Search Results: open access
Biden Administration Releases Report on Mental Health Research
The Biden Administration, alongside the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Domestic Policy Council (DPC), released a report on Mental Health Research Priorities. The blueprint follows the Administrationâs Strategy to Address Our National Mental Health Crisis within the Unity Agenda released in March of last year, and received funding through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022. Among the priorities are: advancing mental health intervention and treatment through improving digital intervention and treatment methods; improving treatment for serious mental illness; preventing suicide; and expanding the mental health workforce while providing improved support. The report also…
NASEM releases Behavioral Economics: Policy Impact and Future Directions Report
The Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences (BBCSS) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has released a new report titled Behavioral Economics: Policy Impact and Future Directions. As a field developing strongly since the mid-20th century, behavioral economics has produced influential research from its findings between economists and psychologists. In this report, the contributions and impacts of the field are assessed across seven public policy fields: health, retirement benefits, climate change, social safety net benefits, climate change, education, and criminal justice. In addition to discussing the application of behavioral economics into governmental outputs, the report addresses ways to…
JASON Releases Report on NSFâs Pending Research on Research Security Program
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has commissioned a report by JASON, the independent scientific and national security advisory body, on NSFâs proposed âResearch on Research Securityâ program. This program has been in development as part of the push towards securing the U.S. research enterprise over the past few years, and is intended to provide funding to scientifically examine aspects of research security (see previous coverage). The JASON report aims to consider what this program might look like at NSF and how it would impact research security policy throughout the federal government. Notably, the JASON report states that the âsocial sciences…
NSF Accepting Proposals for New GRANTED Equity and Diversity Program
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting proposals for the Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) program, a new initiative within NSFâs Broadening Participation efforts aiming to provide funding for strategies to address inequalities and challenges within the research enterprise. The GRANTED program may support research and development on inequalities but may also support administrative and infrastructure needs to achieve equity in research. Proposals for the GRANTED program should center around at least one of the following main themes: The GRANTED Program holds weekly office hours every Wednesday to address questions and concerns. The program does…
NASEM Releases Interactive Webpage for ADEI in STEMM Report, Announces WorkshopÂ
As previously reported, the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released their report on Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine (STEMM) Organizations in February of this year. The report identified structural barriers to minoritized groupsâ access to STEMM fields and outlined several recommendations as to how the scientific community can combat those barriers and better implement ADEI principles. To further the reach and understanding of the report, NASEM has now produced an interactive webpage which explores the reportâs findings and provides exploratory functions for learning more about each subject. The…
SEAN Report Addresses COVID-19 Related Challenges for Individuals with Precarious Employment
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicineâs (NASEM) Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) has released itâs latest rapid expert consultation, Addressing COVID-19 Related Challenges Facing Individuals Engaged in Precarious Employment. SEAN provides social, behavioral, and economic science researchers with resources to produce rapid-fire reports and recommendations to influence policy decisions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic (see previous COSSA coverage). In this latest report, SEAN considers the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees in jobs that are considered to have low security, such as jobs with low wages and low benefits. The report found that employees in these positions had…
House Energy and Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on Data Privacy and Security
On March 1, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on data security, mass data collection, and the need to protect Americansâ privacy in the wake of resulting targeted ads and the vulnerability of consumer data. Salient points regarding the necessity for data security, with implications for researchers and anyone concerned about privacy standards were discussed at length. Witnesses included President and CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology Alexandra Reeve Givens, Founder and Chief Product Officer of Anonym Graham Mudd, and Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor for Consumer Protection at Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP…
NASEM President Marcia McNutt Speaks on History of Research Funding at AAAS Meeting
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held itâs 2023 Annual Meeting on March 2-5 in Washington DC. During the conference, Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) provided a keynote address, The Past, Present, and Future of our Research Enterprise. McNutt discussed the evolution of science funding through the years, particularly referencing the decline of funding after the Cold War. McNutt noted that the research enterprise in the United States does not have the capacity to meet demand for scientific insights, and oftentimes, funding falls short. McNutt recommended improving funding and access to education,…
House Science Committee Approves Authorization and Oversight Plan
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing on February 8 to organize and establish the committee rules. The hearing was also used to review and accept the committeeâs Authorization and Oversight Plan for the new term. The Authorization and Oversight Plan details the committeeâs rules, authorizations, and priorities. Among the planâs priorities include reauthorizations of several federal agencies and oversight of recently enacted bills, including the CHIPS and Science Act (previous COSSA coverage). The plan prioritizes research, notably with a focus on STEM, and the protection of research from foreign theft. The House Science Committee acknowledged the…
The U.S. Global Change Research Program Releases their 2022â2031 Strategic Plan
The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) released itâs 2022-2031 Strategic Plan on December 6. USGCRP is an interagency effort that works to identify and coordinate research activities related to global climate change and other issues across the federal government. The plan includes four pillars to guide itâs work over the next decade: The full strategic plan is available here.Â
Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis Request Comments on Data Collection Security
The U.S. Census Bureau and US Bureau of Economic Analysis have released a request for comments related to the collection of data from the public âto fulfill their data security requirements when providing access to restricted use microdata related to evidence building.â As part of the agenciesâ ongoing implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (or Evidence Act), the White House of Office Management and Budget (OMB) established a Standard Application Process (SAP) for researchers to use when requesting access to confidential government data assets. The request for comment related data security requirements seek to understand if…
DBASSE Celebrates 60 Years and Looks to the Future
On October 13, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine held a symposium celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE). During the two-day event, presenters revisited some of the Divisionâs most notable activities and reports, such as the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) and the report on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science, to name a few. Later, speakers explored some of the topics that could dominate in the years ahead and how social science can contribute. In the words of former Director of the National Science Foundation Rita Colwell, âThis is…
NIH Creates New Scientific Diversity Advisor Position
The Division Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) within the Office of the Director (OD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking to fill a new role, Scientific Diversity Advisor. This position will be tasked with leading the development and implementation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. The ideal candidate should have a Ph.D., experience identifying and addressing DEIA gaps, and prior scientific and/or policy knowledge of biomedical, behavioral, or social science research relevant to DEIA. Details about the position are available at USA JOBS.
CNSTAT Releases Report on a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) recently released the report Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Mobilizing Information for the Common Good. The report offers an ambitious vision and roadmap for bringing the U.S. data infrastructure in line with the nationâs need for reliable, accessible statistics and social and economic research. During a recent seminar celebrating CNSTATâs 50th anniversary, CNSTAT Chair Robert Groves of Georgetown University offered additional context for the report, noting the convergence of increasing survey costs, all-time low response rates, and the unprecedented amount of digital data now…
ICYMI: Arati Prabhakar Confirmed as OSTP Director
In September, the Senate confirmed President Bidenâs nominee for Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Arati Prabhakar, by a vote of 56-40. Prabhakar, who is a former Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), had been nominated in June to take charge of the office that has been led in the interim by OSTP Deputy Director for Science and Society Alondra Nelson (see previous COSSA coverage). Prabhakar is also expected to assume the role of the Presidentâs science adviser, which had been carried out by former Director of the National Institutes of…
White House Releases Biennial Report on International Science & Technology Cooperation
In September, a subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a report on international collaboration related to science and technology. The report, which is a Congressionally mandated biennial document, identifies strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. approach to international scientific collaboration and offers recommendations on how to strengthen U.S. leadership in international science and technology. The report acknowledges that the U.S. remains a global leader in many areas of science and is successfully attracting and retaining talented foreign scientists. However, it also notes that other countries…
Bureau of Justice Statistics Announces Innovative Newsletter
After being appointed as the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in August 2022, Dr. Alexis Piquero expressed his commitment to making justice statistics and data more accessible to the public, including by releasing data more quickly and in easy-to-read formats. To this end, BJS has announced âJust the Stats,â a series of short reports that will modernize the process of releasing data to the public. The timeline for releasing the first report is not yet known; however, stakeholders have been invited to subscribe here.
OBSSR Requesting Comments on Draft Priorities for 2023-2028 Strategic Plan
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a Request for Information aiming to gather stakeholder feedback on the draft priorities and strategic objectives for the Office in their 2023-2028 Strategic Plan. These draft priorities are the result of evaluation of the previous strategic plan, a previous Request for Information, and multiple listening sessions with internal and external NIH stakeholders. The draft strategic plan provides a framework with three major scientific priorities which each carry their own objectives: Improve the synergy between basic behavioral and social sciences research and research…
White House Provides Updates on Social and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee & Upcoming Framework
The White House has released a memo providing updates on the activities of the National Science and Technology Councilâs (NSTC) Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Subcommittee, including the development of a whole-of-government framework on the use of SBS research to advance evidence-based policymaking by April 30, 2023. The SBS Subcommittee was recently rechartered by the Biden Administration as part of a âYear of Evidence for Actionâ after being sidelined during the previous Administration. The Subcommittee has established interagency working groups on five policy priorities to assist with the development of the SBS framework. These working groups are tasked with applying…
National Academies Study Addresses Lack of Diversity in Clinical Trials and Research
The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a report on diversity in clinical trials and research. The consensus study report, Improving Diversity Across the Clinical Trial and Research Ecosystem examined data from various organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, and found, generally, a significant lack of data on diversity on clinical trials. The report cites the lack of standardization of demographic data collection across organizations as a barrier to accessing this type of information. The report details the current atmosphere around clinical trials and research, and the lack of diversity within them, which can lead…