Search Results: AI
NIJ Seeking Applicants for W.E.B. Du Bois Research Program
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) within the Department of Justice (DOJ) has solicited applications for the 2023 W.E.B. Du Bois Program of Research on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System. The research program aims to identify public policy interventions to address racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. NIJ has supported funding for the W.E.B. Du Bois Program since 2000, although the program was halted between 2018 and 2021. Two categories of researchers will be selected: Applications are due April 24. More information is available on the NIJ website.
National Academies Seeking Members for Board on Environmental Change and Society
A call for nominations has been released for new members to serve on the Board on Environmental Change and Society (BECS) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Prospective new members are preferred to have expertise in social and behavioral sciences, including decision-making research, sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, environmental policy, and human-environment science. A full list of desired disciplines is available here. BECS advances the integration of social and behavioral science research into environmental science and policy through programs which explore human interactions with the biophysical environment. BECS is also focused on developing a coherent field of…
Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences Appoints Sarah A. Soule as Director
The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University, a COSSA member organization, has appointed a new director, Sarah A. Soule, who will begin her tenure September 1, 2023. Dr. Soule received a PhD in sociology from Cornell University and previously served as senior associate dean of Stanfordâs Graduate School of Business. The position was previously held by Margaret Levi, a political scientist, for eight years. More information is available on the CASBS website.
Biden Announces 2023 Class of the National Science Board
The Biden Administration has announced the appointment of the new class of members to the National Science Board (NSB). NSB is the policy-making body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) that also advises the President and Congress on federal science policy. The new members will each serve a six-year term. The new members include: With terms ending for departed NSB members Emilio Moran and Bob Groves, Deborah Ball and Wanda Ward will be the only two social and behavioral scientists serving on the 30-person Board. Ball previously served on the NSB during the Obama Administration and Ward was previously a…
118th Congress: Profile of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee
Now that the fight over who will serve as Speaker of the House has been settled, Congressional committees are starting to take shape, albeit later than originally planned. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) has been chosen to serve as chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee; Lucas served as Ranking Member in the last Congress. In a press release, Lucas stated his hope to continue working in a bipartisanship manner with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the ranking Democrat. Lofgren replaces Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) who retired at the end of the last Congress. However, not all of Lucasâ stated…
House Votes to Establish Select Committee on China
On January 10, the House of Representatives established a new Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. The Committee, which will have bipartisan membership and will be chaired by Mike Gallagher (R-WI), is authorized to hold public hearings and âto investigate and submit policy recommendations on the status of the Chinese Communist Partyâs economic, technological, and security progress and its competition with the United States.â However, the Committee will not have legislative authority, meaning it will not have the authority to develop or consider legislation. The establishment of the Committee is another…
Sen. Chuck Grassley Seeking Information on Science Fellows Serving in the Biden Administration
In December, Politico reported on what some view as a growing influence of Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, in the Biden Administration. The article cited financial support provided by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), which receives funding from Schmidt, for salaries of fellows serving in the Administration under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program. The IPA program is widely used across the federal government to allow for the temporary placement of non-governmental employees to federal agency posts for a short period of time âwhen this movement serves a sound public purpose.â The employeesâ salaries are paid by their…
OSTP Announces âYear of Open Science,â Doubles Up with Scientific Integrity Policies
On January 11, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a fact sheet detailing several actions aiming to advance open science and research while dubbing this year the âYear of Open Science.â The announcement comes in the wake of the recent guidance aiming to increase public access to federally funded research (see previous COSSA coverage). Some of the notable actions include developing an official definition of âopen science,â requiring federal agencies to update their public access plans, and publishing a new online resource for the public to learn about engaging in open science programs. A few…
William T. Grant Foundation Seeking Applicants for Scholars Program
The William T. Grant Foundation has opened their online application for the 2023 Scholars Program. The William T. Grant Foundation supports social, behavioral, and health science researchers through encouraging researchers to expand their focus areas. The program provides $350,000 over a five-year period to develop a research plan to provide solutions for inequity and/or build strategies for improving the use of research evidence. Applicants require a nomination from their university to be eligible for the grant. The 2023 Scholars Program Application Guide has been released to aid potential applicants. The deadline to apply is July 5, 2023.
ICYMI: Congress Finalizes FY 2023 Spending Deal, COSSA Releases Analysis for Science Agencies
At the end of last year, House and Senate Appropriations Committees released details of the massive fiscal year (FY) 2023 omnibus appropriations and supplemental spending package. The omnibus includes all twelve annual appropriations bills as well as one-time emergency funding for disaster relief and support to Ukraine. Congress took up the package before the December 23 continuing resolution was set to expire, thereby completing the FY 2023 appropriations process, albeit nearly three months late. As noted, the final package contains $27 billion in emergency supplemental funding to help respond to recent natural disasters and extreme weather events. Within the disaster…
Congress Tacks ARPA-H Authorization onto FY 2023 Spending Deal
The finalization of appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2023 received plenty of attention by the research community for its investments in federal research agencies. However, another important provision was the authorization of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Touted as a major priority for the Biden Administration, ARPA-H is a âhigh-risk, high-rewardâ advanced biomedical research agency established in 2022 after receiving initial funding in the FY 2022 appropriations bill. Despite receiving funds, it had not yet been authorized through legislation until it was attached to the FY 2023 appropriations omnibus last month (see COSSAâs analysis). The long-awaited authorization…
118th Congress Convenes Amidst Historic Speaker Conflict
The 118th Congress has officially kicked off with Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) winning the speakership in the House on January 7 after a protracted fight within the Republican party. All House members were sworn in upon McCarthyâs election; reelected and newly elected Senators were sworn in on January 3. While many questions remain, details about what we can expect this year under the Republican-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate are starting to emerge. This week, the House passed its rules package for the 118th Congress, which includes several provisions making headlines. In order to secure the votes needed to win the…
National Science and Technology Council Releases Roadmap on Information Integrity Research and Development
The White Houseâs National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has released The Roadmap for Researchers on Priorities Related to Information Integrity Research and Development. The report identifies combating misinformation as a high priority target for researchers, citing the harmful nature it can have on the public. According to the roadmap, the NSTC will focus its efforts on the following areas: The roadmap is intended to guide research in understanding and combating corrupted and manipulated information while protecting freedom of expression and speech. Notably, the roadmap includes an action plan that details different actions that could be taken by different actors…
Submissions Closing for Mark Kleiman Memorial Lecture
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Law and Justice (CLAJ) is accepting submissions for the 2023 Mark Kleiman Innovation for Public Policy Memorial Lecture. The lecture is an annual award intended to be granted to early career researchers in criminal justice decision making and public policy. Along with a monetary prize, the awardee is given the opportunity to present at a meeting of the National Academies. Submissions will be accepted through January 14. More information is available here.
COSSA Welcomes National Communication Association Back as Governing Member
COSSA is excited to welcome the National Communication Association (NCA) back as a Governing Member. NCA originally joined COSSA in 2000 and works to âpromot[e] the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems.â The organization moved to non-governing membership in 2022 amidst a leadership transition but has returned to its governing seat in 2023. âAs a critical field of social science, the expertise and perspectives of communication scholarship has been…
Margaret Weigers Vitullo to Lead Linguistic Society of America
The Linguistic Society of America (LSA), a COSSA Governing and Founding Member, has announced the appointment of Margaret Weigers Vitullo as its next Executive Director starting January 31. A sociologist by training, Vitullo has served as Deputy Director of the American Sociological Association (ASA)âanother COSSA founding memberâfor the last five years and before that as ASAâs Director of Academic and Professional Affairs. She previously served as chair of the sociology department at Gallaudet University and worked at the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research in the Department of Health and Human Services. âWe are thrilled we get to continue…
March COSSA Headlines & Discussion on the FY 2024 Funding Outlook for Social & Behavioral Science Research
COSSA’s regular webinar series, COSSA Headlines, is back for 2023 and kicked off on March 16 with a discussion on President Biden’s FY 2024 budget request for science and outlook for research funding in the new Congress. The COSSA team also highlighted ways social and behavioral science researchers can weigh on with their elected officials to support federal research funding. View the presentation slides here.
FY 2023 Spending Deal in Sight?
The federal government is scheduled to run out of money unless Congress acts by Friday, December 16 when the current continuing resolution (CR) will expire. Lawmakers have been working since returning from the midterm elections to strike a deal on top-line funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2023. However, debates over how to divvy up limited resources between defense and non-defense accounts coupled with the incoming Republican takeover in the House come January have made progress slow. Still lawmakers could announce as early as today a framework that will allow them to proceed on a large omnibus spending package and…
COSSA Seeks Undergraduate Intern for Spring 2023
COSSA is now searching for candidates for a Spring intern. This internship would be of interest to undergraduate students wishing to learn about advocacy/government relations, federal science policy, and/or non-profit organizations. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis and preference will go towards applicants who are available to work hybrid to prepare for in-person activities for 2023 Social Science Advocacy Day. If you know an undergraduate student who may be interested in a COSSA internship for Spring semester, please email Ben Goodrich (bgoodrich@cossa.org). More information about the internship is available in the description.
Congress to Consider Standing Up Advanced Research Efforts in USDA
On December 6, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing to discuss potential research related provisions that may become part of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill â the critical agriculture bill re-authorized every five years. Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics (REE) at the Department of Agriculture Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young was a witness for the hearing. Notably, Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR), and several bipartisan Members of the Committee were particularly interested in discussing the possibility of appropriating funds for an Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA), a high-risk, high-reward research agency within…