Executive Branch News
NIH Releases Strategic Plan on Research on Health of Women
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), in partnership with the Office of Research on Womenâs Health (ORWH) housed within the agency, has released a NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for the Research on the Health of Women. The strategic plan outlines five goals, including: Further, the report underscores the importance of utilizing behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR) when addressing womenâs health by affirming that âcontinued and expanded support for BSSR can enhance understanding of factors that influence the health of women and can facilitate the development of actionable interventions that address health disparities and advance equity for women.â More information about the…
Senate HELP Ranking Member Cassidy Releases White Paper on Recommendations to Improve the NIH
On May 9, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released a white paper titled NIH in the 21 Century: Ensuring Transparency and American Biomedical Leadership. The white paper was released following the collection of comments from a request for information (RFI) from Cassidyâs office on reforming the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (see previous COSSA coverage). In the white paper, Cassidy underscored the importance of NIH-funded research, citing that âevery dollar NIH spends on research generates $2.46 in economic activityâ and the âFY 23 investments provided support for over 400,000 jobs and generated…
NIH Releases RFI on the Development of the FY 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for Sexual & Gender Minority Health Research
On May 9, the Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a request for information (RFI). The RFI invites feedback from the community on the development of the Fiscal Years 2026-2030 NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research. The plan will describe future directions in sexual and gender minority health and research to optimize NIH’s research investments. Comments must be received by June 26, 2024. All responses should be submitted here.
PCAST Releases Report on Supercharging Research: Harnessing AI to Meet Global Challenges
The Presidentâs Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)âŻannouncedâŻa new report onâŻSupercharging Research: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Meet Global Challenges. The report was developed in response to President Bidenâs Executive Order on theâŻSafe, Secure, Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial IntelligenceâŻ(see previous COSSA coverage) and explores the positive and negative impacts of AI technologies. PCAST emphasizes the importance of AI being used as a tool, not a replacement, for workers. PCAST included the following recommendations for the Biden Administration in the report: The full report can be viewedâŻhereâŻin addition to PCASTâsâŻletterâŻto the President and the Executive Summary of…
NIMH Workshop: Discrimination as a Social Determinant of Mental Health Disparities
On June 6, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will be hosting a one-day workshop with expert investigators, NIH staff, and the public to discuss the science of discrimination and mental health disparities, and to identify research gaps and opportunities in mental health disparities research. Register to attendâŻhere.
NSF Seeks Nominations for Advisory Committees
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued its annual call for recommendations for membership to its various advisory committees and technical boards. These committees advise NSFâs offices and directorates on program management, research direction, and policies impacting the agency. Committees of particular interest to the COSSA community include the Advisory Committee for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) and the Advisory Committee for STEM Education (EDU). Guidelines for recommendations and committee contact information can be found here. Recommendations for membership are maintained for 12 months. Â
NIAID Accepting Comments on New Strategic Plan
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), within the National Institutes of Health, is accepting public feedback on proposed updates to its Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan would prioritize five key research topics in biomedical research, but NIAID also invites comments and suggestions on other themes: diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); Womenâs Health; health disparities; research inclusivity; global health; infrastructure and research facilities; data science and sharing; and workforce training. Responses are due to NIAIDStrategicPlanRFI@niaid.nih.gov in Word or PDF form by May 27. A full listing of the Request for Information can be found here.
Request for Information on Mental Health Determinants and Disparities
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), within the National Institutes of Health, has issued a request for information (RFI) titled âMoving beyond individual-level determinants of mental health to address mental health disparities.â NIMH specifically wants to address gaps in knowledge on (a) the determinants of mental health disparities from social, systemic, and structural levels and (b) the development of culturally responsive, multilevel interventions to address such disparities. Submissions must be made electronically by May 30. A full listing of the RFI can be found here.
Request for Information on Advancing Mental Health Services Research
The Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled âRegarding Strategies to Advance the Relevance and Impact of Mental Health Services Research.â This RFI seeks to gather input on how DSIR-supported research has impacted mental health practice and policy, specifically in the following areas: The deadline for submissions is September 1 to the RFI submission website. A full listing of the RFI can be found here which also includes background on mental health services research as a discipline.
NCSES Issues RFI on Use Cases to Inform a Future National Secure Data Service
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), housed within the National Science Foundation (NSF), has issued a request for information (RFI) on Use Cases to Inform a Future National Secure Data Service (NSDS) (see previous COSSA coverage). NSDS is intended to inform the ongoing work to improve the governmentsâ data infrastructure system, including new ways of collecting and linking data. NCSES requests information on research, policy, program, and education use cases as well as challenges and barriers that could be addressed using an NSDS for the development of a future NSDS. Comments are requested by June 14 and can be…
NIJ Issues RFI on the Uses of AI in the Criminal Justice System
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) housed within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) in the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a request for information (RFI) on the future uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in the criminal justice system. In response to the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence Executive Order released by the Biden Administration in October 2023 (see previous COSSA coverage), NIJ seeks to understand the potential impacts of AI use in the criminal justice system to potentially influence a future report on the topic. Comments are requested by May 28 and should be emailed to mark.greene2@usdoj.gov.
Registration is Open for the 17th Matilda White Riley Honors
Registration is officially open for the 17th Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Honors. The event recognizes both emerging scientists and leaders in the field whose research reflects Dr. Matilda White Rileyâs vision of research excellence in health-related behavioral and social sciences. Matilda White Riley was a celebrated scientist and member of the National Academy of Sciences whose work and leadership left a lasting impact on behavioral and social sciences across the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and beyond. Registration for the event is required and the Distinguished Lecturer will be Dr. Bernice Pescosolido, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Indiana University….
OSTP Seeks Input for Safe STEM Environments
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is inviting feedback to help the Interagency Working Group on Safe and Inclusive STEM Environments (IWG-SISE) develop policies aimed at reducing sex-based and sexual harassment in federally funded STEM research. This initiative, in response to the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (see previous COSSA coverage), focuses on improving safety for principal investigators, research staff, and students. The OSTP and IWG-SISE are looking for contributions from students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, researchers, and administratorsâanyone impacted by harassment in STEM spaces. The aim is to inform guidelines that address and mitigate harassment issues effectively….
Analyzing the Cost of Open Access for Federally Funded Research
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is facing demands from Congress to provide a detailed cost estimate for its open access plan for federally funded research. Initiated by OSTP in August 2022, the plan requires that research funded by science agencies be freely accessible to the public upon publication. It mandates OSTP to complete a thorough financial analysis by June. Failure to meet this deadline will require OSTP to delay its plans until the report is submitted to Congress. OSTP has already explored the financial aspects of open access in two reports. The first report, released in…
SBE Releases Dear Colleague Letter Encouraging EPSCoR Submissions
The Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) housed within the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Dear Colleague Letter encouraging submissions to already established NSF funding opportunities from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). EPSCoR was developed to target specific areas in the U.S. with increased opportunity to study and join the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce to improve geographic and institutional diversity. As directed by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, NSF is in the process of dedicating more funding towards the EPSCoR jurisdictions. The letter reaffirms SBEâs commitment to support research in the social and…
President Biden Issues Executive Order to Advance Womenâs Health Research
On March 18, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order, titled âAdvancing Womenâs Health Research and Innovation.â This order directs specific advancements and improvements for research on womenâs health, largely through the White House Initiative on Womenâs Health Research, established by the Presidential Memorandum of November 13, 2023. The Initiative draws on interdisciplinary backgrounds to advance research on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, or differently. This order now names the following topics of interest: womenâs midlife health, addressing current gaps in research, and integrating womenâs health research into federal research programs. These directions align with…
New JASON Report Advocates for Project-by-Project Approach to Sensitive Research Security
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has commissioned a new report from JASON, an independent scientific advisory group, on the implications of imposing broad controls on sensitive research security. The report reaffirms a longstanding policy that fundamental research should remain largely unrestricted unless specific sensitivities require classification. JASON suggests the need for updated research security measures in ways that do not stifle innovation and openness. The report evaluates international collaborations, especially highlighting concerns with the Chinese government’s approach to fundamental research for military needs and restrictions on information flow. The report recommends a nuanced method where the NSF collaborates with Principal Investigators and…
NCSES Requests Responses to Data Tools Survey
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), housed within the National Science Foundation (NSF), is requesting responses to a new survey intended to improve NCSES data tools. ï»żAs previously reported by COSSA, NCSES has been working to expand accessibility to their collected data through developing new resources, including the Knowledge Base, in an effort to modernize their data tools. Responses to this survey are confidential and would be used to improve these efforts. Submit comments and feedback here.
OMB Publishes Revisions to Race and Ethnicity Standards for Federal Data Collection
On March 28, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the updated standards for Statistical Policy Direction No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. The revisions come after months of seeking comments from the public, including through requests for public comments, public listening sessions, and town hall meetings on the topic. Effective immediately, based on the recommendations of the Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards, a Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) minimum category will be separated from the White category, a decision that has been widely requested by the community (see previous…
The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2024 Released
The National Science Board recently released their The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2024. The Science and Engineering Indicators report summarizes the status of the science and engineering enterprise within the United States, examining the country’s overall position in the global landscape. This is sourced from nine thematic reports, organized into three main sectionsâtalent, discovery, and translation. These three components collectively support U.S. global competitiveness in science, technology, and innovation (STI), in that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent contributes to scientific discovery, which in turn is translated to society and the economy through innovation. The report sheds light…