Volume 44 (2025)
Census Bureau Director Rob Santos Tenders Resignation
On January 30, Census Bureau Director Robert Santos resigned three years into his five-year term. His resignation comes after the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on the Census Bureau on December 5 which largely focused on whether the 2030 Census should include a citizenship question and President Trumpās recent rescission of the Biden Administrationās Executive Order (EO) affirming that the census should count all people, not only citizens, as per the 14th Amendment (see previous COSSA coverage). As a reminder, during his first-term, the Trump Administration attempted to add a citizenship question to the decennial census only for the Supreme Court to…
Ronald Wasserstein Elected COSSA Board Chair
The COSSA Board of Directors has elected Ronald Wasserstein, Executive Director of the American Statistical Association (ASA), as its next chair. His two-year term began January 1, 2025. Ron has led the ASA since 2007 and prior to that served as a faculty member and administrator at Washburn University in Kansas for more than two decades. The American Statistical Association is one of 10 founding organizations of COSSA. “I am honored to serve as chair of the COSSA Board of Directors at this pivotal time for the social sciences,ā said Wasserstein. āWith our robust network of member organizations and partners, COSSA is…
Register Now: Headlines Webinars continue January 30
Earlier this month, the 119th Congress was sworn in at the Capitol. On January 30, join COSSA for an overview on the new Congress and what this means for the social and behavioral sciences community. The webinar will be taking place on January 30 at 1pm 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.
EARLY BIRD PRICING: Social Science Advocacy Day 2025
The stakes for research funding have never been higher as we enter a particularly challenging political and budgetary environment. Social Science Advocacy Day is a must for all stakeholders who care about the fate of federal funding for social and behavioral science research and who believe this research should be used to inform sound public policy. Early bird registration for COSSAās annual Social Science Advocacy Day is officially OPEN! The event will be taking place March 24-25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Take advantage of early bird pricing and register here. If your organization is interested in becoming a sponsor for Social Science Advocacy Day, find…
119th Congressional Committee Assignments and Presidential Nomination Hearings Begin
As previously reported by COSSA, the 119th Congress was sworn in early January and has since begun announcing committee assignments, including key committees for the social and behavioral science research community. This includes the House Science and Technology Committee, which has appointed Representative Brian Babin (R-TX) as Chairman, replacing Frank Lucas (R-OK) (see previous COSSA coverage). Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) will remain in her role as expected. On the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) will remain in his role, as will Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). On January 15, Chairman Cole released the Republican roster while Ranking Member DeLauro released the Democratic roster…
Nominations Open for Distinguished Lecturer at the 18th Matilda White Riley Honors
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is accepting nominations for an outstanding social-behavioral scientist as candidates for Distinguished Lecturer at the 18th Matilda White Riley Honors. The Matilda White Riley Honors are an annual event recognizing transformative work in the fields of social and behavioral science along with early-career researchers. Nominees should have a research career that has āadvanced behavioral and social scientific knowledge in areas within NIHās mission and that expands upon Dr. White Rileyās work.ā Nominees need not have NIH funding. More information is available on the OBSSR website. Nominee…
President Trump Signs First-Day Executive Orders to End Work from Home Policies and Freeze Hiring for Federal Work Force
On January 20, President Trump, in a series of first-day executive actions, signed an Executive Order (EO) titled “Return to In-Person Work” that requires all federal workers to return to in-person work āas soon as practicableā. This decision comes after the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on The Stay-at-Home Federal Workforce: Another Biden-Harris Legacy on January 15 to investigate the implications of the federal work from home policy. During the hearing, Republican members of the committee expressed concerns that federal policies like the work from home policy were infringing on the power of the Presidential Administration, a concern that has been…
OSTP Issues Anti-Harassment Guidelines for Federal Agencies
In the final days of the Biden Administration, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) releasedĀ Guidelines for Federal Research Agencies to Reduce Sex-Based and Sexual Harassment Involving Award PersonnelĀ in response to theĀ Chips and Science Act of 2022Ā (see previous COSSA coverage). These guidelines include identifying and removing gaps in current sexual harassment policies, improving consistency of policies across federal agencies, and promoting data transparency to support evidence-based policies. In addition to the guidelines presented, the report recommends that legislation be passed to support anti-harassment objectives, including authority for federal agencies to develop a consistent definition of harassment, a…
White House Awards National Medal of Science to Political Scientist
At the beginning of January, President Biden announced the latest recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nationās highest honors in science, engineering, and technology. Both awards were presented at a joint ceremony. Among the recipients of the National Medal of Science was Political Scientist Dr. Martin Larry Bartels, āfor thought leadership that promotes democracy around the world,ā according to his award citation. Bartels, Princetonās Donald E. Stokes Professor in Public and International Affairs, Emeritus, and an emeritus professor of politics, was on the Princeton faculty from 1991 to 2011. He then transferred…
DBASSE to Host Webinar Series on Assessing and Communicating the Quality of National Statistics
The Committee on National Statistics, housed within the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), is hosting a three-part series to ādiscuss approaches to characterizing and communicating the quality of national statistics and statistical dataā. As federal statistical agencies work to develop methods to more efficiently release statistical data, the committee will examine ways to communicate federal statistics as well as the quality and recommended uses of federal statistical data with the public as the use of fast response platforms and non-survey data sources grows. The sessions will…
2025 AAPOR Award Nominations are Open
The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) announced that nominations are open for their portfolio of awards to recognize distinguished work in the profession, as well as to further the education of students and early career researchers. AAPOR welcomes and encourages diversity in all aspects of the research profession, including their award nominees. Read more about each award and the submission guidelines on the AAPOR website. Submissions are due February 21, 2025.
Register Now: Social Science Advocacy Day 2025 Informational Webinar
Curious about 2025 Social Science Advocacy Day? Do you have questions or want to know more about what to expect from the event? Join us for an informational webinar! We will be hosting a session to provide an overview of Advocacy Day, how to register, answer any questions, and more. Find the Zoom link below and come with your questions! The webinar will be taking place on January 16 at 1pm EST. Register here.
118th Congress Enacts Funding Patch in Late December; 119th Congress Sworn In
At the end of last year, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees finalized a continuing resolution (CR) to push the deadline for fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding to March 14, kicking responsibility to the new Congress. The CR continues funding at FY 2024 levels and includes supplemental funding for federal disaster programs and a year-long extension to the Farm Bill. While Congress successfully averted a government shutdown, the impact of the new CR will likely be seen in delays to the FY 2026 appropriations process, which traditionally begins in February. On January 3, the 119th Congress was sworn in at the Capitol. As expected,…
NIH Releases Public Access Plan and RFI for Research Findability and Transparency
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released the final version of its public access policy in response to the August 2022 memorandum issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The memorandum announced new requirements for federal agencies to make peer-reviewed publications resulting from federal funding freely available to the public immediately following publication (see previous COSSA coverage). The new policy, finalized from the draft released in June 2024 (see previous COSSA coverage), is set to take effect on December 31, 2025, and provides clarification on the definitions of Article, Manuscript, Final Published Article, Official Date of…
Trump Announces Appointments to Science Team
On December 22, President-elect Trump announced on Truth Social his picks for top White House science positions. Michael Kratsios, an alum of the first Trump Administration, will be nominated as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Kratsios previously served as Trumpās Chief Technology Officer and later as Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in DOD. Kratsios will also serve as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, known commonly as the Presidentās Science Advisor. The OSTP position requires Senate confirmation, but the Science Advisor does not. Kratsios holds a BA in politics from…
NASEM Requests Nominations for Experts for Study of Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Homeland Security Statistics
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is seeking experts for a new consensus study on the Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Homeland Security Statistics. These experts will work with the Office for Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), housed within the Department of Homeland Security, to ensure statistics within the agency align with federal standards, enhancing āthe relevance, credibility, objectivity, and public trust of their statistics to support evidence-based decision makingā. Experts are requested in the following areas: Nominations can be submitted here by January 8.