Volume 44 (2025)
Share Your Story with COSSA
Given current uncertainty about the future of the U.S. research enterprise, COSSA is collecting stories from the social and behavioral science community on how recent Executive Actions are affecting or have the potential to affect research and the scientific workforce. Your contributions will help the COSSA team as we share real-world, timely information with policymakers (e.g., Congress and federal agencies) about the impact these actions are having across the country. Your responses will remain confidential, and any stories used by COSSA will be anonymized and used anecdotally. You may provide your name and contact information in the survey, which would only be…
Tracking Current Federal Changes Affecting U.S. Education and Science
The arrival of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president brought with it a dramatic, chaotic and generally ideological assault on the status quo for American-based or -funded schools or researchers. Sage and COSSA have sponsored a page to help track actions – and reactions – to the flurry of activity in real time. The page is titled, Tracking Current Federal Changes Affecting U.S. Education and Science and is available here on Social Science Space. Continue to check back as we post new updates about Trump Administration actions concerning federal science funding, federal statistics and data, the federal workforce, higher education, and more.
Meet COSSA’s Policy Intern: Sarah Wang
Sarah Wang started as COSSA’s policy intern in May. Before she signs off and enjoys her summer, she provided some reflections from her time at COSSA. How did you learn about COSSA and the opportunity to serve as a policy intern? I initially found the COSSA policy intern position while searching for spring internship opportunities on Handshake, but my interest in the role truly solidified through my work at the time. This past fall, I was a fellow for Her Bold Move, a PAC dedicated to electing pro-choice women. Through the fellowship, I had the opportunity to work with Kenzie Shelstad…
House and Senate Pass Budget Resolution Blueprint
Earlier this month, the Senate passed a budget resolution in a 51-48 vote after an all-night voting marathon, inching closer to enacting President Trump’s priorities around tax breaks (see previous coverage). Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), who cited concerns of increasing the deficit, and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME), who rejected the proposed cuts to Medicaid, were the only Republicans to vote against the resolution. On April 10, the Senate’s blueprint passed through the House in a 216 to 214 vote after Sen. Thune agreed to adhere to the House’s $1.5 trillion in budget cuts to pacify fiscal hawks in the…
President Trump Executive Actions
Trump Administration Actions (all actions available here):
ICYMI: Trump Nominates Susan Monarez to Lead CDC
Earlier this month, President Trump nominated Dr. Susan Monarez to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monarez, who holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been serving as the acting Director of the CDC following the departure of Dr. Mandy Cohen. As COSSA previously reported, President Trump initially nominated Dr. David Weldon for the role only to abruptly withdraw the nomination hours before his first Senate confirmation hearing. Previously, Monarez served as the deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and has held roles at the White House of Office of…
NSB Requests Nominations to Fill Upcoming Vacancies
The National Science Board (NSB) is seeking nominations to fill eight upcoming vacancies for the 2026-2032 term. NSB is the policy-making body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) that also serves as an independent advisor to the President and Congress on federal science policy. The board consists of 24 members who serve staggered six-year terms, with the NSF director serving as a 25th ex officio member. External nominations are considered by the NSB, which will then make recommendations to the White House. New members are appointed by the President of the United States. More information can be found in NSB’s Dear Colleague Letter. Nominations can…
Science is US Report Shows How STEMM Workers Power U.S. Industries
On April 3, Science is US released the Science at Work report, an analysis the STEMM workforce’s impact on the U.S. economy. The findings reveal that in 2025, 34.1 percent of the U.S. workforce was engaged with STEMM-related roles, contributing $10.87 trillion – or 39.2 percent – of the nation’s GDP. The report defines the STEMM workforce broadly, encompassing individuals whose primary job functions involve science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine, regardless of the economic sector they may reside in. Acknowledging gaps in STEMM opportunities, the report highlights the need for coordinated efforts among educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to reinforce STEMM’s…
Tabbye M. Chavous Named New Executive Director of the American Educational Research Association
On April 7, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) announced that Dr. Tabbye M. Chavous has been appointed as the next Executive Director of the organization, effective August 11, 2025. Dr. Chavous comes to AERA from the University of Michigan, where she is a professor of education and psychology and currently serves as vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer. She brings over 25 years of experience and has consistently advocated for high-quality, inclusive research. COSSA looks forward to working with Dr. Chavous and thanks past-Executive Director Felice J. Levine for her service. AERA is a COSSA…
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinar on April 29
On April 29, join COSSA for the next installment of the Headlines Webinar series. We will continue to cover the latest Congressional news, President Trump’s Executive actions, the federal budget, and more. The webinar will be taking place on April 29 at 1pm EST. Register here. If you missed COSSA’s recent webinars, you can find the recordings below: Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
Social and Behavioral Scientists Take to Capitol Hill for COSSA’s Social Science Advocacy Day
On March 24-25, COSSA held its annual Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. Over 70 social and behavioral science researchers, students, and advocates from 17 different states headed to Capitol Hill to meet with more than 60 offices in the House of Representatives and Senate, all carrying a message about the need to prioritize funding for social and behavioral science research. COSSA is especially grateful to the sponsors of this year’s event. Thank you to all involved for making this such an impactful experience and stay tuned for news about Social Science Advocacy Day 2026!
Budget Reconciliation Takes Center Stage; Members of Congress Push Back on Executive Actions
With the fiscal year (FY) 2025 process (mostly) in the rearview mirror following the passage of a full-year continuing resolution (CR) earlier this month, Congress is returning its attention to passing a budget resolution to enact some of the Trump Administration’s top priorities (see previous COSSA coverage). As previously reported by COSSA, the House passed their budget resolution in February that included a permanent extension of the Trump 2017 tax cuts and $1.5 trillion in cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. In order to unlock the reconciliation process—which would allow the tax cuts and spending reductions to pass by a simple majority…
Senators Baldwin and Welch Host Town Hall on Cuts to Cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease Cures
On March 26, Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) hosted a Congressional townhall on Trump and Musk’s Cuts to Cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease Cures. The event was held in response to efforts by the Administration to cut funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including major reductions in the NIH workforce. The town hall featured remarks from former NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli; Dr. Sterling Johnson, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Associate Director of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; Dr. Whitney Wharton, Emory University Associate Professor and Alzheimer’s Disease researcher; Dr. Larry Saltzman, former Executive Research Director for…
Latest from the White House (April 1)
COSSA continues to follow the flurry of executive actions taken by the Trump Administration and the impact those actions are having on the social and behavioral science community. Below are some of the latest developments coming out of the White House. Past updates are available here. Eliminating the Department of Education As promised on the campaign trail, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) on March 20 that instructs the Education Secretary to begin the process of closing the U.S. Department of Education. The order, Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities, directs the Secretary to “facilitate the closure of…
Senate Confirms Bhattacharya as NIH Director and Kratsios as OSTP Director
On March 26, the Senate voted to confirm Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as the next Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a 53-47 vote (see previous COSSA coverage). In his confirmation hearing, Dr. Bhattacharya confirmed that he would prioritize chronic disease research over infectious disease research, aligning with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as investing in cutting edge research. The Senate also confirmed Michael Kratsios as the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in a bipartisan 74-25 vote (see previous COSSA coverage). Kratsios served…
NASEM Requests Nominations for New Members of the Board on Human-Systems Integration
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is seeking new members for the Board on Human-Systems Integration (BOHSI). Through interdisciplinary research, BOHSI provides stakeholders with objective, evidence-based advice concerning relationships between systems of individuals, organizations, and technology. Experts are requested in several areas, including workforce modeling, artificial intelligence, and traditional HSI specialties. The announcement can be found here and the deadline to submit nominees is April 14.
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinar on March 31
On March 31, join COSSA for our next Headlines Webinar. We will continue to cover the latest Congressional news, President Trump’s Executive actions, the federal budget, and more. The webinar will be taking place on March 31 at 1pm EST. Register here. If you missed COSSA’s recent webinars, you can find the recordings below: Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
FINAL DAYS: Register for Social Science Advocacy Day 2025
Social Science Advocacy Day is days away! This event is a must for everyone invested in the fate of federal funding for social and behavioral science research and who believe this research is vital to inform sound public policy. Now is the time to act. Registration for COSSA’s annual Social Science Advocacy Day is open, but only for a few more days! You can register here. If you can’t be with us this year, keep an eye on your inbox for ways to advocate from home. Visit the COSSA website for the latest information on Social Science Advocacy Day.
President Signs Full-year Continuing Resolution
On March 15, the President signed into law a full-year continuing resolution (CR) for fiscal year (FY) 2025 with only a few hours to spare before the previous CR, enacted in December, was scheduled to lapse (see previous COSSA coverage). The stopgap funding measure, which passed in the Republican-controlled House in a 217-213 vote and the Republican-controlled Senate in a 54-46 vote, is considered to be a “clean” CR, meaning funding levels will be kept at the FY 2024 level, with a few changes, until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. However, given the bare-bones nature of a CR,…
House Science Committee Addresses Threats to Federally Funded Research in Hearing
On March 5, the House Science, Space, and Technology (SST) Committee’s Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on Assessing the Threat to U.S. Funded Research. Witnesses included Mr. Jeffrey Stoff, President, Center for Research Security & Integrity; Mr. John F. Sargent Jr., Retired, Specialist in Science and Technology Policy, Congressional Research Service; and Dr. Maria Zuber, E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics and Presidential Advisor for Science and Technology Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In his opening remarks, Chairman Rich McCormick (R-GA) highlighted the importance of remaining a global leader in scientific research while protecting U.S. research from foreign competitors….