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Subscribe to the COSSA Washington Update ! ! ! I consent to receive emails from the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA). Terms and Conditions checkbox is required. Subscribe Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again. Did you know? COSSA Members Get More If you belong to a COSSA member organization, you can sign up for members-only emails to receive as-they-happen updates on new developments impacting the social and behavioral sciences, analysis of pending legislation and agency policies, time-sensitive action alerts, and access to members-only resources and events like webinars, training, and opportunities to engage with policymakers….
Evidence Advisory Committee Recommends Establishment of a National Data Service
The Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence Building (ACDEB) released its first report on October 29. The Committee was created by the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (“Evidence Act,” see previous coverage) and given two years to make recommendations for promoting evidence-building in the federal government, including evaluating the need for and value of a potential National Secure Data Service (NSDS) to facilitate linking data from across the federal government. The ACDEB report affirms the need for the establishment of a NSDS and outlines a broad vision for such a service as a “quasi- or non-governmental entity that is sponsored…
House Science Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Social Media Data Research
On September 28, the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight within the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (SST) held a hearing on social media platforms, data, and research focused on misinformation spread. Witnesses at the hearing included Professor and Interim Dean at Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University Dr. Alan Mislove; Ph.D. Candidate and Co-Director of Cybersecurity for Democracy at New York University Laura Edelson; and Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Sociology Dr. Kevin Leicht. Subcommittee Chair Bill Foster (D-IL), Ranking Member Jay Obernolte (R-CA), and Full Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)…
ASA Task Force Releases Report on Quality of 2020 Census State Totals
The Task Force on 2020 Census Quality Indicators convened by the American Statistical Association (ASA), a COSSA governing member, released its final report on September 14. That task force, chaired by former U.S. Chief Statistician Nancy Potok, was formed in September 2020 to assess the quality of data from the 2020 Census, given the challenges of conducting the census during the pandemic and concerns about political interference from the Trump Administration. The task force evaluated a set of 10 state-level “process statistics” relevant for evaluating the quality of census state-level totals used for apportionment and concluded that it found “no…
White House Outlines R&D Budget Priorities for FY 2023
The White House has published a memorandum on Research & Development Priorities for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Budget, a document that lays out the Administration’s priorities for federal research agencies to consider when drafting their budget requests. This memo, which is traditionally released annually by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), is the first such memo released by the Biden Administration. It outlines five cross-cutting themes for agencies to consider for their budgets: pandemic readiness and prevention; tackling climate change; research and innovation in emerging technologies; innovation in…
NSF Awards “America’s Data Hub” Contract
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a contract to establish the America’s Data Hub Consortium, a network intended to “strengthen, support, and advance the NCSES mission by engaging in ground-breaking activities related to data access and sharing, infrastructure, and analysis across the broad landscape of the science and engineering enterprise.” The contract was awarded to Advanced Technology International, a nonprofit R&D collaboration firm. The Consortium’s primary objectives are to “Develop new ways of acquiring and linking data to yield valuable insights into critical issues Support cutting-edge data infrastructure Build…
OSTP and NSF Request Input on National Resource for Artificial Intelligence Research
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have issued a request for information (RFI) developing an implementation roadmap for a shared artificial intelligence (AI) research infrastructure. The RFI was issued through the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force, which was directed by Congress to establish a “shared research infrastructure that would provide Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers and students across scientific disciplines with access to computational resources, high-quality data, educational tools, and user support.” More information about the RFI is available in the Federal Register notice. Comments are due by October…
COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 Resources Home » COVID-19 Resources Information & Analysis from COSSA Fighting COVID-19 with Social Science: Resources for Congressional Offices Fighting COVID-19 with Social Science: Examples from the Research COSSA’s Letter to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on Science Priorities within COVID-19 Legislation, April 13, 2020 COSSA’s Analysis of COVID-19 Supplemental Funding Legislation, March 31, 2020 COSSA Headlines Webinar – May 2020, featuring University of Florida epidemiologist Natalie Dean, May 14, 2020 COSSA Headlines Webinar – April 2020, featuring deep dive on communication strategies in an emerging public health crisis, April 9, 2020 COSSA Headlines Webinar – March 2020,…
Why Social Science?
About Social Science Home » About Social Science » Why Social Science? About Social Science Why Social Science? University Rankings Federal Funding by State Why Social Science? is a COSSA initiative that shares relatable and accessible information about research in the social and behavioral sciences with public audiences by highlighting the benefits and contributions of this research and encouraging its widespread use in tackling challenges of national importance. The primary home for this activity is a dedicated website, www.whysocialscience.com, which serves as COSSA’s centralized hub for social science information written for a lay audience. The main feature of the site…
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Members-Only Emails Home » Members » Subscribe to Member Messages Members Join COSSA Member Benefits Pay COSSA Dues Subscribe to Members-Only Emails Subscribe to Members-Only Updates from COSSA Anyone employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization is eligible to receive exclusive members-only emails with timely updates on new developments impacting the social and behavioral sciences, analysis of pending legislation and agency policies, time-sensitive action alerts, and access to members-only resources and events like webinars, training, and opportunities to engage with policymakers. Questions about these emails may be directed to Elyse Bailey (ebailey@cossa.org). "*" indicates required fields Name* First…
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Defense Secretary Proposes Closer DOD/University Connections Including More Social Science Research (April 21, 2008)
In celebration of COSSA’s 40th anniversary, we are diving into the decades of Washington Update archives to share articles from years past that resonate with today’s news. “Too many mistakes have been made over the years because our government and military did not understand – or even seek to understand – the countries or cultures we were dealing with.” With those words in a speech to the Association of American Universities (AAU), Robert Gates, Secretary of the Department of Defense (DOD), issued a call to academia to help the U.S. return, in Arthur Schlesinger’s words, “to the acceptance of eggheads…
AAAS Fellows to Host Symposium on COVID-19 & Health Inequities
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellows will host a day-long symposium addressing “Health Inequities Exposed and Exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic’” on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. The symposium will feature expert panels on healthcare access, health literacy, and the long-term social, behavioral, and economic impacts of COVID-19 mitigation efforts. More information about the symposium is available here.
COSSA Headlines
Join us for our quarterly COSSA Headlines webchat to recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past quarter and answer your questions. Stick around for a deep dive discussion on a new and timely topic. Details on how to access the webinar will be emailed to participants the week of the event. For questions about this event, please contact Ben Goodrich (bgoodrich@cossa.org).
COSSA Headlines
Join us for our quarterly COSSA Headlines webchat to recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past quarter and answer your questions. Stick around for a deep dive discussion on a new and timely topic. Details on how to access the webinar will be emailed to participants the week of the event. For questions about this event, please contact Ben Goodrich (bgoodrich@cossa.org).
In the News
About Us Home » About Us » In the News About Us Board of Directors Our Team Bylaws Annual Awards In the News History In the News UMich awarded most federal funding in nation for social science research, Nadia Taeckens, The Michigan Daily, April 3, 2023 What is COSSA Doing for You?, Kim Gilliam, AmStat News, February 1, 2023 Inside the White House Roadmap for Information Integrity Research, Tim Bernard, Tech Policy Press, January 31, 2023 Practical Significance | Episode 23 [podcast]: Get to Know COSSA!, American Statistical Association, October 28, 2022 Penn State researchers support social science through COSSA…
Minerva Research Initiative Announces FY 2021 Funding Opportunities
The Minerva Research Initiative, the signature social science research program within the Department of Defense (DOD), has announced research opportunities for fiscal year (FY) 2021 and listed several target research topics for the program. Minerva aims to apply social science research to critical national security questions and inform broader DOD decision-making based on this research. The following nine topics have been listed as key areas of interest for research to address: Social Implications of Environmental Change Resource Competition, Social Cohesion, and Strategic Climate Resilience Security Risks in Ungoverned, Semi-Governed, and Differently-Governed Spaces Analysis of Foreign Influence Operations in Cross-Cultural Perspective…
Department of Education Seeking Comments on Education Research, COVID-19, and Equity
On May 3, the U.S. Department of Education released a request for comments on proposed priorities and definitions within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. The request cites two proposed priorities that will be used to tailor the EIR program to address timely issues: (1) Measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and teachers; and (2) Promoting equity in students’ access to educational opportunities. The request also proposes three new definitions to be used for applications of the EIR program: “High-quality tutoring”, defined as tutoring based on evidence-based strategies to support…
National Academies Convenes Activities Exploring the Future of Education Research and Statistics
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has launched several activities in partnership with the Department of Education to identify areas for growth in the fields of education research and education statistics in the federal government, especially programs within the Department’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). On May 10, the National Academies panel on A Vision and Roadmap for Education Statistics in 2030 and Beyond held its first public meeting to develop a plan for modernizing education statistics at IES’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) by the year 2030. The panel will produce a report that prioritizes…
COSSA Statement in Support of the National Science Foundation for the Future Act (H.R. 2225)
The Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) is pleased to endorse the bipartisan National Science Foundation for the Future Act (H.R. 2225), introduced by leaders of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Haley Stevens (D-MI), and Michael Waltz (R-FL). We are especially appreciative of the open and consultative process used to develop this important legislation and attention paid to the utility of the social and behavioral sciences in bringing scientific findings to bear on solving critical societal challenges. Further, the NSF for the Future Act takes a holistic approach to NSF…