Executive Branch News
Office of AIDS Research Issues RFI on Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research (OAR) in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) recently issued a request-for-information (RFI) (NOT-OD-16-089) seeking input on the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research. The 2018 Plan is “designed to identify and articulate possible future directions to maximize benefits of investments in HIV/AIDS research.” In August 2015, NIH issued “new overarching priorities” for the next three to five years for HIV/AIDS research in a Notice, NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining AIDS Funding (NOT-OD-15-137). The Notice also outlined guidelines the agency…
AHRQ Names New Director
Andrew Bindman, a primary care physician and Professor of Medicine, Health Policy, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, has been named the new director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) effective May 2, 2016. His research interests focus on primary care and low-income individuals’ access to and quality of health care. Bindman’s previous federal experience includes a fellowship with the House Energy and Commerce Committee and several years as a senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Office of Health Policy and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services….
NIH Director Fills Vacancies for PMI Cohort and ECHO Programs
National Institute of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins recently announced the appointments of Eric Dishman as the Director of the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) Cohort Program and Matthew Gillman as the Program Director of the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO).
NCHS Releases Health, United States 2015
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has released the most recent issue of one of its hallmark publications, Health, United States. The 2015 edition compiles data on the health of the U.S. population, including on mortality and life expectancy, morbidity and risk factors, health insurance coverage, access to and utilization of health care, and health expenditures. This year’s edition also includes a special feature on racial and ethnic health disparities. The full report can be accessed on the NCHS website, as well as the shorter Health, United States, 2015: In Brief. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NIJ Identifies Additional Topics for School Safety Research Initiative
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Director Nancy Rodriguez issued a Dear Colleague letter last month identifying additional research topics as part of the agency’s Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI). The additional guidance suggests topics of interest such as “understanding and reducing disparities in school discipline; involvement of local stakeholders and multiple disciplines; data systems for school behavior and discipline; inclusion of safety issues for Indian Country schools and students; event sequence and decision-making analysis; and instances where students are removed from the educational environment.” The deadline for proposals is May 27. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
OBSSR to Hold Webinars to Present 2016-2020 Strategic Plan
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) is holding two webinars to present the Office’s 2016-2020 Strategic Plan and to solicit feedback from the scientific community, including “researchers in academia and industry, scientific or professional organizations, public health and health care professionals, patient advocacy organizations, and other interested members of the public.” OBSSR Director William Riley and Deputy Director G. Stephane Philogene will present the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan during both webinars; the information provided will be the same. The webinars are scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 2016 (10:30 – 11:30 am EDT) and…
NASS Launches New Local Foods Survey
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has begun data collection for its first-ever Local Food Marketing Practices Survey, which will produce official benchmark data on the U.S. local food sector. According to a NASS press release, the survey will produce information on “the value of food sales by marketing channel (i.e. farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) arrangements, restaurants, roadside stands, food hubs, and more), value of crop and livestock sales, marketing practices, expenses, Federal farm program participation, and more.” NASS expects to release the data in December 2016. Back to this issue’s table of…
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 NSF’s 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 and the Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources. Recommendations for membership are maintained for 12 months. See the Federal Register notice for details on how to submit names. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Nominations Sought for U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is an independent advisory body that makes evidence-based recommendations about the effectiveness of clinical preventive services and health promotion. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which supports the work of the USPSTF, is accepting nominations for candidates to serve on the Task Force. In addition to expertise in evaluation of research, preventive medicine, and implementation of recommendations, candidates are sought with experience in public health, health equity and health disparities, application of science to health policy, behavioral medicine, and communication of scientific findings to multiple audiences. Applications are due by May…
EPA Seeks Scientific Advisory Committee Members
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting nominations for candidates to serve on two scientific advisory bodies: the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB). More information on the jurisdiction of the committees and how to submit nominations is available in the Federal Register notice. Nominations are due on May 6, 2016. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Interagency Committee Releases National Nutrition Research Roadmap
The federal Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research (ICHNR) has released a five-year nutrition research plan, the National Nutrition Research Roadmap 2016-2021: Advancing Nutrition Research to Improve and Sustain Health. The Roadmap will help coordinate the nutrition research efforts funded by agencies across the federal government, as well as workforce development and training programs in support of nutrition research. The ICHNR is made up of representatives from agencies across the federal government, including the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and…
More than 300 Social Science Students Selected as NSF Graduate Research Fellows
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced the 2,000 winners of the annual Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program competition. Among the 2016 winners are 311 social and behavioral science researchers from across the U.S. The GRF program provides three years of financial support over a five-year fellowship period for graduate study that leads to a master’s or doctoral research degree in a STEM field, including social science. It is one of NSF’s flagship programs aimed at fostering the next generation of the STEM workforce and ensuring diversity within the workforce. The 2,000 awardees were chosen from about 17,000 total applications….
AHRQ Accepting Advisory Council Nominations
In November 2016, seven vacancies will open on the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality, the advisory body to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The council is seeking nominations for new members who have expertise in: “(1) The conduct of research, demonstration projects, and evaluations with respect to health care; (2) the fields of health care quality research or health care improvement; (3) the practice of medicine; (4) other health professions; (5) representing the private health care sector (including health plans, providers, and purchasers) or administrators of health care delivery systems; (6) the fields of…
NCCIH Seeks Input on Draft 2016-2021 Strategic Plan
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NICCIH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking input on its draft NCCIH Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2016-2021. Following up on a previous request for information (RFI), along with the response provided by its National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health and the NCCIH staff, this RFI is intended to seek the input of the larger public, including researchers and scientific/professional organizations, among others. NCCIH specifically is seeking comments on the five strategic objectives and the six high priorities contained in the plan. Comments will be accepted through…
NIMH Seeks Input on Tasks and Measures for the RDoC
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking input from stakeholders, the scientific community, and the general public related to its Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework. RDoC is defined as a “new way of classifying mental disorders based on dimensions of observable behavior and neurobiological measures.” Specifically, the Institute is seeking input regarding “existing tests with known construct validity, and also general suggestions on the most important criteria to consider when selecting candidate tests.” NIMH’s National Advisory Mental Health Council will convene a workgroup “charged with the task of recommending a list…
DARPA Announces Next Generation Social Science Program; Abstracts Due March 31
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the U.S. Department of Defense has announced a new social science research effort – Next Generation Social Science (NGS2) – which seeks to “begin to assess the research opportunities provided by today’s web-connected world and advanced technologies.” NGS2 is looking to fund research that will enhance three core social science capabilities – predictive modeling and hypothesis generation, innovative experimental methods and platforms, and interpretation and reproducibility of research results. An initial focus of the program will be to “challenge researchers to develop and use new tools and methods to identify causal mechanisms…
HHS Seeks Members for Healthy People 2030 Advisory Body
On March 17, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is establishing the “Secretary’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2030 (Committee)” and is inviting nominations for membership. In 1979, HHS created Healthy People, an initiative “grounded in the notion that setting science-based, measurable objectives and monitoring progress can motivate action.” The new Committee is expected to provide relevant and objective advice around health determinants and risk factors. It will perform the “single, time-limited task” of providing advice regarding creating Healthy People 2030 and advise the HHS Secretary on the Healthy…
COSSA’s Analysis of the President’s FY 2017 Budget
President Obama released his fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget request to Congress on February 9. The request proposes increases for many of the federal agencies and programs important to the COSSA community. COSSA has prepared an in-depth analysis of the request as it relates to social and behavioral science research supported by the federal government. The report includes details on the President’s proposals for the dozens of departments, agencies, and programs of interest to social and behavioral science researchers. With the release of the President’s budget, the FY 2017 appropriations process heads into high gear. The big question now is…
NCHS Seeks Input on Update to NHIS
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) plans to update one of its major surveys, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), in 2018. The goals of the redesign are “to improve the measurement of covered health topics, to reduce respondent burden by shortening the length of the questionnaire, to harmonize overlapping content with other federal health surveys, to establish a long-term structure of ongoing and periodic topics, and to incorporate advances in survey methodology and measurement.” NCHS welcomes input from the scientific community on the proposed survey design and content. Instructions and more information are available on the NCHS website….
NIJ to Hold Webinars on Upcoming Solicitations
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has announced that it will be holding six webinars to discuss new or altered solicitations in 2016. Registration for the first webinar, on Elder Abuse Prevention, is currently open. The other topics to be covered by the webinars are Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Labs; Violence Against Women Consortium; DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction; Building Knowledge About Preventing Domestic Radicalization and Violent Extremism in the U.S.; and New Investigator/Early Career Program in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. More information about the webinar series is available on NIJ’s website….