Executive Branch News
NIH Requests Comments on Biomedical and Behavioral Research Real-World Data
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a request for comments on the collection, use, and sharing of biomedical and behavioral science research real-world data (RWD). RWD refers to observational data that is gathered from patients in real-world settings, including but not limited to patient surveys and electronic records. As the NIH develops guidelines for RWD, submitted comments are expected to aid the NIH in understanding public concerns of this type of data. The public is asked to comment on the following items: Comments are requested by December 14 and can be submitted here.
NIMH Launches New Podcast Series to Commemorate its 75th Anniversary
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in celebration of its 75th anniversary, announced the inauguration of their new podcast series, âMental Health Mattersâ. This series aims to dive deep into the narrative journeys of key figures making strides in mental health research while also spotlighting the experiences of individuals navigating life with mental health challenges. Episode one is titled, âUnderstanding and Preventing Youth Suicide.â The episode features a compelling conversation between NIMH’s Director, Dr. Joshua A. Gordon, and Dr. Arielle Sheftall, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of…
OMB Issues Trust Regulation RFI within the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a request for information for the codification of the four fundamental responsibilities of the Codification of Statistical Policy Directive No. 1 (Trust Regulation) within the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA). The responsibilities are the production of relevant and timely data, ensuring that data is credible and accurate, remaining objective, and protecting confidentiality. In a recent webinar on the Trust Regulation hosted by the American Statistical Association, a COSSA Governing Member, U.S. Chief Statistician, Karin A. Orvis, highlighted the importance of codifying the responsibilities to improve transparency in the agency and improve public…
National Board of Education Sciences Meets for the First Time in Six Years
On September 11, the Institute of Education Sciencesâ (IES) National Board of Education Sciences (NBES) met for the first time in six years. As previously reported, the Biden Administration appointed members to NBES in November 2022, allowing the board to resume itâs work with the institute to ensure their priorities are consistent with its mission. NBES is also responsible for strengthening procedures for technical and scientific peer review, presenting recommendations to improve education research, soliciting advice and information from the field, and ensuring IES is compliant with the Education Sciences Reform Act. The meeting was attended by Mark Schneider, director of IES, who…
NSB 2024 Honorary Awards Nominations are open
The National Science Board (NSB) is now welcoming nominations for its 2024 Honorary Awards. There are two awards for which nominations can be submitted: Deadline for nominations is September 29. Details on the two awards can be found on the NSB website.
White House Releases FY 2025 Budget Priorities for R&D
On August 17, the White House released a memorandum outlining the Administrationâs priorities for research and development (R&D) for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget cycle. This memorandum, which is traditionally released annually by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), aims to set cross-cutting priorities for all federal research agencies to consider as they develop their budget submissions. The FY 2025 memorandum lists seven such priorities for agencies to consider: While the priorities listed are similar to those in the White House R&D memorandum for FY 2024, there is notably more…
NSF Announces the Establishment of a New Research Security and Integrity Information Sharing Analysis Organization
The National Science Foundation (NSF), via the Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (OCRSSP), announced the establishment of an independent Research Security and Integrity Information Sharing Analysis Organization (RSI-ISAO). This initiative aims to bolster the U.S. research community, which encompasses institutions of higher education, non-profit research institutions, and small to medium-sized for-profit organizations. Its objective is to address foreign government interference, champion security-informed decision-making, and bridge the research community with U.S. government agencies. The NSF is inviting proposals that detail an actionable strategy for the RSI-ISAO. Anyone interested in submitting a proposal is encouraged to present…
NCSES Launches Website for the National Secure Data Service Demonstration Project
The National Science Foundationâs (NSF) statistical agency, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), has launched a website for the National Secure Data Service Demonstration Project (NSDS-D). NSDS-D is one of the required projects authorized under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (see previous COSSA coverage). The project is intended to inform the ongoing work to improve the governmentsâ data infrastructure system, including new ways of collecting and linking data. More details can be found on their website.Â
Office of Evaluation Sciences is Hiring for Multiple Positions
The Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) is expanding their team! The OES is the recently established evaluations team within the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). Expect to see multiple openings on USAJOBS and on the official OES website. The positions will be supporting federal agency evaluation priorities and the GSAâs evaluation priorities. Any potential applicants should prepare a USAJOBS profile and continue to monitor the OES opportunities page and the OES LinkedIn profile page for announcements.Â
NIH Requests Comments for Updating Mission Statement
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking comments from the public on updating their mission statement. The mission statement currently reads, âTo seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.â The NIH is proposing to change this statement to read, âTo seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to optimize health and prevent or reduce illness for all people.â All interested parties are invited to comment on the proposed change by…
Dr. Alexis Piquero Departs BJS, Dr. Kevin M. Scott to Serve as New Director
Dr. Alexis R. Piquero, Director for the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) within the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has stepped down from his position and returned to academia effective August 17. Piquero was sworn in August 2022 (see previous COSSA coverage). During his time at BJS, Piquero focused on disseminating justice statistics to the public in an easy-to-read and timely manner. Piquero developed Just the Stats, a report series for the public. Dr. Piquero has been a vocal champion for the agency and the use of social and behavioral science research to policymaking. COSSA thanks him for his service. …
Save the Date: 2023 NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival
The annual National Institutes of Health (NIH) Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival will take place virtually on December 5, 2023 and will be hosted by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee. The festival will highlight recently funded behavioral and social sciences research supported by the NIH; bring together behavioral and social scientists within NIH communities to network and share ideas; and explore ways to advance behavioral and social sciences research. Agenda and registration information is coming soon and will be available on the NIH website.
National Science Foundation Job Opportunities and Announcements
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is gearing up for a busy start to the season and the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate is welcoming a new acting deputy assistant director to help. Dr. Evan Heit has been announced to fill the role, succeeding Dr. Antoinette WinklerPrins, following his recent position as the division director for the Division of Research on Learning within the STEM Education Directorate. Dr. Heit holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University and has a background serving in leadership for different programs including Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier. The NSF is also still…
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 awardâs criteria, the application, and the selection process here.
DHS Designates âDemography and Population Studiesâ as STEM Degree
On July 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a Federal Register notice adding âDemography and Population Studiesâ 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 âOptional Practical Trainingâ 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 âDemography and Population Studiesâ 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 worldâs leading AI companies, including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI to gain consensus over the responsible development of AI. Reflecting the Administrationâs 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…