COSSA Member Spotlight
AERA Briefing Examines the Supreme Court Decision in Fisher v. UT Austin
On June 28, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) held a briefing, After Fisher: What the Supreme Court’s Ruling Means for Students, Colleges, and the Country, to discuss the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Fisher v. University of Texas, Austin (Fisher II). A distinguished panel of civil rights and education research experts focused on the impact of the Fisher II ruling and its implications for ensuring quality education for all students. The Court’s June 23 ruling reaffirmed “the compelling governmental interest in promoting student-body diversity in higher education and upheld the constitutionality of the University’s race-conscious admissions policy under the…
CJRA & COSSA to Host “Ask a Criminologist” Roundtable on Homicide Rates
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) and COSSA will be hosting the first in a series of “Ask a Criminologist” Congressional roundtables on Thursday, July 7. This roundtable will feature new research commissioned by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) exploring why homicide rates in the United States increased in 2015 and include a discussion with CJRA Chair Dr. Nancy La Vigne, Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, and Washington Post reporter Tom Jackman. More information, and a link to RSVP, can be found…
COSSA Welcomes North Carolina State University
COSSA is pleased to welcome North Carolina State University as its newest university member. NC State is a former COSSA affiliate member dating back to the early 1990s. The university receives roughly $6 million annually in federal social science funding. Welcome back NC State! COSSA’s full membership list can be viewed here. Information on how to join can be found on the COSSA website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
SSRC Seeks Nominations for Hirschman Prize
The Social Science Research Council, a COSSA member, is inviting nominations for its highest honor – the Albert O. Hirschman Prize. The Hirschman Prize recognizes excellence in social science research, theory, and public communication. Nominations are requested by June 15 and should be submitted to hirschmanprize@ssrc.org along with information on the nominator, a brief statement of commendation, and the nominee’s curriculum vitae or links to the nominee’s website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
LSA Releases Annual Report on State of Linguistics in Higher Ed
The Linguistic Society of America (LSA), a COSSA Governing Member, has issued its third Annual Report on the State of Linguistics in Higher Education. The report shows a growing popularity of the linguistics major at four-year colleges and universities, as well as a number of other interesting highlights, including career trends, demographics, and specializations. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NCA to Hold Discussion on Citizenship in America
The National Communication Association (NCA), one of COSSA’s governing members, will host a Washington, DC event on March 22, addressing the question “What does it mean to be a citizen in contemporary America?” The discussion will feature input from scholars whose work touches on the meaning and power of American “citizenship,” including Elisabeth R. Anker (George Washington University), Robert Asen (University of Wisconsin), Elizaeth Markovits (Mount Holyoke College), and Eric King Watts (University of North Carolina). More information is available on NCA’s website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Haskins, Sawhill Win 2016 Moynihan Prize
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), a COSSA member, has announced the winners of the 2016 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize, which is given annually to “a leading policy-maker, social scientist or public intellectual whose career demonstrates the value of using social science evidence to advance the public good.” This year’s winners are Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill, both of the Brookings Institution, who are recognized for their influential research on inequality and poverty. They are scheduled to give a public lecture on Capitol Hill on May 12 and will be honored at an event later that evening….
Not Yet a COSSA Member? Join the Team!
Do you enjoy receiving your copy of the COSSA Washington Update and want to do more to promote social and behavioral science research? Become a member of COSSA today! COSSA membership is institutional, meaning once your organization/institution/association joins, anyone at the organization can receive our member benefits, including discounted rates for the COSSA Annual Meeting and Social Science Advocacy Day. To learn more about what COSSA has to offer, download our list of member benefits. And if you are already a member, check out the list to make sure you are getting the most out of your membership. Back to…
AAPSS Inducts 2016 Fellows
The American Academy of Political and Social Science, a COSSA member, announced its 2016 class of Fellows. They include economists Esther Dunflow (MIT) and James J. Heckman (University of Chicago); Sherman A. James, a social psychologist at Duke University (emeritus) and Emory University; NYU social historian Thomas J. Sugrue; and Philip Tetlock, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. COSSA congratulates these distinguished individuals on their achievement. Click here to read more about the 2016 class. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
SPSSI Accepting Applications for Summer Minority Policy Fellowship
The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) is seeking applications for its Dalmas A. Taylor Memorial Summer Minority Policy Fellowship. The fellowship honors Taylor, a SPSSI president instrumental in establishing the Minority Fellowship at the American Psychological Association (APA). It is administered in conjunction with APA’s Minority Fellowship Office. The fellowship provides an opportunity for a graduate student of color to work on public policy issues in Washington, DC. Applications are due March 1. Information on applying is available on the SPSSI website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
COSSA and Members Comment on Proposed Revisions to the Common Rule
COSSA, in conjunction with the American Educational Research Association (AERA) (a COSSA governing association) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, submitted comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects or the “Common Rule” (click here for context on the NPRM). Overall, the comments are supportive of the proposed changes affecting the social and behavioral sciences and urge that “major and substantial improvements… not be delayed or deferred even if it is determined that some issues require further analysis before some rule changes can be made.” The comments also points out several sections where additional clarification…
Albert Bandura to be Awarded National Medal of Science
In December, President Obama announced the recipients of the 2013 and 2014 National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nation’s highest honors for discoveries and advancements in science and technology. Among the 2014 recipients is Albert Bandura of Stanford University, who will receive the National Medal of Science in Behavioral and Social Science. Bandura is a social cognitive psychologist, known best for the “Bobo doll experiments,” and whose work pioneered “social learning theory,” which stresses observation, imitation and modeling as central components of learning. Bandura and the other honorees will be receive their medals at…
SPSSI Seeks Applicants for James Marshall Public Policy Fellowship
The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), a COSSA member, is accepting applications for its James Marshall Public Policy Fellowship, which begins September 1, 2016. The Fellowship is designed to “train early career scientists to (1) contribute to the effective use of scientific knowledge about social issues in the formation of public policy at the federal level; (2) educate the scientific community about how research can contribute to the development of public policy; and (3) establish a more effective liaison between social scientists and various policy-making mechanisms.” The fellowship is a one-year full-time post-doctoral level appointment in…
COSSA Members among World’s Top 100 Social Science Universities
The London-based magazine Times Higher Education has released its 2015-2016 World University Rankings for the social sciences. The U.S. leads in terms of number of universities represented, with 43 in the top 100, 35 of which are COSSA member universities. COSSA congratulates all the universities and colleges that made the list. In an article accompanying the rankings, James Wilsdon, chair of the UK’s Campaign for Social Science, suggests that the relative dominance of American universities on the list should give pause to those in Congress looking to cut funding for the social and behavioral sciences. “If I was [looking at…
AERA Hold Annual Brown Lecture on “Indigenous Pathways toward Justice”
Teresa L. McCarty, professor of education and anthropology and world-renowned scholar on indigenous language planning, policy, education, and revitalization, presented the 2015 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Brown Lecture in Education Research, “So That Any Child May Succeed—Indigenous Pathways toward Justice and the Promise of Brown,” in October. McCarty is a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles and professor emerita at Arizona State University. McCarty’s lecture considered the legacy of the 1953 Brown v. Board of Education case and the “broader issues of education equality, in the context of research, policy, and practice in Indigenous education.” She also…
Kenneth Prewitt Receives SAGE-CASBS Award
Kenneth Prewitt, Carnegie Professor of Public Affairs and the Vice-President for Global Centers at Columbia University and a past President of COSSA, has been named the recipient of the 2015 SAGE-CASBS Award. The Award is given by SAGE and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University (a COSSA member) in recognition of “outstanding achievement in the understanding and advancement of the behavioral and social sciences as they are applied to pressing social issues.” Prewitt will accept the award at the 2015 CASBS Summit on November 5. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
SRCD Seeks Applications for 2016-2017 Policy Fellowships
The Society for Research and Child Development (SRCD), a COSSA governing member, is accepting applications for its 2016-2017 Policy Fellowship. The fellowship provides an opportunity for scientists to use their research skills in child development to inform public policy by working as resident scholars in congressional offices or executive branch agencies. Applications are due by December 15, 2015. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Congressional Briefing Explores the Impact of Education on Mortality
On July 27, the Population Association of America (PAA) held a congressional briefing, “Live Long and Prosper: The Impact of Education on Mortality,” which focused on the federal investments in longitudinal demographic research that have allowed researchers to identify and measure how educational attainment affects important life factors, including long-term health and mortality. COSSA joined PAA, a COSSA Governing Member, along with several other COSSA member organizations in sponsoring the briefing. Sharing the latest findings with a standing-room-only audience, the panel of distinguished researchers included Robert M. Kaplan, Agency for Health Care Research and Quality and former director of the…
CASBS Is Accepting Applications for Its 2016-2017 Residential Fellowship
Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) is currently accepting applications for residential fellowships for the 2016-17 academic year. The CASBS fellowship is designed to provide an opportunity for scholars to pursue innovative research and expand their horizons while engaging in a diverse, interdisciplinary community. A CASBS fellowship has been considered a career milestone for any scholar, and most recipients report that the year had a transformative effect on their work. Online applications will be accepted at the Center’s website through November 6, 2015, for the 2016-2017 fellowship year. For more information, guidelines, and application requirements,…
COSSA Welcomes Virginia Tech
COSSA is thrilled to welcome Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) as its newest university member. Located in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Tech receives more than $7 million annually in federal social and behavioral science research awards and is home to the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment. COSSA’s full membership list can be viewed here. Interested in joining COSSA? More information here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.