisis Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Recent Reports Fellowships & Professional Development Community News & Reports National Academy of Medicine Launches Healthy Longevity Global Competition Nominations Solicited for…
National Academies Releases Review of Minerva Initiative
The National Academies of Sciences’ Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences released Assessing the Minerva Research Initiative and the Contribution of Social Science to Addressing Security Concerns, a consensus study report assessing the impact, procedures, and direction of the Minerva Research Initiative. The Minerva Research Initiative is a grant program of the Department of Defense (DOD) that funds unclassified, university-based, basic research in the social sciences relevant to national security. The report discusses the program’s challenges and successes and offers recommendations to strengthen the program’s structure and help broaden its reach and usefulness. The report includes recommendations for both…
Senate Science Subcommittee Holds Hearing on “Research and Innovation: Ensuring America’s Economic and Strategic Leadership”
On October 22, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather held a hearing titled “Research and Innovation: Ensuring America’s Economic and Strategic Leadership” to discuss the significance that research and innovation have in ensuring U.S. leadership in the global economy. The witnesses were Dr. Rebecca Blank, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Executive Vice President of Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise; Dr. David Shaw, Provost and Executive Vice President of Mississippi State University; and Dr. Diane Souvaine, Chair of the National Science Board. Subcommittee Chair Cory Gardner (R-CO) stressed the need…
Senate Continues to Debate Spending Bills as CR End Looms
The federal government is currently operating under a continuing resolution (CR), a stopgap measure that has frozen funding for federal agencies at FY 2019 levels, which is set to expire on November 21. While the House had passed 10 of the 12 appropriations bills through the chamber before the summer recess, the Senate is beginning to make progress as well. It too has passed 10 of the 12 bills out of committee and is currently debating a package of four bills on the Senate floor. While the Senate is certainly making up for lost time, there have been reports that…
White House Reconstitutes President’s Council of Advisory on Science and Technology
On October 22, the Trump Administration issued an executive order reconstituting the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). PCAST is comprised of experts from science and technology from outside the government who volunteer to advise the White House; it has not met since the Obama Administration. In addition to reconstituting the council, the President also appointed seven members to PCAST. The members primarily have backgrounds in the private sector: Dario Gill of IBM research, A.N. Sreeram of Dow Chemical, Sharon Hrynkow of Cyclo Therapeutics, H. Fisk Johnson of S.C. Johnson Inc., Catherine Bessant of Bank of America,…
OSTP Committee Releases Roadmap on Stemming the Opioid Crisis
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) Fast Track Action Committee on Health Science and Technology Response to the Opioid Crisis (Opioid FTAC), established in late 2017, has released a roadmap for health research and development to support the Administration’s opioid response. A draft of the report was released for public comment in late 2018. The final report, “Health Research & Development to Stem the Opioid Crisis: A National Roadmap,” identifies knowledge gaps as well as opportunities to improve coordination to better address the opioid epidemic. It covers seven major areas of research, including several with particular…
National Academy of Medicine Launches Healthy Longevity Global Competition
The National Academy of Medicine, with collaboration from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health and several other global research organizations, has launched the Healthy Longevity Global Competition. This international competition seeks for researchers in the social sciences and other fields to submit research ideas aiming to extend the healthy human lifespan. The other participating global organizations are the Academia Sinica of Taiwan, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, EIT Health, the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, the Ministry of Health and National Research Foundation of Singapore, and UK Research and Innovation. The competition…
Nominations Solicited for 2020 Golden Goose Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2020 Golden Goose Awards. The Golden Goose Awards honor federally funded research that may sound odd, obscure, or serendipitous, but ends up having a major impact on society. Many social and behavioral scientists have been award recipients and honored at the annual ceremony and reception in Washington, DC. Nominators of selected awardees will also receive travel support to attend the September 2020 Awards luncheon and award ceremony. Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, but for the best chance for consideration, nominations are encouraged to be submitted by December 20, 2019….
SSRC Launches MediaWell Platform on Disinformation Research
On October 22, the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a COSSA member, hosted a launch event for MediaWell, an initiative intended to track and aggregate research on mis- and disinformation in the media. The event consisted of an introduction to the mission and function of MediaWell and a panel discussion on current trends of disinformation in the media. Panelists included Editor-in-Chief at The Markup Julia Angwin, Director of the Digital Innovation and Democracy Initiative at the German Marshall Fund Karen Kornbluh, Director of Journalism Research at the Pew Research Center Amy Mitchell, and Professor of Government at Dartmouth College Brendan…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 38 Issue 20
Featured News Nita Lowey, House Appropriations Chair, Announces Retirement COSSA in Action Advocacy Day Hotel Block Opens Federal Agency & Administration News OBSSR Seeks Nominations for Matilda White Riley Keynote Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Community News & Reports Jennifer Eberhardt Delivers 2019 Henry and Bryna David Lecture Fellowships & Professional Development COSSA Member Spotlight Fellowships & Professional Development Events Calendar
Nita Lowey, House Appropriations Chair, Announces Retirement
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) announced on October 10 that she will not seek reelection next year after 31 years in Congress. Rep. Lowey became the first woman to Chair the House Appropriations Committee when the Democrats took control of the House in 2019. Her retirement will lead to a reshuffling among senior Democratic appropriators. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), who currently chairs the Energy and Water Subcommittee, is the most senior Democrat on the committee after Lowey, has said that she would be interested in chairing the Committee, but Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), current chair of the powerful Labor, Health and…