Search Results: AI
House Subcommittee Discusses FY 2018 NSF Budget
On June 7, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) held a hearing on the fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget request for the National Science Foundation (NSF), featuring NSF Director France CĂłrdova. Subcommittee Chairman John Culberson (R-TX) opened the hearing by recognizing the important role NSF plays as the sole federal funder of basic research across all fields of science. Culberson also added that the subcommittee is going to work in a bi-partisan fashion to ensure that NSF is âappropriately fundedâ despite the tough budgetary environment and the appropriations process getting off to a slow…
NIH Suspends Recently-Announced Grant Support Index Policy, Launches âNext Generation Researchers Initiativeâ
On June 8, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins announced that based on feedback from the scientific community in response to the May 2 proposed policy change to use a Grant Support Index (GSI) as a means to âoptimize stewardship of tax payersâ dollars,â NIH has decided to take âa more focused approach to increase the number of NIH-funded early-staged an mid-care investigators (ESI).â Instead of the GSI, Collins announced the agency will implement a âNext Generation Researchers Initiative (NGRI).â The issue was discussed at the June 8 NIH Advisory Committee to Director (ACD) meeting following a presentation…
Collins to Stay on at NIH; Two Other Leadership Positions Announced
On June 6, the President announced that National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins will stay on as NIH director. As previously reported, Collins was asked to remain in the position in January by the new administration. Collins continues to enjoy support of the Republican leadership of committees with jurisdiction over the NIH. He was officially appointed to the post despite a May 22 letter from 41 conservative House members urging the President to appoint someone whose views are more aligned the Administrationâs âpro-life direction,â citing embryonic stem cell research and human cloning as examples. In addition, NIH recently…
Coalition to Promote Research Launches Petition Drive: âAdvancing Principles of Scientific Stewardshipâ
On June 12, the Coalition to Promote Research (CPR), which is co-led by COSSA and the American Psychological Association (a COSSA member), launched a petition drive, Advancing Principles of Scientific Stewardship. The effort is designed to make evident the support of the general public as well as the scientific community for Americaâs premier federal research enterprise, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The organizers hope to showcase the enormous unseen support for the peer/merit review process. The CPR petition highlights the general publicâs and scientific communityâs recognition that âEffective policy planning and appropriate, stable…
AAPOR Report Assesses 2016 Election Polling Performance
After Donald Trumpâs surprise win in the 2016 election, the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), a COSSA governing member, convened a committee to review the performance of pre-election polling (AAPOR has convened such committees after the past several elections). The committee, chaired by Courtney Kennedy of the Pew Research Center, recently released An Evaluation of 2016 Election Polls in the U.S., outlining its findings and recommendations. According to the committee, âWhile the general public reaction [to the election result] was that âthe polls failed,â we found the reality to be more complex â a position held by a…
CJRA and COSSA to Host âAsk a Criminologistâ Panel on Technology and Policing
The Crime & Justice Research Alliance (CJRA) (a collaborative effort of the Academy of Criminal Justice Science and the American Society of Criminology, both COSSA members) and COSSA will be hosting the second in a series of âAsk a Criminologistâ Congressional briefings on Wednesday, June 21. This interactive event will feature criminologist experts who will provide an overview of research on the latest technologies police are using across the country. Experts include CJRA Chair Dr. Nancy La Vigne of The Urban Institute, Dr. Cynthia Lum of George Mason University, Dr. Eric Piza of John Jay College, and Eddie Reyes of…
Funding Opportunity Announcements
IES: Education Research Grants (FY 2018) (CFDA 84.305A) IES: Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice or Policy (FY 2018) (CFDA 84.305H) IES: Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions (FY 2018) (CFDA 84.305L) IES: Special Education Research Grants (FY 2018) (CFDA 84.324A) IES: Research Training Programs in Special Education (FY 2018) (CFDA 84.324B) IES: Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions (FY 2018) (CFDA 84.324L) IES: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice in Special Education (FY 2018) (CFDA 84.324N) Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Events Calendar
Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, June 20-23, 2017, Mexico City, Mexico Ask a Criminologist Congressional Briefing: New Policing Technologies: What Are the Impacts to Public Safety and Civil Liberties? June 21, 2017, Washington, DC Supporting Educational Achievement with Innovations Outside the Classroom: The Lunch @ DC with Chloe Gibbs, June 23, 2017, Washington, DC Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Annual Meeting, June 23-25, 2017, Albuquerque, NM Hotspot Policing: Results from Colombia â The Lunch @ DC with Don Green, July 6, 2017, Washington, DC How Evidence Can Transform the Fight Against Poverty â The Lunch @ DC with…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 36 Issue 11
Featured News COSSA Releases Analysis of the Trump Administrationâs FY 2018 Budget Request COSSA in Action The American Academy of Arts & Sciences Answers âWhy Social Science?â COSSA Joins Scientific Societies in Raising Concerns with Visa Changes Congressional News House Science Committee Holds Hearing on Overhead Costs of Research House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Oversight Hearing on Advances in Biomedical Research Federal Agency & Administration News EPA Advisory Board Accepting Nominations Library of Congress Releases Digital Records to Public and Researchers Publications & Community Events Letters Urge Congressional Leaders to Support Research Agencies Funding Opportunity Announcements Events Calendar
COSSA Releases Analysis of the Trump Administrationâs FY 2018 Budget Request
The Trump Administration released its fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget request on May 23. The budget seeks dramatic reductions totaling $3.6 trillion across nearly every department of the federal government, including most science and research agencies. COSSA has prepared an in-depth analysis of the FY 2018 budget request, which includes details on the President’s proposals for the dozens of departments, agencies, and programs of interest to social and behavioral science researchers. The release of the Presidentâs budget request marks the official start of the FY 2018 appropriations process, though some Congressional committees have already begun holding their oversight hearings even…
Letters Urge Congressional Leaders to Support Research Agencies
COSSA joined dozens of scientific societies and research universities on a letter to Congressional leaders, sent on May 24, urging them to reject the Trump Administrationâs proposed cuts to science agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, and more. Similarly, in a Dear Colleague letter sent to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill, 29 Senators expressed their support for the National Science Foundation. The letter calls for the National Science Foundation to receive at least $8 billion in fiscal year…
House Science Committee Holds Hearing on Overhead Costs of Research
The Subcommittee on Research and Technology and the Subcommittee on Oversight of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology co-hosted a hearing on the overhead costs of research on May 24. The focus of the hearing was the indirect costs incurred from research, reimbursed by the government as part of research grant awards. The subcommittees primarily discussed the indirect costs from awards made by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Witnesses included Dale Bell from the Division of Institution and Award Support at NSF; John Newmann of the Government Accountability Office; James Luther, Vice President for Finance and Compliance at…
EPA Advisory Board Accepting Nominations
The Environmental Protection Agencyâs (EPA) Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) is accepting nominations for new members. The BOSC advises the EPAâs Office of Research and Development on technical and management issues related to its research programs: Air, Climate, and Energy; Chemical Safety for Sustainability; Human Health Risk Assessment; Homeland Security; Safe and Sustainable Water Resources; and Sustainable and Healthy Communities. EPA is seeking nominees with expertise in the following fields (among others): climate/global change, public health, exposure science, risk assessment, sustainability, science policy, program evaluation, social science, behavioral science, and decision science. Nominations are due by June 30, 2017. More…
Library of Congress Releases Digital Records to Public and Researchers
The U.S. Library of Congress recently announced that it is making the largest release of records (25 million) in the libraryâs history accessible online through free bulk downloads and on data.gov. The Library is the main research body for the U.S. Congress and home of the U.S. Copyright Office. The new dataset comprises more than 45 years (1968-2014) of information, including books, serials, computer files, manuscripts, maps, music, and visual materials. The records, until now, have only been available through a paid subscription or on an individual basis. Announcing the dataâs availability, the Library notes that âthe rich data included in…
Events Calendar
American Evaluation Association Summer Institute: Finding Your Pathway in Evaluation, June 4-7, 2017, Atlanta, GA Graduate Training in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: A Public Workshop, June 8-9, 2017, Washington, DC Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, June 20-23, 2017, Mexico City, Mexico Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Annual Meeting, June 23-25, 2017, Albuquerque, NM Rural Sociological Society Annual Meeting, July 27-30, 2017, Columbus, OH Joint Statistical Meetings, July 28-August 3, 2017, Baltimore, MD A list of COSSA members’ annual meetings and other events can be found on the COSSA events page. COSSA members who have an…
House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Oversight Hearing on Advances in Biomedical Research
On May 17, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) held an oversight hearing to discuss the advances in biomedical research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH Director Francis Collins was accompanied by Institute directors Anthony Fauci (Allergy and Infectious Diseases), Gary Gibbons (Heart, Lung, and Blood), Joshua Gordon (Mental Health), Doug Lowy (Cancer), and Nora Volkow (Drug Abuse). Welcoming the agency before the Subcommittee, Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) noted that âinvestment in NIH has been the key driver in making the United States the world leader of biomedical research…
Funding Opportunity Announcements
AHRQ: National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) (RFA-HS-17-011)\ NIH Opportunities: NIA: Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (P30) (RFA-AG-18-007) NIA: NIA Academic Leadership Career Award (K07) (PAR-17-287) NIA: NIA MSTEM: Advancing Diversity in Aging Research through Undergraduate Education (R25) (PAR-17-290) NIH: Addressing Suicide Research Gaps: Understanding Mortality Outcomes (R01) (RFA-MH-18-410) [NIMH, NCCIH, NIDA, NIMHD] NCI: U.S. Tobacco Control Policies to Reduce Health Disparities (R01) (PAR-17-217), (R21) (PAR-17-218) NCI: Leveraging Population-based Cancer Registry Data to Study Health Disparities (R21) (PA-17-288), (R01) (PA-17-289) NIAAA: Specialized Alcohol Research Centers (P50) (RFA-AA-18-001) NCCIH: Behavioral Interventions for Prevention of Opioid…
Census Bureau Director Resigns, Complicating Outlook for 2020 Decennial
On May 9, John Thompson announced his plans to step down as Director of the Census Bureau effective June 30. Thompsonâs resignation comes at a critical time for the Bureau as it ramps up its activities ahead of the 2020 Census and continues to face periodic threats to the American Community Survey. So far, no details have emerged about a potential replacement. The Deputy Director position at the Bureau has been vacant since Nancy Potok left to become Chief Statistician of the United States in January. No reason was given for Thompsonâs departure in the middle of a year-long extension…
Presidentâs Complete Budget Request Expected May 23
Last week, the Trump Administration notified Congress that it will transmit its complete Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget request on May 23. Federal agencies have started to schedule events to review their FY 2018 budget requests but details remain unclear as to the fate of agencies that support the social and behavioral sciences. The Trump Administration released preliminary details of the FY 2018 request on March 16, which included proposals for Cabinet-level departments and some other large agencies. Following the release of the complete budget request, COSSA will prepare an in-depth analysis of the budget as it impacts the social…
National Security Decadal Survey Issues Second Call for White Papers
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has announced its second call for white papers to inform its decadal survey on applications of social and behavioral sciences for national security, which is sponsored by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Academies is seeking white papers that âidentify research concepts, methods, tools, techniques, and new ideas that could advance knowledgeâ across a range national security-relevant areas. More information and submission instructions are available on the Academies website. Responses are requested by June 12, 2017. Submissions from the first call for white papers, which focused on the needs…