Issue 19 (October 1)

Last week, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to push the budget deadline of September 30 to December 20, allowing members to depart for the campaign trail in October. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act (H.R. 9747) extended current fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending levels for the twelve-week interim. As previously reported by COSSA, the House attempted to attach the CR to a bill seeking to require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote during federal elections that did not receive support. With the deadline pushed to after the elections, it’s unclear whether Congress will return ready to draft the final appropriations bills or seek a second CR to allow for the new Congressional session to take the helm. While both chambers have signaled intention to pass the FY 2025 appropriations bills without a second CR, the appropriations process largely hinges on the outcome of the elections this November.

Simultaneously in the House, the Committee on House Administration announced a new artificial intelligence (AI) policy for the House of Representatives to build upon as AI continues to advance. The policy details three directives for the House, including a process for the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to review and approve the use of AI tools, outlines the accepted uses of AI, and provides a foundation for members to use AI responsibly. The committee expects the policy to develop alongside AI technology.

Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage of Congressional news.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) launched a new resource within the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). This new resource provides profiles on the seven NSF directorates including the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) and includes visualizations on research doctorate recipients from US academic institutions for fields of science and engineering. With data sourced from the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR), this tool was designed to present data on the directorates in a more accessible and visually appealing way.

A link to the full resource can be found here.

This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Paige Kirkham.

On September 9, President Biden nominated Dr. Adam Gamoran as the next Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). If confirmed, Gamoran would replace the current Acting Director, Dr. Matthew Soldner, who has been serving since the departure of Dr. Mark Schneider in April 2024.

Gamoran is a sociologist with a PhD from the University of Wisconsin who currently serves as the President of the William T. Grant Foundation, a charity organization dedicated to research that improves the lives of young people. Before his role at the William T. Grant Foundation, Gamoran held the John D. MacArthur Chair in Sociology and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While at UW-Madison, Gamoran held a myriad of positions, including the director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, chair of the sociology department, and interim dean of the School of Education. He is also a member of the National Academy of Education and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Gamoran has also completed two appointments with the National Board of Education Sciences (NBES) under the Obama Administration and chaired the Independent Advisory Panel of the National Assessment of Career and Technical Education for the U.S. Department of Education.

Gamoran’s nomination requires Senate confirmation and has yet to be scheduled. Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage of the confirmation process.

On September 24, the Friends of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), of which COSSA is a member, urged the House and Senate Appropriations Committees through a sign-on letter to modernize the Current Population Survey (CPS) with additional funding in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Jointly sponsored by BLS and the Census Bureau, CPS collects labor force statistics data to help inform the status of the social and economic welfare of the country. Two years of flat funding have required CPS to decrease the sample size of the population survey, creating a detrimental impact on important federal data collection. With 120 signatures, the letter details two key recommendations, including appropriating $12 million in FY 2025 to the BLS Division of Employment and Unemployment Statistics to support current operations as well as funding a multi-year modernization initiative with an initial investment of $15 million.

More information about the sign-on letter can be found on the Friends of BLS website.

The National Science Board (NSB) is now welcoming nominations for its 2025 Honorary Awards. There are two awards for which nominations can be submitted:

• Vannevar Bush Award, honoring exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology.
• Science & Society Award, recognizing those who enhance public understanding of science and engineering, or foster diversity in STEM, or inspire scientists and engineers to address society needs.

Deadline for nominations is October 9. Details on the two awards can be found on the NSB website.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has initiated a search for a new Board Director for the Board on Environmental Change and Society (BECS) which is housed within the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE). BECS is NASEM’s primary voice for advancing research on the interactions between humans and the environment and provides a vital forum for the link between social and natural sciences. The Director will lead all aspects of the board including maintaining a portfolio of programs, managing and communicating with other staff, planning and directing work on projects, and overseeing outreach efforts. Requirements include a PhD in a related topic area, and ten years of related professional experience (5 of which in a supervisory position).

A full list of responsibilities and requirements can be found here.

This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Paige Kirkham.

The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) has announced the opening of nominations for the 2025 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize in Social Science and Public Policy. The Moynihan Prize is an annual honor created to recognize social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders who champion the use of informed judgment to advance the public good.

The winner is recognized at a public event to be held in 2025 and receives a cash prize. Nominations will be accepted through November 1, 2024 and may be submitted on the AAPSS website. AAPSS is a COSSA member organization.

On October 24, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), a COSSA governing member, will host its Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research. The annual lecture aims to illuminate the important role of research in advancing understanding of equality and equity in education. 

The 2024 lecture is titled, “Brown v. Board of Education and the Democratic Ideals” and will be delivered by Elise Boddie, James V. Campbell Professor of Law at the University of Michigan.

Register for the event (virtually or in-person) here.