Volume 45 (2026)
White House Proposes Sweeping Changes to Federal Grant Rules – Comments Due July 13
At the end of May, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a proposed rule, Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, that would make major changes to the Uniform Guidance governing federal financial assistance, including federal research grants. The rule would implement proposals made by the Trump Administration through various executive orders over the last year, including the Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking order and Restoring Gold Standard Science order, among others. Among the changes are, but not limited to: Proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance have been anticipated for several months. Still the sweeping nature of the changes, if implemented, would fundamentally alter the…
Register Now: COSSA Town Hall: Updates on Efforts to Save SBE & Other NSF Issues
It has been a particularly challenging few months for the National Science Foundation (NSF), between a massive, proposed budget cut, removal of members of the National Science Board (NSB), and the proposal to eliminate the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE). Along with our many partners across the STEM enterprise, COSSA has been working tirelessly to urge Congress to reject the President’s proposal to eliminate the SBE Directorate in FY 2027. We have also been engaging on the many other challenges currently confronting NSF. On June 4, join us for the next Town Hall meeting to hear the latest on the…
Congress to Review Appropriations Bills Ahead of Midterm Elections
As previously reported, Congress has officially turned to its work on the fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills. The House Appropriations Committee has already advanced 7 of the 12 spending bills out of committee, including the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) bill (see analysis). The House has kept to the schedule they released in April, and is on track to mark up the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill later this week on June 5 (watch live here). On the other side of the Hill, the Senate has started working on their respective bills and…
Battacharya Defends NIH Budget to Senate Appropriators
On May 21, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) defended the NIH fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget request before the Senate Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee. During the hearing, Bhattacharya fielded concerns from both sides of the aisle about the Trump Administration’s proposed 12 percent cut to the agency (see analysis). In her opening remarks, Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) voiced her support for NIH-funded research, and highlighted the importance of cancer research and supporting rural communities. When remarks turned to Ranking Member Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the Senator pressed the Director…
Register Now: Shaping the Next Era of NIMHD Science Webinar
Registration is now open for The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)’s upcoming public webinar Shaping the Next Era of NIMHD Science: Current Status, Emerging Opportunities, and Scientific Priorities. In this public webinar, NIMHD leadership will provide updates on NIMHD’s vision of health disparities science, emerging research opportunities to address health disparities and improve population health, as well as current scientific priorities. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A. Speakers include: The webinar will be taking place on June 22 at 1:00pm EST. Register now via the online form. Send any questions or comments to nimhdinfo@nimhd.nih.gov.
COSSA’s Analysis of the FY 2027 House CJS Appropriations Bill for Federal Science Agencies
The House Appropriations Committee has begun consideration of its fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills. The Committee is working to approve all 12 funding bills by the end of June. On May 13, the Appropriations Committee reported out the FY 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill, which includes funding proposals for the National Science Foundation (NSF), Census Bureau, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and other agencies. As we saw last year, the FY 2027 House CJS bill includes cuts to federal science agencies but does not go as far as the President’s budget request,…
Action Alert Reminder: Tell Congress to Save NSF’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate!
In early April, the Trump Administration released its budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2027. In it, the Administration states its intent to dismantle the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate in FY 2027. The SBE Directorate is responsible for nearly two-thirds of funding for academic research in the social and behavioral sciences in the U.S. However, even more concerning are reports that NSF leadership may be taking steps to begin dismantling the Directorate this year. In response to this news, COSSA immediately issued an action alert that has resulted in more than 2,000 letters being sent…
Congress Turns to Appropriations After Returning from May Recess
Following a week-long May recess, Congress has turned their attention toward the fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations process. As previously reported, the House has set their schedule for advancing their appropriations bills through May and June. On May 13, the House Appropriations Committee reported out the Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) budget bill—which includes funding proposals for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Census Bureau, and more (see related article). The Committee is also scheduled to review the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) budget bill—which includes funding proposals for the National Institutes of…
🔦 SPOTLIGHT ON NSF: Scientific Community Fights for NSF
It has been a particularly challenging few months for the National Science Foundation (NSF), between a massive, proposed budget cut, removal of members of the National Science Board (NSB), and the proposal to eliminate the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE). The research community has spent much of the Spring pushing back and urging Congress to defend NSF. Saving the SBE Directorate COSSA along with our many partners across the STEM enterprise have been working tirelessly to urge Congress to reject the President’s proposal to eliminate the SBE Directorate in FY 2027. With House and Senate appropriators currently at work on their FY…
Nominations Open for 2026 NIH Matilda White Riley Honoree
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is now accepting nominations for outstanding behavioral and social scientists as Distinguished Lecturer candidates at the 19th 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 “advanced behavioral and social scientific knowledge in areas within NIH’s mission and that expands upon Dr. White Riley’s work.” More information is available on the OBSSR website. Nominee information should be saved…
The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2026 Released
The National Science Board (NSB) recently released The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2026 report. Every two years, the NSB prepares this report, which examines the state of U.S. science and engineering over time and within a global context. It summarizes key findings in areas such as education and workforce; U.S. and international research and development performance, including in high-tech industries; and technology transfer, invention and innovation. In the 2026 report, the NSB highlights many key takeaways including: This report, the thematic reports, and the online data tool together make up the full suite of products. You can access them…
Social Science Research Council Names Daniel Goroff as President
On May 18, the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) named Daniel Goroff as its 16th president. Prior to his appointment, Goroff served as the Vice President and Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Deputy Director for Science and Society at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and Division Director for Social and Economic Sciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF). About his appointment, Goroff stated: “For more than a century, the Social Science Research Council has been a force for good by fostering inquiry, marshaling evidence, and helping turn research insights into public impact. Today’s global…
COSSA’s Analysis of the President’s FY 2027 Budget Request for Social and Behavioral Science
On April 3, the Trump Administration released its budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2027. The document released by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) highlights actions the Administration has taken during its first year in office to cut spending across the federal government, stating that, “The full-year 2026 appropriations bills enacted the first real cut to spending in 12 years…[and] put us on a path to eliminate ineffective Federal agencies that do not serve a useful purpose…” The FY 2027 budget seeks additional cuts, including a 10 percent reduction to non-defense discretionary spending, while proposing a staggering $1.5…
Meet COSSA’s Policy Intern: Malia Gunterman
Malia Gunterman started as COSSA’s policy intern in January. 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 learned about COSSA in my search for internship opportunities last summer. After discovering that my university is a COSSA member, I became interested in how social sciences might fit into my academic career. I was fortunate to connect with the COSSA team and become a policy intern for the Spring term. How did the internship fit into your…
House Releases Science Funding Bill that would Slash NSF Budget
On April 30, the House Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee advanced their fiscal year (FY) 2027 CJS bill along party lines. The CJS bill includes funding proposals for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). Notably, the House has once again rejected the 55 percent funding cut to NSF included in the President’s budget request; however, NSF would still see a 20 percent reduction under this bill. Included in the bill are the following amounts: More details are expected to be released in the coming weeks when…
HHS Secretary Defends FY 2027 Budget before House Energy and Commerce Committee
On April 21, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the HHS fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget request to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which provides oversight to public health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Following his testimony to the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee the previous week, Secretary Kennedy again highlighted several priority areas for the Administration, including vaccine efficacy, agriculture and food safety, rural health, national security, and the cost of health insurance and medicine in the…
Trump Administration Fires National Science Board
On April 24, all 22 members of the National Science Board (NSB) received an email from the Trump Administration stating that they have been “terminated, effective immediately.” The NSB, which was established by statute in 1950, serves as the policymaking and oversight body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and as an independent advisor to the President and Congress on federal science policy. COSSA issued a statement on the dismissal. White House officials are stating that the decision responds to a 2021 Supreme Court case, U.S. v. Arthrex, that “raised constitutional questions about whether non-Senate confirmed appointees can exercise the authorities that Congress…
AAAS Accepting Nominations for 2027 Awards & Prizes
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced that nominations are now open for the following awards and prizes: 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, 2026 and winners will be announced in early 2027. Learn more on the AAAS website.