Issue 11 (May 27)

On May 21, COSSA hosted the most recent installment in the Headlines Webinar series. May’s meeting focused on the many challenges confronting higher education in this new political reality and featured guest speaker Tobin Smith, Senior Vice President for Government Relations & Public Policy at the Association of American Universities (AAU).

The recording is available to view here. Recordings of previous Headlines webinars can be found on the COSSA website. Check back often for newly announced webinars.

On May 22, the House of Representatives passed their reconciliation package, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1), in a 215-214 vote. The bill included sweeping cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and other welfare programs to pay for President Trump’s new tax plan as well as additional funding for immigration enforcement and border security.

As previously reported by COSSA, the budget reconciliation process has been controversial, even among Republican members of Congress. Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH) were the only two Republicans to vote against the “big, beautiful bill.” Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) voted “present” and Representatives David Schweikert (R-AZ) and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), missed the vote but both voiced their support. No Democrats voted in favor of the bill.

Following passage of the House bill, Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), published an opinion editorial in the New York Times alongside Mehmet Oz, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, and Scott Turner, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, titled Trump Leadership: If You Want Welfare and Can Work, You Must. In this op-ed, the authors voiced support for the bill and urged Congress to take further action to reform welfare programs.

The One, Big Beautiful Bill Act, also includes significant changes to the current 1.4 percent endowment tax on private colleges and universities. The bill would introduce a tiered system of rates, with a top rate of 21 percent, on institutions with endowments exceeding $2 million per student. It would also eliminate several tax breaks for non-profit organizations, including an exemption on taxes for non-publicly funded research income. The Association of American Universities released a statement opposing many of the provisions, indicating these changes would harm “universities’ ability to provide essential financial aid making college more affordable for students; educate the workforce America needs to maintain its global economic leadership and national security; and conduct the groundbreaking research required to create new cures, save American lives, and make our country stronger, safer, healthier, and more prosperous in the future.”

The bill will now head to the Senate, where it will likely face more contention. As previously reported, Republican Senators, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), have been outspoken in their objection to the bill, arguing that cutting Medicaid will harm constituents back home, while others, including Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), have argued against the bill, claiming that it doesn’t include enough spending cuts. Senators are already rumored to be eyeing changes to the House bill but House Speaker, Mike Johnson (R-LA) is pushing the Senate for final passage before July 4.

Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on Congressional activities.

As the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process gets underway, Congress invited Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to defend the agency’s budget request in both chambers (see previous COSSA coverage). On May 14, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held separate hearings while the Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee held their respective hearing on May 20.

In both chambers, Congress raised concerns over FY 2025, questioning Secretary Kennedy on whether the agency is withholding funding that has been appropriated by Congress, which would be illegal. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House LHHS subcommittee, pressed Secretary Kennedy on the issue, to which he argued that Congress has “the power of the purse” and otherwise evaded the line of questioning. He also made claims that no “working scientists” had been fired from his agency. This drew concerns from both chambers as hundreds of grants and programs have lost funding in recent months and mass layoffs have occurred under his leadership (see previous COSSA coverage). Further, when prompted by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) on whether he would uphold the autonomy of the institutes and centers (ICs) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) until Congress completes a thorough review of the proposed reorganization, Secretary Kennedy failed to provide an answer, indicating that a temporary restraining order does not allow him to discuss the reorganization efforts. A lack of transparency from the Secretary drew further questioning from many members of Congress, including Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who is currently the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which appeared to upset Secretary Kennedy, who then blamed the Senator for having “presided over the destruction of the health of the American people.”

Further, Ranking Member DeLauro and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) questioned Secretary Kennedy on the metrics of determining which grants to terminate and requested further information on the matter which Secretary Kennedy would not offer, claiming an “analysis” could not be provided. Other lines of questioning included concerns over Secretary Kennedy’s controversial statements on the safety of vaccines and fluoride, with Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, pushing against these beliefs and committing to “working together” on these issues. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee, also raised concerns over U.S. drug prices.

Some members of Congress were supportive of Secretary Kennedy’s changes to HHS, including Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who claimed during the HELP hearing that universities were “stealing” from NIH through indirect costs (see previous COSSA coverage). Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), joined Sen. Kennedy’s critiques of indirect costs, arguing that all of the funding should be put directly towards the research.

A recording of the House LHHS hearing can be found here and the Senate HELP hearing can be found here. A recording of the Senate LHHS hearing can be found here. Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on the FY 2026 appropriations process.

On May 21, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations subcommittee held a hearing about the Department of Education’s budget request for the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testifying for the committee. The hearing was sharply divided, with subcommittee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), extensively questioning Secretary McMahon about the Trump Administration’s decimation of the Department. Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and the committee’s other Republican members praised the proposed cuts and focused their questioning on other aspects of the proposed budget, such as school choice.

Ranking Member DeLauro used her opening statement to emphasize proposed cuts to the Department to the tune of $12 billion, roughly 15 percent. Secretary McMahon responded by stating that the cuts to the Department were intended to get rid of unnecessary bureaucracy and return control of education to states through new block-grant funding, echoing language included in the Trump Administration’s “Skinny Budget” for FY 2026 (see previous COSSA coverage here). Throughout the hearing, Ranking Member DeLauro continued to reiterate that the new block-grant funding, which would eliminate 18 competitive grant programs, would be detrimental to education services in the country, including the Department’s ability to collect accurate statistical information on education programs.

Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) also joined this line of questioning by asking Secretary McMahon whether she intended to use the $4.3 billion Congress lawfully appropriated to those 18 programs in FY 2025; Secretary McMahon was evasive in her answer, which concerned many members of the Committee. As the FY 2026 Appropriations process ramps up, we expect to see sustained contention over cuts to the Department of Education and their legality.

A recording of the hearing can be found here. 

This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Eva Lettiere.

Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) held a two-day forum to spotlight how Americans are being harmed by the Trump Administration’s mass firings at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This comes after the Senators hosted a similar townhall on Trump and Musk’s Cuts to Cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease Cures (see previous COSSA coverage). During the two-day forum, Sens. Welch and Baldwin invited former federal agencies officials, including Dr. Anne Schuchat, former Principal Deputy Director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Ms. Trina Dutta, former Chief of Staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Dr. Sean Bruna, former Senior Advisor in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Dr. Jeremy Berg, former Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), among others.

While the first day of the forum highlighted agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and more, the second day prioritized conversations around the mass firings, reorganization proposals, and other federal actions taken within CDC, SAMHSA, AHRQ, and NIH, highlighting the human harm caused. In his opening statements, Dr. Berg addressed the delay of grants within NIH due to the mass firings and review of grants for new priorities laid out by the Trump Administration (see previous COSSA coverage). Similar sentiments were echoed by the other witnesses, highlighting the effects on already appropriated funds.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked the witnesses for clarification on whether researchers would be able to rely on funding from their institutions to sustain their work if the federal government pulls their funding, which is a common argument against opponents of federal funding. Dr. Berg agreed that, while some grantees may be able to find short-term funding solutions, there will not be enough funding for all the terminated grants to continue without the federal funding they were originally awarded. Dr. Schuchat added that losing these researchers is “a waste of government investment and a loss of future return on investment in terms of the patents and lives saved.” Dr. Berg went on to cite a Forbes article that estimated the proposed cuts to NIH and other research agencies would cost the U.S. $10 billion annually due to the high return of public-investment in scientific research (see the article here).

During the forum, Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Baldwin also highlighted the HHS budget hearings held by the House and Senate with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in which he made false statements about scientists not being fired in his agency (see related article). When questioned about the damage done to the biomedical research enterprise, Dr. Berg underscored that the Trump Administration is “breaking” the system and will likely dissuade young scientists from pursuing a career in biomedical research due to the instability caused by the Administration.

A livestream of day one can be found here and day two here.

Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) hosted a press event on May 20 to discuss the impacts Trump Administration actions are having on the U.S. scientific enterprise and, in particular, the National Science Foundation (NSF). Sen. Cantwell serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which has oversight over the NSF. In her opening remarks, Cantwell noted that at the time of the event, the Administration has terminated 1,530 research grants totaling more than $1 billion. In addition, the President is seeking a 55 percent cut to NSF in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget.

Senator Van Hollen, who serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, talked about the “public good” nature of federally funded research. He mentioned MRI, Chat GPT, and Google as examples of key technologies that would not be possible without early investments by NSF. He also raised concerns about the massive cuts that have been taken to STEM education programs at NSF.

The event featured remarks by Arati Prabhakar, former Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) under the Biden Administration, former NSF Director France Cordova, and scientific leaders across academia.

Prabhakar noted the last three months have included, “senseless and self-defeating cuts to the agencies and research funding that are the heart of American leadership in the world.” She highlighted “breakthrough” technologies and innovations that have their roots in NSF funding and discussed the “vital link” between government and industry, stating that corporations simply will not invest in research the same way as the government.

Cordova, who served as NSF Director during the Obama and first Trump Administration, today serves as President of the Science Philanthropy Alliance. She highlighted NSF’s role in training the science workforce of the future and discussed the role of science philanthropy as part of the research ecosystem; she stressed that the private sector cannot make up for the cuts being made across the federal government.

Dean Chang, University of Maryland Chief Innovation Officer, spoke about the ways NSF investments have driven entrepreneurship. He noted that the “gestation period” of some of today’s most consequential innovations trace their roots back decades to NSF funding, adding, “It’s far-fetched to believe that industry would have made these same high-risk, very costly investments in research knowing it would be decades before possibly seeing their first dollar return.”

Dr. Marvi Matos Rodriguez discussed her pathway to a career in science, particularly as a participant in NSF’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program and the need to invest in the U.S. science workforce. Dr. Ananth Kalyanaraman of Washington State University discussed the use of artificial intelligence in agricultural innovation.

A recording of the event is available here. 

Longtime Northern Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) passed away on May 21 after a battle with esophageal cancer; Connolly announced his cancer diagnosis in November. First elected to the House of Representatives in 2008, Rep. Connolly had been a vocal advocate for the federal workforce, many of whom reside in his suburban DC district. His website includes resources for federal employees who have been affected by Trump Administration actions. Connolly has also been a longtime advocate for mental health.

Rep. Connolly introduced the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act on May 20 prior to his passing. 

Trump Administration Actions (all actions available here):

• Restoring Gold Standard Science (5/23/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Increasing Efficiency at the Office of the Federal Register (5/9/25)
• Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research (5/5/25)
• Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research (5/5/25)
• Strengthening Probationary Periods in the Federal Service (4/24/25)
• White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (4/23/25)
• Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education (4/23/25)
• PROPOSED RULE: Improving Performance, Accountability, and the Civil Service (4/23/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities (4/23/25)
• Extension of Hiring Freeze (4/17/25) 
• Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History (3/27/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities (3/20/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy (3/14/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Additional Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions (3/14/25)
• Implementing the President’s DOGE Cost Efficiency Initiative (2/26/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s DOGE Deregulatory Initiative (2/19/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Radical Transparency about Wasteful Spending (2/18/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission (2/13/25)
• Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative (2/11/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Advancing United States Interests When Funding Nongovernmental Organizations (2/6/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling (1/29/25)
• President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (1/23/25)
• Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (1/23/25)
• Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (1/21/24) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (1/20/25)
• Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Trust to the Federal Government (1/20/25)
• Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (1/20/25)
• Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions within the Federal Workforce (1/20/25) – Reinstates Trump Administration’s 2020 EO creating a new Schedule F in the Federal Excepted Service 
• Withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO (1/20/25)
• Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements (1/20/25) – Withdraws the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, among other actions.
• Hiring Freeze (1/20/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Return to In-Person Work (1/20/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship (1/20/25)
• Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions (1/20/25) – Rescinds dozens of Biden Administration Executive Orders

Find COSSA’s full list of Trump’s Executive Actions and more information here or on the Social Science Space Tracker.

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.

DOD Announces 15% Indirect Cost Cap

Earlier this month, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced that it will immediately begin imposing a flat 15 percent indirect cost rate on research sponsored by the department. According to the memo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that the cap will not be limited to new grants, but that existing awards made to universities may also be revisited.

DOD is the fourth federal agency to impose a 15 percent cap on indirect costs rates, following actions taken at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Energy, and National Science Foundation. A federal judge struck down the NIH policy in April and temporary restraining orders were issued in response to the Department of Energy and NSF caps. Higher education groups filing suit in the first three cases are expected to sue in response to the DOD policy change.

COGR, a national organization representing the federal policy and regulatory interests of academic research institutions, maintains a collection of resources on its website pertaining to indirect costs.  

On May 23, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO), Restoring Gold Standard Science. The EO indicates that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research is facing a “reproducibility crisis” which the order claims is a result of researchers’ “falsification of data” and the Federal Agencies publication of “highly misleading” research. The EO also took aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies that “further politicized science,” aligning with previous EO’s dismantling similar policies (see previous COSSA coverage).

The Trump Administration has tasked the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to issue guidance for agencies on the implementation of “Gold Standard Science,” addressing perceived concerns of reproducibility and transparency. While this has been a top priority for the White House, there is little evidence to suggest that these are widespread issues in the research community. The EO also directs all Federal Agencies to revert back to the scientific integrity policies that were in place on January 19, 2021, and tasked each with revoking any changes made to the agency through the Presidential Memorandum, Restoring Trust in Government through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking, issued by former President Biden (see previous COSSA coverage).

The EO was accompanied by a fact sheet that includes a “call to excellence for America’s researchers” which encourages outside organizations and academia to adhere to the standards proposed.  

On May 16, marking the 75^th anniversary of the creation of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Science Board (NSB) issued a statement, “Winning the Race for the Future with the National Science Foundation.” The statement acknowledges the risks facing the U.S. in ceding its scientific leadership to other countries. However, it remains silent on recent actions taken by the Trump Administration such as terminating research grants and the President’s proposal to cut agency funding by more than half.

Instead, citing the changing science and engineering landscape and increasing administrative burden on researchers, the Board calls for reforms to create a “Next Generation NSF.” According to the statement, Next Generation NSF will:

• “Prioritize bold, ambitious basic research that lays the groundwork for future world-changing advances – the next, next big thing
• Make federal dollars a force multiplier by expanding partnerships with business, state, philanthropic, and other sectors
• Mitigate the threat of technological surprise by coordinating research initiatives with the Department of Defense and other national security entities
• Develop domestic STEM talent in critical and emerging areas via increased direct support to the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technicians.”

The statement does not explain how to achieve these goals within the current funding and political landscape except to say, “The National Science Board will work with the Administration, Congress, and the scientific community to make Next Generation NSF a reality and reinvigorate the American S&T enterprise to ensure our nation’s prosperity and security for the next 75 years.”

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has publicly posted a list of grants that have been terminated as of May 21, 2025 in response to Trump Administration directives. The spreadsheet can be accessed on the NSF “Updates on Priorities” FAQ website; a direct link to the spreadsheet can be accessed here.

The database shows a total of 1,752 grants having been terminated, totaling $1.4 billion. As has been reported, the data show the largest hit taken by the STEM Education Directorate (EDU), which to date has had 839 grants terminated totaling $888 million. The EDU cuts represent 48 percent of the total number of terminated grants and 65 percent of the total funding. The next highest cut in terms of number of grants is to the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE), which has lost 320 grants (18.3%) totaling $91 million (6.7%).

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced that nominations are now open for the following awards and prizes:

• AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy
• AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility
• AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize
• Philip Hauge Abelson Prize
• AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science
• John P. McGovern Award Lecture in the Behavioral Sciences
• AAAS Mentor Awards
• AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science
• AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards

AAAS also sponsors a wide range of other awards and prizes recognizing scientists, engineers, authors, journalists and public servants for significant contributions to science and the public’s understanding of science.

The deadline for all nominations is June 30, 2025 and winners will be announced in early 2026. Learn more on the AAAS website.

The social science community mourns the loss of John H. Thompson, who passed away earlier this month. Thompson dedicated nearly 30 years serving in the U.S. Census Bureau, including as Director from 2013 to 2017. After leaving federal service he became Executive Director of the Council of Professional Associations for Federal Statistics. Thompson also served as President of NORC at the University of Chicago (a COSSA member organization).

The COSSA community is grateful for John’s commitment to federal statistics and service to the American people.

COSSA is thrilled to welcome the American Institutes for Research (AIR) as its newest member! AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world.

COSSA’s full membership list can be found here. Information on how to join is on the COSSA website.