Issue 17 (September 5)

August 9 marked the one year anniversary of enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act (P.L. 117-167), sweeping legislation aimed at reinvestment in and advancement of the U.S. scientific enterprise. Countless activities have ensued since passage of the landmark bill, such as the creation of the new Technology, Innovation and Partnership (TIP) Directorate at the National Science Foundation, efforts to address research security, research integrity and broadening participation in science, and new federal investments in key technology areas, such as artificial intelligence.

Another critical feature of the law was the inclusion of ambitious funding targets for federal science agencies. However, as with all “authorization” bills, funding needs to be provided through the annual appropriations process in order for those funding targets to be realized. As COSSA has been reporting (see related articles), fiscal year (FY) 2024 is likely to be a tough one for all accounts on the discretionary side of the ledger, due to efforts in the House to significantly scale back funding. Our work as a community on CHIPS and Science is not done – it is vital that the scientific community continue to push for the funding levels envisioned in the law and urge policymakers to make science a priority this year and every year. Visit COSSA’s Action Center to contact your elected officials today. 

As Congress reconvenes this week, attention will return to FY 2024 appropriations bills; however, the path to completing this year’s spending bills remains unclear. House Republicans hope to advance two additional appropriations bills in the coming weeks, specifically focusing on Homeland Security (H.R. 4367) and Defense (H.R. 4365), which would bring the total number of House-passed bills to three (the House passed the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations bill in July before recessing for the summer).   

Meanwhile, in anticipation of a likely standoff with the House on appropriations, the Senate is reportedly preparing a stop-gap measure (also known as a continuing resolution) to preempt a partial government shutdown come October 1 (the start of the new fiscal year). The Biden Administration requested more than $40 billion in emergency spending earlier this summer to address the war in Ukraine and disaster relief funding for Maui and other natural disasters. With the House scheduled to be in session for only 12 days in September, the window for any substantive legislative action is quickly closing, thereby requiring immediate action on a continuing resolution.

As previously reported, the Senate has led the action on FY 2024 spending so far this year by reporting out of committee all twelve of its appropriations bills. In contrast, the House Appropriations Committee released limited information on its proposals for FY 2024 and advanced only one of its bills, as noted above. Calls from the most conservative wing of the Republican majority to cut funding below the amounts negotiated in a budget deal passed earlier this year has stifled progress on many of the bills in the House. 

Below is a snapshot of the Senate’s proposals for agencies important to the social and behavioral science community. COSSA’s full analyses are available here. 

Looking Ahead

Assessing the outlook, multiple scenarios are on the table for the fall, such as an omnibus package that combines all twelve appropriations bills or a series of smaller “minibuses.” It is too soon to predict how the FY 2024 appropriations process will end. However, the largest among the hurdles obstructing a smooth appropriations process continues to be the ultra-polarized Congress with razor-thin margins in both chambers. Between the likely standoffs on FY 2024 funding levels and the need for emergency funding to provide disaster relief, the next several weeks promise to keep policymakers busy.

On August 17, the White House released a memorandum outlining the Administration’s priorities for research and development (R&D) for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget cycle. This memorandum, which is traditionally released annually by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), aims to set cross-cutting priorities for all federal research agencies to consider as they develop their budget submissions. The FY 2025 memorandum lists seven such priorities for agencies to consider:

• Advancing trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI);
• Advancing global security and technological competitiveness;
• Tackling climate change;
• Improving health outcomes;
• Reducing barriers and inequities;
• Improving the nation’s economic competitiveness;
• Promoting open science and community-engaged R&D.

While the priorities listed are similar to those in the White House R&D memorandum for FY 2024, there is notably more attention paid towards the development of artificial intelligence, focusing on creating technology that is trustworthy and people focused.

More details can be found in the FY 2025 memorandum.

The National Science Foundation (NSF), via the Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (OCRSSP), announced the establishment of an independent Research Security and Integrity Information Sharing Analysis Organization (RSI-ISAO). This initiative aims to bolster the U.S. research community, which encompasses institutions of higher education, non-profit research institutions, and small to medium-sized for-profit organizations. Its objective is to address foreign government interference, champion security-informed decision-making, and bridge the research community with U.S. government agencies.

The NSF is inviting proposals that detail an actionable strategy for the RSI-ISAO. Anyone interested in submitting a proposal is encouraged to present a plan that strengthens the research community’s ability to make risk-informed decisions. Learn more here.

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) statistical agency, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), has launched a website for the National Secure Data Service Demonstration Project (NSDS-D). NSDS-D is one of the required projects authorized under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (see previous COSSA coverage). The project is intended to inform the ongoing work to improve the governments’ data infrastructure system, including new ways of collecting and linking data. 

More details can be found on their website. 

The Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) is expanding their team! The OES is the recently established evaluations team within the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). Expect to see multiple openings on USAJOBS and on the official OES website. The positions will be supporting federal agency evaluation priorities and the GSA’s evaluation priorities. 

Any potential applicants should prepare a USAJOBS profile and continue to monitor the OES opportunities page and the OES LinkedIn profile page for announcements. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking comments from the public on updating their mission statement. The mission statement currently reads, “To seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.”

The NIH is proposing to change this statement to read, “To seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to optimize health and prevent or reduce illness for all people.” 

All interested parties are invited to comment on the proposed change by November 24 here. 

Dr. Alexis R. Piquero, Director for the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) within the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has stepped down from his position and returned to academia effective August 17. Piquero was sworn in August 2022 (see previous COSSA coverage). 

During his time at BJS, Piquero focused on disseminating justice statistics to the public in an easy-to-read and timely manner. Piquero developed Just the Stats, a report series for the public. Dr. Piquero has been a vocal champion for the agency and the use of social and behavioral science research to policymaking. COSSA thanks him for his service. 

Dr. Kevin M. Scott will serve as the new Director of BJS. Scott has been with BJS since 2017 and has previously served as the Principal Deputy Director at the agency. Scott received his Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science at The Ohio State University, and his B.A. in Political Science at the University of Oklahoma. 

The annual National Institutes of Health (NIH) Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival will take place virtually on December 5, 2023 and will be hosted by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee. The festival will highlight recently funded behavioral and social sciences research supported by the NIH; bring together behavioral and social scientists within NIH communities to network and share ideas; and explore ways to advance behavioral and social sciences research. 

Agenda and registration information is coming soon and will be available on the NIH website.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is gearing up for a busy start to the season and the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate is welcoming a new acting deputy assistant director to help. Dr. Evan Heit has been announced to fill the role, succeeding Dr. Antoinette WinklerPrins, following his recent position as the division director for the Division of Research on Learning within the STEM Education Directorate. Dr. Heit holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University and has a background serving in leadership for different programs including Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier. 

The NSF is also still looking for applicants for additional positions including the following two:

• Assistant Director for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE): Submit recommendations by September 8, 2023.
• Division Director for the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES), in the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE): Closing date is September 11, 2023.

The application window for the Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is now open. This 12-week fellowship is intended for current or recent graduate students to gain a broader understanding of the role of science and technology in influencing public policy as well as to broaden career prospects outside of academia. The newest cohort will run from March 4, 2024 to May 24, 2024. 

More information on how to apply is available on the NASEM website and the deadline to apply is October 16. 

The Committee on Law and Justice (CLAJ) within the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) at the National Academies works to improve government decision making and public policy and promote the understanding and dissemination of research in matters involving law and justice. CLAJ’s independent, expert reports and other scientific activities identify new areas of research, assist in resolving scientific controversies, extend the research agenda in established areas, promote theory development, and advance research-based policies. 

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking suggestions for experts to be considered for the membership rotation or other engagement with the Committee on Law and Justice. Using these suggestions, National Academies staff will be looking to fill 4 open seats on the committee of approximately 15 total volunteer experts, in addition to collecting information for potential speakers, participants, and other forms of engagement. Based on the Statement of Task, staff are looking for expertise particularly in the following areas: 

• Criminal Justice
• Criminology
• Sociology
• Law and Justice
• Psychology
• Economics
• Public Policy 

Submit your suggestions by September 15, 2023.

In a new episode of the In Reality podcast, National Academy of Sciences (NAS) President Marcia McNutt and Vidar Helgesen, executive director of the Nobel Foundation, discuss how to counter misinformation and build trust in science — the subject of a recent Nobel Prize Summit hosted by their institutions. Listen here.

On Thursday, September 7, Research!America will be hosting a virtual discussion with Dr. Mitch Prinstein, Chief Science Officer at the American Psychological Association (APA), a COSSA Governing Member, on how social media is affecting our youth. Dr. Prinstein will be sharing insights from APA’s recent report about social media use in adolescence and APA’s priorities around adolescent mental health. 

Bring your questions and register here.