Issue 21 (November 3)

COSSA will be hosting two final members-only Headlines Webinars for 2026 in November and December. See the information below and register to attend:

• Midterm Elections 2026 and Social and Behavioral Science Research: On November 19, join COSSA as we discuss the results of the 2026 midterm elections and the implications for federal social science policy and the research community in the upcoming 120th Congress. Register now and join the conversation.
• Reviewing 2026 & What’s Next: On December 17, join COSSA for the final Headlines webinar of the year. We will cover key policy developments and Congressional activity that affected the social and behavioral sciences in 2026 and preview what’s ahead for 2027. Register now and join the conversation.

Headlines is a webinar series available exclusively to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.

COSSA’s annual Social Science Advocacy Day is BACK and will be taking place April 5-6, 2027 in Washington, DC! This signature, members-only event brings together social and behavioral science researchers, faculty, students, association professionals, and other advocates from across the country to meet with their elected officials in Congress to discuss the value of our sciences and the importance of federal funding.

Stay tuned for additional details in the coming weeks. Early bird registration will be here before you know it! Until then, mark your calendars and share this exciting opportunity with your colleagues.

We hope to see you in Washington, DC in April 2027!

Visit the COSSA website for the latest information on Social Science Advocacy Day.

It’s election day in America and the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate is up for grabs, not to mention the countless state and local races that promise to have lasting impact. COSSA is closely monitoring the results of the elections and will be providing an analysis in the coming days, including what the results could mean for funding and policy for social and behavioral science research. In the meantime, COSSA urges all registered voters to exercise their fundamental right and vote!

Democratic lawmakers are preparing for a potential change in leadership in the House following today’s midterm elections. Democrats on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee have identified several ways they would assert their oversight authority over Trump Administration actions should they gain the majority next year. Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has been most vocal in her concerns about the Administration’s dismantling of federal science agencies and would be expected to hit the ground running with oversight and investigations as chair of the committee should Democrats gain the majority next year.  

Uncertainty mounts at the National Science Foundation (NSF) with the recent announcement of the upcoming departure of Acting Director Brian Stone and Acting Chief of Staff Rebecca Keiser. According to an internal staff memo, Stone announced his plans to retire at the end of the year, while Keiser will depart at the end of November. The White House is said to be working with the agency to identify a new acting director.

As COSSA has been reporting, NSF has been without a Senate confirmed director since the departure of Sethuraman Panchanathan in April of last year. The President’s nominee, Jim O’Neill, has not yet received a vote by the Senate. The research community has raised concerns about O’Neill’s qualifications to serve as NSF head given his lack of scientific research experience.

Despite the lack of permanent leadership at NSF, the White House has significantly reshaped the agency over the last year, aligning its activities with Trump Administration priorities and away from NSF’s basic science, investigator-initiated research mission. Under acting leadership and as directed by the White House, NSF experienced extensive grant terminations, proposed budget reductions, changes to fellowship programs, dismissal of the National Science Board, and the defunding of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE). Members of Congress have voiced serious concern about these actions, especially without adequate leadership at the helm of the agency.

Keiser’s departure raises additional questions about the future of NSF’s research security office, which she established as the agency’s inaugural chief of research security in 2020. The CHIPS and Science Act requires NSF to maintain a chief of research security and four full-time staff members. NSF is reviewing candidates for a permanent replacement, while Dean Evasius is serving in an acting leadership capacity.

Rob Moller, head of NSF’s Office of Legislative and Public Affairs, will become acting chief of staff following Keiser’s departure. 

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) will meet for the first time of the second Trump administration on November 6. PCAST is a body of external advisors charged with making science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations to the President and White House officials. In a departure to past councils, Trump’s PCAST is populated with several private sector executives in the tech sphere, including Oracle’s David Ellison and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Historically, PCAST largely consisted of academic and industry researchers. Venture capitalist David Sacks and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) director Michael Kratsios co-chair the panel. Watch live here. 

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is seeking experts to participate in a new study examining the use of telehealth and remote testing in Social Security Administration disability evaluations. The study will review current research on the reliability and validity of remote medical examinations, compare remote assessments with in-person testing, and identify best practices and limitations in evaluating medical severity and functional capacity.

NASEM is interested in experts with backgrounds in telehealth services and health services research, psychiatry, psychology, mental health, neurology, Social Security disability evaluation, policy, and medical assessment. The study will also examine remote intelligence and psychological testing, the use of technology in clinical examinations, and differences in telehealth practices for adult and pediatric populations.

Nominations must be submitted by November 9. Learn more and recommend an expert on the NASEM website.

This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Ananya Bamidipati.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is seeking experts to participate in a workshop examining how the criminal/legal system responds to emerging adults ages 18 to 25. The workshop will explore research on cognitive, emotional, and social development during this period and consider the implications for criminal justice policies and practices. It will also examine promising interventions to improve public safety, reduce recidivism, and promote individual and community well-being.

NASEM is interested in experts with backgrounds in adolescent and young adult development, criminology, criminal justice, psychology, sociology, law, public safety, and evidence-based justice interventions. The workshop will also consider appropriate measures of success for justice-involved emerging adults, research and data gaps, and priorities for future research.

Nominations must be submitted by November 6. Learn more and recommend an expert on the NASEM website.

This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Ananya Bamidipati.

COSSA is thrilled to welcome Pi Gamma Mu- International Honor Society in Social Sciences as its newest member! Pi Gamma Mu is the oldest and preeminent interdisciplinary social science honor society working to encourage and promote excellence in the Social Sciences and to uphold and nurture scholarship, leadership, and service.

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