Volume 44 (2025)
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 EPA’s progress in America’s 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: NASEM’s 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 “skinny budget.” On May 30, additional details emerged. Given the delay in this year’s budget release, COSSA is delivering its annual analysis of the President’s budget request in two parts. This first part contains our analysis of the Trump Administration’s 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 “Byrd Bath”
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 allocations—or topline funding levels—for 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 President’s FY 2026 before the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations subcommittee (see COSSA’s analysis). Under the President’s 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 “Congressional watchdog” 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 Administration’s 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)
‘Forward Funding’ 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 “continue 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…
NIH Employees Outline Concerns in ‘Bethesda Declaration’
On June 9, more than 340 scientists and staff at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a statement criticizing their agency’s leadership for politicizing research. The “Bethesda Declaration,” which as of today includes 484 signatories, urges NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and other leaders to reverse course on budget reductions, workforce terminations, elimination of research related to DEI, undermining of the peer review process, and instituting a blanket 15 percent indirect cost rate, among others. It is exceptionally rare for federally employees to publicly protest and criticize their own agency. In response, an open letter in support of the Bethesda Declaration has…
Kennedy Fires Then Appoints New Members Vaccine Committee
Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., dismissed all 17 members of the HHS Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a federal panel that makes vaccine policy recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The committee was formed in 1964 and has largely been comprised of experts in medicine, public health, and immunology. Following the abrupt decision, Secretary Kennedy announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter) the appointment of 8 new members to the committee, including Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD; Martin Kulldorff, MD, PhD; Retsef Levi, PhD; Robert W….
Congress Begins FY 26 Appropriations; Reconciliation Remains Uncertain
Following a brief recess for Memorial Day, Congress has returned ready to tackle both budget reconciliation and fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations. As previously reported by COSSA, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1) passed through the House in a 215-214 vote in late May, sending the tax policy package to the Senate. Many members of the Senate have since indicated that the bill would likely see many changes before passing their chamber, and, more recently, House Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA), have come out against the bill, expressing regret for having voted for it. Despite Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) self-imposed…
House and Senate Hold Policy and Budget Hearings on the Dept. of Education
With the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process ramping up, Congress has been holding hearings on budget and policy priorities for various departments and agencies, including the Department of Education. On June 3, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations subcommittee invited Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to defend the department’s FY 2026 budget request. The following day, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education,” with Secretary McMahon again testifying before the committee. The Senate LHHS budget hearing focused on the detailed…
House Science Committee Democrats Want to Hear from PIs
The Democratic staff of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee have released a survey to collect information on the impacts that grant cancellations by the Trump Administration are having on the scientific community. Researchers who have had their research grants terminated or otherwise affected since January 20 are encouraged to respond to the survey.
Latest from the White House (June 10)
President’s Budget for Next Year would Decimate Federal Science Funding On May 30, the Trump Administration began releasing additional details of its budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which begins on October 1. [Note: The FY 2026 budget request is different from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that is working its way through Congress (see COSSA’s coverage for clarification)]. While the entire budget is not yet available for certain federal agencies, the details that are available include massive cuts to agency budgets and major structural reorganizations. As always, COSSA is producing an in-depth analysis of the President’s FY 2026 budget request. Until then, a few…
Trump Science Advisor Outlines Science Vision
On May 19, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) hosted a conversation with Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). A recording is available here. A discussion with NAS President Marcia McNutt followed Kratsios’ remarks. Kratsios expressed strong opinions about the current state of the U.S. scientific enterprise, stating, “To empower America’s researchers to achieve groundbreaking discoveries and to reinvigorate our national science enterprise, we must scrutinize our existing approach and recommit ourselves to best practices.” He contended that despite “soaring” biomedical research budgets in recent years, “scientific progress has stalled,” and that “more…
Dr. Amber Northern Tasked with Reforming IES
On May 30, the Department of Education welcomed Dr. Amber Northern as Senior Advisor, announcing that she will be tasked with reforming the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). In the department’s announcement, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon was quoted: “As we return education to the states, it’s essential that educators have access to accurate data to inform their work and develop best practices. Dr. Northern’s deep expertise in education statistics and years of experience in the classroom will be an asset as we re-envision the work of IES.” Northern serves as Senior Vice President for Research at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute…
NASEM Hosts Second Annual State of the Science Address
On June 3, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) hosted the State of the Science Address, an annual discussion on the status of science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM) in the U.S. (see previous COSSA coverage). During her opening remarks, President of the National Academy of Sciences, Marcia McNutt, discussed the decline of the STEM workforce and interest in research and development (R&D) in the U.S., comparing the U.S. to global competitors, such as China. She briefly discussed the significant budget cuts and grant cancellations proposed by the Trump Administration, and the detrimental impacts they would have on the…
Now Available: May Headlines Webinar Recording
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.