Executive Branch News

NIH Releases RFI For Biomedical and Behavioral Science Research

The Common Fund of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a request for information for challenges, opportunities, workshops, pilot initiatives, and other potential programs anticipated to advance areas of science within biomedical and behavioral research. The Common Fund is intended to support short-term, high-risk initiatives with the potential for high impact. To this end, NIH requests that submissions consider the potential impact on human health as well as the expected results within 5-10 years. The deadline for submissions is August 11. 

U.S. Census Bureau Announces Virtual Workshop on Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality

The U.S. Census Bureau has launched a new initiative to expand understanding of race, ethnicity, and inequality in the U.S. The initiative focuses on increasing data accessibility for underserved researchers, refining methodologies about racial disparities, and nurturing a specialized community of experts. The virtual workshop, set for November 14-15, 2023, aims to gather insights on effective data representation of race and ethnicity, as well as spotlight systemic inequalities within society. The Census Bureau welcomes research submissions from diverse disciplines that emphasize racial disparity analysis across an array of sectors, including health, education, and employment among others. Submissions will also concentrate…

Nominations Open for the Alan T. Waterman Award

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking nominations for the Alan T. Waterman Award, which recognizes an early career researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the NSF. The award winner will receive a medal and a grant of $1 million to use over a five-year period for scientific research or advanced study in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, social, or other sciences at the institution of the recipient’s choice. Nominations will be accepted through September 15, 2023. Read more about the award’s criteria, the application, and the selection process here. 

DHS Designates “Demography and Population Studies” as STEM Degree

On July 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a Federal Register notice adding “Demography and Population Studies” to the programs within the DHS sciences, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) designated degrees program list. This addition allows international students to remain in the United States for two years of “Optional Practical Training” as opposed to the previous one year. The Population Association of America (PAA), a COSSA Governing Member, worked with its membership to secure designation of “Demography and Population Studies” within this category. Read more about this successful change on the PAA website here. 

NSF to Launch New Program on Research Security

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has disclosed its plans to introduce a program centered around the critical domain of research security. Named the Research on Research Security Program (RRSP), the objective is to review the nuances, breadth, challenges, and potential of research security. Key focus areas under this initiative include cybersecurity, security concerning foreign travel, training on research security, and instruction on export controls. The program will aim to fund initiatives that evaluate methodologies to pinpoint research security hazards and the tactics to prevent and minimize threats. This will equip researchers with key insights on safeguarding their work, amplifying transparency and cooperation,…

HHS Scientific Integrity Policy Public Comment Request Released

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a draft of its Scientific Integrity Policy and is inviting the public to share feedback and comments. The draft policy is in response to the Presidential Memorandum on Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-based Policymaking. Its main objective is to offer agency stakeholders an opportunity to voice their opinions on the policy. HHS formulated the draft following the guidelines from the National Science and Technology Council Framework for Federal Scientific Integrity Policy and Practice. The deadline for submissions is September 1, 2023. For additional details on the draft and how to…

White House Secures Commitments from Leading AI Companies for Safer AI Development

On July 21, the White House gathered seven of the world’s leading AI companies, including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI to gain consensus over the responsible development of AI. Reflecting the Administration’s ongoing commitment to leverage AI’s potential without compromising Americans’ rights and safety, these companies agreed to operate by the standards that emphasize safety, security, and trust in AI. This initiative showcases a collective understanding that AI’s benefits should not come at the expense of fundamental rights. In line with the announcement, the Administration has been actively consulting international allies, aiming for a globally coordinated approach to AI. Countries…

Jane M. Simoni named NIH Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and OBSSR Director

On July 6, Dr. Jane M. Simoni was officially named as the next National Institutes of Health (NIH) Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, and Director of the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR). Simoni will assume the role at the end of July.   Simoni is a clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience in research focused on health disparities and resilience among populations that have been socially marginalized. Simoni joins NIH from the University of Washington (UW) where she is Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology. Simoni is the…

ARPA-H Announces Senior Health Economist Position

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced they are hiring a new Senior Health Economist within its executive leadership team. The role of the Senior Health Economist will inform the agency’s program portfolio priority setting, resource allocation, and policy development through in-depth health economic modeling and analysis. The ideal candidate will exhibit strong technical expertise in Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) and is expected to build economic and population-based models using relevant software and stay aware of external best practices for the development and utilization of these models. The Senior Health Economist will use strategic decision-making frameworks to evaluate…

OSTP Releases Scientific Integrity Policy

On June 28, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a new Scientific Integrity Policy. As previously reported, the new policy reflects many of the recommendations raised in the 2023 interagency report, A Framework for Federal Scientific Integrity Policy and Practice. The policy strives to provide guidance to promote a continuing culture of scientific integrity and aims to ensure the integrity of all aspects of OSTP scientific activities. The new policy also establishes the expectations and procedures required to maintain scientific integrity at OSTP. Read the full report here.

Mandy Cohen to be Named Next CDC Director

On June 16, the President announced his intention to appoint Dr. Mandy Cohen as the next Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cohen will replace Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the current Director who has been serving since 2020. Cohen is expected to start in July; the CDC Director does not currently require Senate confirmation.   In the release announcing the appointment, President Biden stated, “Dr. Cohen is one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-record protecting Americans’ health and safety… Dr. Cohen has been recognized by leaders from…

NSF Releases New Guidelines on Research Security

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released the Research Security Analytics Guidelines, a public document outlining the agency’s research security data-related practices. Developed in response to extensive feedback from community stakeholders, the guidelines serve as a strategic blueprint to safeguard the integrity and security of science, while promoting an open and collaborative research environment. The guidelines specify that: “These new Guidelines for Research Security Analytics are intended to ensure the responsible use of taxpayer funding, enabling NSF to continue building an open research ecosystem that preserves U.S. innovation leadership,” said Rebecca Keiser, NSF’s Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy. The…

Trans-Atlantic Platform Seeks Social Science Proposals to Address Democracy, Governance and Trust Challenges

On June 22, The Trans-Atlantic Platform for Social Sciences and Humanities (T-AP) announced a new call for proposals focusing on Democracy, Governance and Trust (DGT). The call seeks to examine the crucial roles of democracy, governance, and trust in addressing contemporary societal challenges and disruptions. Established as a collaborative initiative between humanities and social science research funders from across the Atlantic, T-AP is dedicated to fostering transnational dialogue and relationships among funders, research organizations, and researchers. The Platform is now offering researchers an opportunity to contribute to this mission with their insights on DGT. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and National…

REQUEST FOR INPUT: Shaping NSF’s TIP Directorate

Dear Social Science Community, The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking public input into the development of a roadmap for the newly created Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). The roadmap will guide the TIP Directorate’s activities and directions for the next three years, and COSSA needs your input to help ensure that insights from social and behavioral science research are included—if not prioritized—in efforts to shape the future of U.S. technology development and deployment. COSSA will be submitting comments to NSF on behalf of the research community before the deadline. We want to hear from you. Comments and…

NIH Launches New UNITE E Initiatives

The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) UNITE “E” Committee has been working to develop a strategy to advance racial equity and create a more inclusive biomedical research environment (see previous coverage on NIH’s UNITE activity). On May 17, the Committee announced the launch of new initiatives, including innovative funding programs and policy changes. New funding opportunities are as follows: The UNITE E Committee has also launched a prize competition to recognize effective strategies for enhancing DEIA in research environments: the NIH Institutional Excellence in DEIA in Biomedical and Behavioral Research Prize Competition. The prize competition aims to recognize transformative cultures,…

PCAST Discusses AI Implications

On May 18 and 19, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) held a public meeting focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) development. The meeting was centered on understanding how the development of AI technology would affect both the scientific enterprise and society. Dr. Fei-Fei Li, the Co-Director of the Stanford Institute of Human-Centered AI, emphasized the importance of using AI as a tool to benefit productivity and not as a replacement for human work. During the sessions, speakers highlighted the value of AI for innovation while emphasizing the need for ethical guidelines and development transparency. Prior to…

NSF Releases Dear Colleague Letter Opportunity for High School Students

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Dear Colleague Letter focused on High School Student Research Assistantships in the Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences. The opportunity invites SBE scientists, with existing NSF awards, to apply for additional funding to provide high school students with research experience in the field. NSF awardees may apply to support two students and are encouraged to support underrepresented groups and locations that may have less access to SBE research opportunities. A list of eligible NSF programs can be found here. 

NIJ Launches Competition on New Data Collection Models 

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm within the U.S. Department of Justice, has launched the Innovations in Measuring Community Perceptions Challenge to develop new methods of measuring community attitude about public safety. NIJ has identified a gap in methods able to link to specific geographical locations and is seeking to develop new models to collect this type of data. NIJ is requesting that proposals consider how the model will interact with different communities; how the model will remain cost effective for widescale deployment and scalable to different area sizes; and how the model will collect data accurately…

Dr. Monica Bertagnolli Nominated to Lead NIH

On May 15, the White House announced the nomination of Dr. Monica Bertagnolli as the next Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If confirmed, Bertagnolli would replace the current Acting Director, Dr. Lawrence Tabak, who has been serving since the departure of Francis Collins in 2021. President Biden stated, “Dr. Bertagnolli has spent her career pioneering scientific discovery and pushing the boundaries of what is possible to improve cancer prevention and treatment for patients, and ensuring that patients in every community have access to quality care… Dr. Bertagnolli is a world-class physician-scientist whose vision and leadership will ensure…

NSF Requests Information on Roadmap for new TIP Directorate

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a request for information (RFI) on developing a roadmap for the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). NSF is seeking input to inform the TIP Directorate’s three-year roadmap, and is requesting comments on the following focus areas: artificial intelligence; computer hardware and software; quantum science and technology; robotics and advanced manufacturing; advanced communication technologies; biotechnology; data storage and cybersecurity; energy and industrial technologies; and advanced materials science. NSF is also requesting comments on the societal, national, and geostrategic challenges to be addressed through TIP-supported research, including United States national security and workforce…

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