New from COSSA
Advocacy Day Hotel Block Closing March 9
The hotel block for COSSAâs 2020 Social Science Advocacy Day closes on Friday, March 9. Participants may reserve a room at the block rate of $276 per night for the nights of March 29-31 at the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/U.S. Capitol (1225 First Street, NE), a nine-minute walk from our Advocacy Day training location and home base. Use this link when booking or book by phone using the group code C3 or Consortium of Social Science Associations. COSSA members can sign up for Advocacy Day on COSSAâs website. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
COSSA Urges Advocates to Oppose FY 2021 Budget Cuts to Social Science
Last week, COSSA released an action alert urging social science advocates to reach out to their Congressional representatives to oppose the steep cuts proposed by the Administration in its FY 2021 budget request (see COSSAâs analysis). COSSA created a menu of letters that stakeholders can send to their Members of Congress to share their priorities for the coming year. COSSAâs TAKE ACTION page allows advocates to quickly send a letter to your Senators and Representative and tell them why they care about supporting the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Education Sciences and International Education, or…
Administration Releases FY 2021 Budget Request; Read COSSAâs Analysis
On February 10, the Trump Administration released its fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget request to Congress. In a significant departure from last yearâs budget rollout, the FY 2021 budget is not delivered on the heels of a major government shutdown, like we saw in early 2019. Given that Congress passed its FY 2020 appropriations bills in December 2019âalbeit nearly 3 months lateâthe Presidentâs FY 2021 budget can be compared to FY 2020 enacted levels, providing a clearer look at the potential implications of the Administrationâs proposals. However, the positive news largely ends there with respect to the Trump Administrationâs budget…
COSSA Releases 2020 Rankings of College and University Social Science Investment
On January 29, COSSA released its 2019 College and University Rankings for Federal Social and Behavioral R&D, which highlight the top university recipients of federal research dollars in the social and behavioral sciences. This yearâs rankings feature a dashboard with an interactive map of recipients of social and behavioral science R&D funding so you can see how your university stacks up among more than 500 U.S. institutions. Based on the most recent available federal data, the COSSA rankings use an inclusive selection of fields representing the breadth of the social and behavioral sciences to calculate the total federal R&D funding…
COSSA Responds to JCORE RFI
In response to a request for information (RFI) from the Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE) (see previous coverage), COSSA submitted a collection of resources produced by its member associations relevant to JCOREâs four primary areas of interest: (1) Research Rigor and Integrity; (2) Coordinating Administrative Requirements for Research; (3) Research Security; and (4) Safe and Inclusive Research Environments. As COSSAâs letter states, âGiven [the social sciencesâ] focus on the human condition across multiple scales, it is not surprising that our sciences have a lot to say about the topics of interest to JCORE.â The document is intended to…
Still Time to Register for Februaryâs Headlines Webchat on the Presidentâs Budget Request
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly Headlines webchat on Thursday, February 13. The COSSA team will break down the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer your questions. The February chat will feature a deep dive discussion on the Trump Administrationâs budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2021, scheduled to be released on February 10. Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
HOT TOPIC: Foreign Interference in the U.S. Research Enterprise & Policy Responses
COSSA has released the latest edition of our HOT TOPIC series, which are featured articles prepared by COSSA staff members offering insights into timely issues important to the social and behavioral science community. This edition, titled Foreign Interference in the U.S. Research Enterprise & Policy Responses, was written by Ben Goodrich. In recent years, United States federal research agencies have faced growing concerns of reports of U.S. research and intellectual property being stolen, illegally transferred, or tampered with by foreign governments, notably the Chinese government. These agencies have employed a variety of methods to protect research from foreign interference, including commissioning…
COSSA Sends Letter in Support of Panchanathan Nomination to Lead NSF
On January 21, COSSA submitted a letter to leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in support of the nomination of Sethuraman Panchanathan to be the next Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) (see previous coverage). The letter notes that âDr. Panchanathan has a strong and clear vision on the role of research and innovation in ensuring our nationâs leadership in the global economy, and we are pleased to lend our collective voices in support of his nomination.â Panchanathan was nominated in December for a six-year term following the upcoming retirement of current NSF Director France…
Early Bird Registration Open for 2020 Social Science Advocacy Day
Registration for Social Science Advocacy Day 2020 is now open. COSSAâs annual spring event will include a kickoff session featuring special guest speakers (to be announced in the coming weeks), a half-day of intensive context setting and advocacy preparation, COSSAâs annual Celebration of Social Science Rooftop Reception, and a full day of meetings on Capitol Hill. COSSA members are encouraged to take advantage of our Early Bird discount and register by February 1 for only $75! Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to register at a reduced rate of $25. Advocacy Day is open exclusively to individuals employed by or affiliated with COSSA…
Still Time to Register for Januaryâs Headlines Webchat
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly COSSA Headlines webchat on Thursday January 9, in which COSSA staff will break down the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month, including how social science fared in the final fiscal year (FY) 2020 spending agreement, Trump’s new nominee to lead the National Science Foundation, and the launch of a pilot single-application portal for accessing restricted federal statistics. Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Decemberâs Headlines to Feature Deep Dive on Threats to Research Security
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly COSSA Headlines webchat on Thursday December 12, in which COSSA staff will recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer participantsâ questions. The December chat will feature a deep dive discussion on understanding the threats to U.S. research security with Toby Smith, Vice President for Policy at the Association of American Universities. Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Advocacy Day Registration to Open Later this Month
Early bird registration for COSSAâs 2020 Social Science Advocacy Day will begin in mid-December. COSSA members interested in taking advantage of our early bird pricing should sign up for COSSAâs members-only emails so they can be the first to know when registration is live. In the meantime, the hotel block for Advocacy Day is open for those ready to make their travel arrangements. Participants may reserve rooms in the block at $276 per night for the nights of March 29-31 at the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/U.S. Capitol (1225 First Street, NE), a nine-minute walk from our Advocacy Day training location and…
COSSA Seeks Nominations for 2020 Public Impact Award
COSSA is seeking nominations for the 2020 COSSA Public Impact Award, which recognizes individuals, groups, and/or organizations who are using social and behavioral science research to affect real change in society. COSSA established the award in 2019, to celebrate the many ways social and behavioral science research is being used to achieve notable improvements in communities. The inaugural COSSA Public Impact Award was presented to The Lab @ DC in April 2019 in recognition of its work in improving programs and services to the citizens of the District of Columbia through methods and research in the social sciences. Nominations may…
Novemberâs Headlines to Feature Deep Dive on 2020 Census
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly COSSA Headlines webchat on Thursday November 14, in which COSSA staff will recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer participantsâ questions. The November chat will feature Mary Jo Hoeksema, Director of Government Affairs for the Population Association of America and Co-Director of the Census Project, on the 2020 Census. Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Advocacy Day Hotel Block Opens
The hotel block for COSSAâs 2020 Social Science Advocacy Day, which will take place in Washington DC on March 30 and 31, is now open. Participants may reserve rooms in the block at $276 per night for the nights of March 29-31 at the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/U.S. Capitol (1225 First Street, NE), a nine-minute walk from our Advocacy Day training location and home base. Use this link when booking or book by phone using the group code C3 or Consortium of Social Science Associations. Registration for Advocacy Day will open in December. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Octoberâs Headlines Webchat to Feature Deep Dive on Challenges Facing USDA Research and Statistics
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly COSSA Headlines webchat on Thursday October 10, in which COSSA staff will recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer participantsâ questions. The October chat will feature Katherine Smith Evans, Director of the Committee for Government Relations for the American Economic Association and former Administrator of the Economic Research Service, on challenges facing the Department of Agricultureâs Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register…