Volume 44 (2025)
COSSA Releases Complete Analysis of the President’s FY 2026 Budget Request for Social and Behavioral Science
On May 3, the Trump Administration released preliminary, high-level details of its fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request, referred to as a âskinny budget.â On May 30, additional details emerged. COSSA released a preliminary analysis for some government agencies on June 18, 2025. This document replaces the June 18 report and provides additional analysis. When considering an Administrationâs budget proposal, it is important to remember that it remains a largely symbolic policy document outlining the Administrationâs priorities for the year ahead. While it is possible that some of the Presidentâs requests will be enacted, Congress has the final say over the appropriation…
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinar on July 28
On July 28, join COSSA for the next installment in the Headlines Webinar series. This month’s meeting will cover the latest policy updates and will feature guest speakers from the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR). Come join the conversation. Featured speakers: The webinar will be taking place on July 28 at 2pm EST. Register here. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
Trump Signs Reconciliation Bill into Law; Senate to Mark-Up CJS Bill
On July 4, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). The bill, which has been hotly debated because of provisions pertaining to cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), reallocates resources in order to pay for permanent tax cuts and increase funding for border security activities. The new law also includes several provisions of importance to the research community (see previous COSSA coverage). This includes a new cap on graduate students loans ($100,000) and professional student loans ($200,000); a termination of student loan repayment plans; and an increase of the university endowment tax…
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing for CDC Director
On Wednesday, June 25, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a nomination hearing to consider Dr. Susan Monarez as Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This comes after the previous nominee was pulled just hours by the Administration before their first hearing (previous COSSA coverage). Prior to her nomination, Dr. Monarez served as the acting Director of the CDC from January to March 2025 and the Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). During the hearing, Dr. Monarez faced extensive questioning about her priorities and goals for the agency if…
President Trump Executive Actions
Trump Administration Actions (all actions available here): Find COSSA’s full list of Trump’s Executive Actions and more information here or on the Social Science Space Tracker.
Latest from the White House (July 8)
Additional Guidance on âGold Standard Scienceâ As previously reported, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) in May on Restoring Gold Standard Science. On June 23, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a memorandum to federal agencies providing additional guidance on how to comply with the order. Federal agencies are directed to report to OSTP on steps taken to comply with the EO by August 22. A primary criticism of the EO and accompanying guidance has less to do with the order itselfâwhich focuses on reproducibility, transparency, unbiased peer review, and other common research tenetsâand more to do with its calling for…
NIH Suspends Gain of Function Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a notice to inform the biomedical research community of a termination of funding for gain-of-function research outside of the U.S. and a suspension of funding for any other projects or programs relating to gain-of-function research. Gain-of-function research has been a point of contention for many Congressional Republicans since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the research (see previous COSSA coverage). The notice, which was prompted by a guidance to NIH by the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP), is in-line with the Administrationâs Executive Order (EO) on Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research,…
Dr. Matthew Soldner Appointed Acting Commissioner of NCES
On July 7, the Department of Education announced that Dr. Matthew Soldner will serve as Acting Commissioner of the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical arm of the agency that develops key surveys such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). He is also currently serving as the Acting Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Soldner previously served as IESâs Commissioner of the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. He will replace Dr. Peggy Carr who was abruptly placed on administrative leave earlier this year…
RFI Opportunity: NSF TIP Directorate Technology Areas, Due 7/21
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking public input into its current list of âkey technology focus areasâ to guide the work of the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate. Comments are due by July 21, 2025. The TIP Directorate was created in 2022 to support âuse-inspiredâ research with the goal of âfostering innovation and technology ecosystems, establishing translation pathways, and partnering across sectors to engage the nationâs diverse talent.â Included in its authorizing legislation was a list of ten initial key technology focus areas, set by Congress, that the Directorate was tasked to address in its first three years. These included: artificial intelligence and machine learning; high…
EPA Employees Stand Up to Leadership
Following up on the Bethesda Declaration signed by employees from the National Institutes of Health in June, more than 600 employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have signed a Declaration of Dissent addressed to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. In it, employees raise five primary concerns about actions taken by EPA leadership or the Trump Administration, including: (1) undermining public trust, (2) ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters, (3) reversing EPAâs progress in Americaâs most vulnerable communities, (4) dismantling the Office of Research and Development, and (5) promoting a culture of fear, forcing staff to choose between their livelihood and well-being. Additional details are…
NAS Accepting Nominations for 2026 Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) awards to be presented in 2026. Since 1886, the National Academy of Sciences has honored more than 1,000 individuals in the physical, biological, and social sciences through its awards program. 2026 Awards will be given in a variety of fields including artificial intelligence, computer science, mathematics, medical sciences, social sciences, psychology, and more. See the full list of awards here. Submissions will be accepted through Oct. 6, 2025. Learn more about the awards and the submission process here.
Call for Applications: NASEMâs Mirzayan Fellowship
The application window for the Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program 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 science and technology policy as well as to explore possible career prospects that engage science and policy communities. The newest session will run from March 2, 2026 to May 22, 2026. More information on how to apply is available here and the deadline to apply is August 20, 2025.
AAPSS Calls for Nominations for 2026 Moynihan Prize
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) has announced their call for nominations for the 2026 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 will deliver the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture on Social Science and Public Policy in Washington, DC, next fall. Nominations will be accepted through November 1, 2025 and can be submitted on the AAPSS website. AAPSS is a COSSA member organization. Learn more about the Moynihan…
COSSA Releases Part 1 of the President’s FY 2026 Budget Request for Social and Behavioral Science Analysis
On May 3, the Trump Administration released preliminary, high-level details of its fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request, referred to as a âskinny budget.â On May 30, additional details emerged. Given the delay in this yearâs budget release, COSSA is delivering its annual analysis of the Presidentâs budget request in two parts. This first part contains our analysis of the Trump Administrationâs FY 2026 funding proposals for the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and National Science Foundation. The second part will include details on all remaining agencies important to the social and behavioral…
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinar on June 26
On June 26, join COSSA for the next installment in the Headlines Webinar series. This month’s meeting will focus on the release of the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget and what it means for the social and behavioral sciences. Come join the conversation. Featured speakers: The webinar will be taking place on June 26 at 2pm EST. Register here. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
House Republicans Delay Markups; Reconciliation Subject to âByrd Bathâ
As previously reported, the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process is well underway with the House reviewing multiple bills, most recently the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill; the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies bill; the Homeland Security bill; the Defense bill, and the Legislative Branch bill. The House has also released subcommittee allocationsâor topline funding levelsâfor the bills already drafted. The other subcommittees have yet to receive their allocations, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) and Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) subcommittees. On June 18, the House Appropriations committee announced a delay in…
Bhattacharya Defends NIH Budget Request to Senate Appropriators
As the Congressional appropriations process continues, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was invited to defend the Presidentâs FY 2026 before the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations subcommittee (see COSSAâs analysis). Under the Presidentâs budget, the NIH would see steep budget cuts and a major restructuring that would reduce the institutes and centers (ICs) from 27 to 8. Throughout the hearing, Bhattacharya fielded questions on the impacts of these proposals on the research community and dismissed concerns, claiming that the proposal is the starting point of a budget…
All Eyes on Indirect Costs
On June 17, Republican leaders of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that the non-partisan âCongressional watchdogâ conduct a comprehensive review of the indirect costs associated with federal research funding. The request comes amid increased attention by lawmakers on indirect costs following the Trump Administrationâs effort to set a flat 15 percent rate for facilities and administrative (F&A) costs for grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, and Department of Defense (see previous coverage). These efforts are currently stalled as a…
Latest from the White House (June 24)
âForward Fundingâ by NIH the New Norm? As COSSA has been reporting, the Trump Administration released details of its fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget proposal last month (see related article), which not only includes major funding reductions for federal science agencies, but also major shifts in policy. One such shift is how research grants would be funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to the NIH budget request, the agency plans to âcontinue the FY 2025 policy of reserving half of NIH funding allocated toward competing research project grant (RPG) awards for awards that fully fund their outyear commitments…