Volume 39 (2020)
Work on FY 2021 Appropriations Slows as Congress Works to Address Coronavirus Outbreak
While it is expected that Congress will soon put its regular appropriations work on hold as work shifts to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, committees have begun hearing testimony from Trump Administration officials on federal agencies’ budget proposals for fiscal year 2021. White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Kelvin Droegemeier testified in front of the House Science Committee on the Administration’s budget for research and development (see previous coverage), NIH leadership testified before the House Appropriations Committee (see related article), and Department of Commerce leadership testified before the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. No appropriations bills…
House Holds Hearing on NIH Budget for FY 2021
On March 4, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) held a hearing on the budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for fiscal year (FY) 2021. Witnesses included NIH Director Francis Collins; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Director Diana Bianchi; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Director Gary Gibbons; National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Ned Sharpless; and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow. Subcommittee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member Tom…
2020 Census Begins Accepting Responses as COIVD-19 Poses Potential Follow-Up Hurdles
Earlier this month, households across the country began receiving invitations in the mail to complete their 2020 Census forms ahead of Census Day on April 1. Households can respond to the Census online, by phone, or by completing and mailing a paper questionnaire which will be sent to households who do not first respond online or by phone. Particularly in light of the massive disruptions and social distancing efforts caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, it is important for as many households as possible to self-respond to the Census, to minimize the in-person contact of enumerators who will be sent to…
NCHS Taps BEA Director Brian Moyer to Lead Agency
On March 9, the CDC’s Deputy Director for Public Health Science and Surveillance announced the selection of Brian Moyer as the next Director of the National Center for Health Statistics, effective March 30. Moyer is currently the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis within the Commerce Department. Jennifer Madans has been NCHS’s acting director since the retirement of former director Charlie Rothwell at the end of 2018. It is expected that BEA’s Deputy Director Mary Bohman will take over as acting director of BEA following Moyer’s departure. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Census Bureau Releases Update on 2020 Census Disclosure Avoidance Strategy
On March 13, John Abowd, the Census Bureau’s Chief Scientist, and Victoria Velkoff, the Bureau’s Associate Director for Demographic Programs, published a blog post to give a status update on the Census Bureau’s strategy for avoiding disclosure of personal information as a result of data released from the 2020 Census. The Bureau had previously announced that it planned to implement the move to a standard called “differential privacy” (which uses an algorithm to injects precise amounts of random noise into data until it reaches a desired threshold of obfuscation). It released demonstration data products to give users a chance to…
OMB Releases Evidence Act-Mandated Guidance on Program Evaluation Standards and Practices
As part of its ongoing work to implement the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) (see COSSA’s previous coverage), the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released guidance on evaluation standards to guide agencies in developing and implementing evaluation activities, evaluation policies, and in hiring and retaining qualified staff, as well as examples of best practices for agencies to emulate. OMB plans to release further guidance on how agencies should use evidence to more effectively deliver on their missions. The standards for evidence-building identified and elaborated on in the guidance are relevance and utility, rigor,…
NSF Seeks Nominations for Advisory Committees
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued its annual call for recommendations for membership to its various advisory committees and technical boards. These committees advise NSF’s offices and directorates on program management, research direction, and policies impacting the agency. Committees of particular interest to the COSSA community include the Advisory Committee for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences and the Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources. Guidelines for recommendations and committee contact information can be found in the federal register. Recommendations for membership are maintained for 12 months. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NIMHD Holds 10th Anniversary Symposium
On March 3, the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) held the Innovations to Promote Health Equity symposium celebrating the Institute’s 10th anniversary. The symposium, held on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, featured comments from NIMHD Director Eliseo Perez-Stable and NIH Director Francis Collins and focused on the latest innovations in health disparities research organized into four topical panels: Division of Intramural Research, Community Health and Population Sciences, Integrative Biological and Behavioral Sciences, and Clinical and Health Services Research. A video recording of the full symposium is available on…
NOAA Seeking Nominations for Science Advisory Board
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced it is soliciting nominations for the NOAA Science Advisory Board. Members of the Science Advisory Board are appointed for up to two three-year terms and convene three times a year to advise NOAA on strategy for research and science applications. Nominees are welcome from social science fields such as geography, sociology, and behavioral science. Nominations will be accepted through April 23, 2020. More information can be found on the NOAA website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 39 Issue 5
Featured News OSTP Requests Information on Open Access in Peer-Reviewed Publications COSSA in Action March’s Headlines Webchat to Feature OSTP Assistant Director for Academic Engagement Advocacy Day Hotel Block Closing March 9 Economist Amanda Gregg Answers “Why Social Science?” Letters & Statements Congressional News House Science Committee Holds Hearing on FY 2021 Research and Development Budget Request Federal Agency & Administration News NSF Releases Responses to JASON Research Security Report NSF Announces New Collaboration between SBE and Minority-Serving Institutions Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Notices & Requests for Comment Fellowships & Professional Development Community News & Reports National Academies Commemorates “Endless…
OSTP Requests Information on Open Access in Peer-Reviewed Publications
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a request for information on the implications of open access to peer-reviewed publications and data resulting from federally funded research. The request is intended to follow up on a 2013 memorandum from OSTP titled Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research and a 2019 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) providing recommendations for increasing public access of unclassified published research. OSTP is most interested in hearing perspectives on the following topics: The existing limitations of communicating research outputs and how to improve communications; The role of…
March’s Headlines Webchat to Feature OSTP Assistant Director for Academic Engagement
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly Headlines webchat on Thursday, March 12. The COSSA team will break down the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer your questions. The February chat will feature a deep dive discussion with Dr. Lisa Nichols, Assistant Director for Academic Engagement at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). 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.
Advocacy Day Hotel Block Closing March 9
The hotel block for COSSA’s 2020 Social Science Advocacy Day closes on Friday, March 9. Participants may reserve a room at the block rate of $276 per night for the nights of March 29-31 at the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/U.S. Capitol (1225 First Street, NE), a nine-minute walk from our Advocacy Day training location and home base. Use this link when booking or book by phone using the group code C3 or Consortium of Social Science Associations. COSSA members can sign up for Advocacy Day on COSSA’s website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
House Science Committee Holds Hearing on FY 2021 Research and Development Budget Request
On February 27, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to review the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget request for research and development (see COSSA’s analysis of the President’s budget request). Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), was the committee’s only witness and discussed the administration’s priorities across federal science agencies. Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) expressed concern for proposed cuts to research funding at the National Science foundation (NSF), NASA, the Department of Energy, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In her opening…
NSF Announces New Collaboration between SBE and Minority-Serving Institutions
On February 24, the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a Dear Colleague Letter announcing the new Build and Broaden initiative, a collaborative effort between the SBE Directorate and Minority-Serving Institutions. The initiative invites proposals for research conferences intended to promote ideas and partnerships in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences at Minority-Serving Institutions. Conference proposals for Build and Broaden are due May 1, 2020. The Dear Colleague Letter and more information are found on the NSF website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NSF Releases Responses to JASON Research Security Report
On March 2, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released the agency’s response to a December 2019 report providing recommendations and best practices for NSF and NSF’s awardee organizations to address research security concerns while maintaining openness and collaboration in research environments. The report, conducted by the independent scientific advisory group JASON, was commissioned by NSF in 2019 in the wake of concerns about foreign governments interfering with or stealing intellectual property and research findings from U.S. research institutions. The most notable NSF response is the announcement of the appointment of Dr. Rebecca Spyke Keiser to the newly-created position of Chief…
National Academies Commemorate “Endless Frontier” Anniversary
The National Academy of Sciences, the Kavli Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation held a symposium “The Endless Frontier: The Next 75 Years in Science” on February 26. They symposium discussed the future development of science in the US, in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Vannevar Bush’s landmark report Science: The Endless Frontier, which led to the creation of the National Science Foundation (which turned 70 this year). Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), as well as Director of the White House Office of Science of Technology Policy (OSTP) Kelvin K. Droegemeier, all reminded the…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 39 Issue 4
Featured News Administration Plans to Eliminate DOD Social Science Research Program COSSA in Action Administration Releases FY 2021 Budget Request; Read COSSA’s Analysis COSSA Urges Advocates to Oppose FY 2021 Budget Cuts to Social Science Federal Agency & Administration News OBSSR Seeks Input on 2022-2026 Strategic Plan NSF Celebrates 70 Years NIH Requesting Comments on Strategic Plan NSF Invites Proposal Submissions on 2026 Idea Machine Finalist Themes NIMHD to Celebrate 10th Anniversary with Scientific Symposium Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Notices & Requests for Comment Fellowships & Professional Development Community News & Reports Funding Opportunities Recent Reports COSSA Member Spotlight COSSA…
COSSA Urges Advocates to Oppose FY 2021 Budget Cuts to Social Science
Last week, COSSA released an action alert urging social science advocates to reach out to their Congressional representatives to oppose the steep cuts proposed by the Administration in its FY 2021 budget request (see COSSA’s analysis). COSSA created a menu of letters that stakeholders can send to their Members of Congress to share their priorities for the coming year. COSSA’s TAKE ACTION page allows advocates to quickly send a letter to your Senators and Representative and tell them why they care about supporting the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Education Sciences and International Education, or…