COSSA Member Spotlight
SAGE Awards Inaugural Impact Writing Prize to Social and Behavioral Scientists
SAGE Publishing, a COSSA affiliate member, has announced the winners of its inaugural Impact in Action Writing Prize. Administered through its online platform Social Science Space, the award is given to researchers who effectively communicate through writing how social and behavioral science research leaves an impact in non-academic spaces. The recipients of the 2019 Impact in Action Writing Prize are: Cheryl Durwin & Dina Moore from Southern Connecticut State University Lynn Thigpen from the Wisdom Project Maria Kreuzer from the International University of Monaco Ian Male & William Farr from the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) Trust Submissions for…
COSSA Welcomes the University of Arkansas
COSSA is pleased to welcome the University of Arkansas as its newest member. Located in Fayetteville, the University of Arkansas receives more than $2 million in federal social and behavioral science funding annually. COSSA’s full membership list is available here. Information on how to join can be found on the COSSA website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
SSRC Launches MediaWell Platform on Disinformation Research
On October 22, the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a COSSA member, hosted a launch event for MediaWell, an initiative intended to track and aggregate research on mis- and disinformation in the media. The event consisted of an introduction to the mission and function of MediaWell and a panel discussion on current trends of disinformation in the media. Panelists included Editor-in-Chief at The Markup Julia Angwin, Director of the Digital Innovation and Democracy Initiative at the German Marshall Fund Karen Kornbluh, Director of Journalism Research at the Pew Research Center Amy Mitchell, and Professor of Government at Dartmouth College Brendan…
Samantha Power to Receive 2019 Moynihan Prize & Deliver Lecture
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), a COSSA member, announced that Samantha Power, former Ambassador to the United Nations, will receive the 2019 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize and deliver a public lecture at a ceremony in Washington, DC on October 3, 2019. Ambassador Power currently is the Anna Lindh Professor of Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the William D. Zabel Professor of Practice in Human Rights at Harvard Law School. The Moynihan Prize was established in 2007 to “recognize social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders who champion the use of informed judgement…
COSSA Welcomes SAGE Publishing
COSSA is pleased to welcome SAGE Publishing as its newest affiliate. SAGE is a leading publisher of research in the social sciences. SAGE has joined under COSSA’s new affiliate membership category, which invites users of social science findings and other stakeholders to join in COSSA’s advocacy on behalf of the social and behavioral science community. COSSA’s full membership list is available here. Information on how to join can be found on the COSSA website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
CJRA and COSSA to Host “Ask a Criminologist” Panel Exploring the Connection Between Immigration and Crime
COSSA and the Crime & Justice Research Alliance (CJRA) (a collaborative effort of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the American Society of Criminology, both COSSA members) will host the fourth in a series of “Ask a Criminologist” Congressional briefings on Monday, June 24. This interactive briefing will explore the relationships between immigration trends, policies, and public safety. The discussion will be moderated by CJRA Past Chair Dr. Nancy La Vigne of the Urban Institute and Dr. Anthony Peguero of Virginia Tech University. Featured speakers will include Dr. Daniel E. Martinez of the University of Arizona, Dr. Janice Iwama of American…
COSSA Welcomes the University of Arizona
COSSA is pleased to welcome the University of Arizona as its newest member. Located in Tucson, the University of Arizona receives nearly $9 million in federal social and behavioral science funding annually. COSSA’s full membership list is available here. Information on how to join can be found on the COSSA website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Carol Dweck Receives the 2018 SAGE-CASBS Award
On October 23, SAGE Publishing and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University, a COSSA member, announced that Carol Dweck of Stanford University is the recipient of the 2018 SAGE-CASBS Award. The SAGE-CASBS Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the behavioral and social sciences that advance our understanding of pressing social issues. Dweck has previously held posts at Columbia University, Harvard University, and the University of Illinois and is most associated with launching a body of research collectively showing that individuals possess implicit theories of intelligence that reside on a continuum from “fixed mindset” to…
Social Science Research Council Issues Final “To Secure Knowledge” Report
The Social Science Research Council (a COSSA member) convened the To Secure Knowledge task force in 2017 to consider optimal conditions for social science in this moment, including the infrastructure of social research, standards of inquiry, and the role of rigorous understanding in public affairs. The task force released its final report at a livestreamed event on September 17. The report includes recommendations and describes how present and future scholarship can be secured through partnerships between the academy, government, philanthropy, and the private sector. The report’s key recommendations include: New funding partnerships should be created to facilitate coordination between government,…
CJRA and COSSA to Host “Ask a Criminologist” Panel on How the Opioid Epidemic and Police-Community Relations Impact Homicides
COSSA and the Crime & Justice Research Alliance (CJRA) (a collaborative effort of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the American Society of Criminology, both COSSA members) will host the third in a series of “Ask a Criminologist” Congressional briefings on Tuesday, May 22. This interactive briefing will explore key factors, including the opioid epidemic, that led to an increase in homicide rates in communities across the United States in 2015 and 2016 and share how criminologists have been using research and statistics to help policymakers identify and address these causes. The discussion will be moderated by CJRA Past…
PAA Congressional Briefing Explores Factors Affecting Life Expectancy
On April 9, the Population Association of America (PAA), a COSSA governing member, hosted a Congressional briefing entitled Grave Consequences: Why Some Americans Are No Longer Living Longer on the decline of average life expectancy among some groups in the United States. COSSA was a co-sponsor of the event. Andrew Fenelon, researcher at the University of Maryland, spoke about the regional divergence in adult mortality. The Central South has a higher mortality rate than the rest of the country and has gotten worse over time, while the East Coast has shown significant improvements. Shannon Mannat, researcher at Syracuse University, presented…
AERA & AAPSS Briefing Focuses on Inequality and Public Education
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA), both COSSA members organizations, hosted a Congressional briefing on March 22 entitled, In the Age of Inequality, Does Public Schooling Make a Difference? The event discussed the effects of public schooling since the “Coleman Report” of 1966, a groundbreaking and controversial study that found schools have little influence on inequality in America, and instead students’ growth is determined by their socioeconomic status and race. AAPSS and AERA welcomed four panelists who discussed their research on public schooling’s influence on the opportunities of underserved youth….
American Academy of Arts and Sciences Issues Perceptions of Science in America Report
On February 12, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a COSSA member, issued a new report assessing the current state of public trust for science in the U.S. Perceptions of Science in America is the first report to be issued as part of the Academy’s ‘Public Face of Science project, a three-year activity that looks to better understand and explain the complex relationship between the scientific community and the public. Drawing from existing public opinion survey data sources, including government and non-governmental surveys, the report identifies three main takeaways about the state of science among public audiences: (1) confidence in…
Catch Up on COSSA’s Advocacy Twitter Chat with MPSA
On January 23, COSSA co-hosted a Twitter chat with the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), a COSSA governing member, that shared tips for social scientists who would like to become more involved in advocacy. You can read a recap of the conversation here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
ASA Launches New “Count on Stats” Initiative
The American Statistical Association (ASA), a COSSA governing member, has launched a new initiative called Count on Stats to “enhance awareness about the importance, reliability, and trustworthiness of government data” and defend the federal statistical system against political attacks. ASA’s partners in the initiative include COSSA governing members the American Association for Public Opinion Research, the American Educational Research Association, and the American Sociological Association. More information about the program is available on ASA’s website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
APA Seeking Congressional and Executive Branch Fellowship Applications
The American Psychological Association (APA), a COSSA governing member, is accepting applications for its 2018-2019 Congressional and Executive Branch Fellowships. The APA Congressional Fellowship Program provides two psychologists each year with the opportunity to spend a year working as special legislative assistants in a Senate or House office. The APA Executive Branch Fellowship Program gives psychologists the opportunity to spend a year working within a federal agency working on issues related to science policy and research administration. More information about both programs is available on the APA website. Applications for both fellowships are due by January 5, 2018. Back to…
AERA Offering Congressional Fellowship Opportunity
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), a COSSA governing members, is inviting education researchers to apply for its 2018 Congressional Fellowship Program. The program offers doctoral scientist from any field of education research the opportunity to spend as year as a resident scholar within a Congressional office. More information is available on the AERA website. Applications are due by December 15, 2017. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
ASA Accepting Applications for Science Policy Fellowship
The American Statistical Association (ASA), a COSSA governing member, is accepting applications for its 2018 Science Policy Fellowship. The fellowship is a full-year postdoctoral-level position, renewable for a second year, that offers fellows the opportunity work to advocate for statistics and experience first-hand how federal science policy is formed. More information is available on ASA’s website. Applications are requested by December 31. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
John Holdren Wins 2018 Moynihan Prize
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), a COSSA Member, announced former White House Science Advisor John Holdren as the winner of the 2018 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize. Holdren is a trained plasma physicist who served as President Obama’s Science Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and is currently the Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The Moynihan Prize was established in 2007 to “recognize social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders who champion the use of informed judgement…