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Save the Date: 2018 COSSA Science Policy Conference and Social Science Advocacy Day – April 30 & May 1

November 28, 2017 | ,

COSSA’s 2018 Science Policy Conference and Social Science Advocacy Day will take place on April 30 and May 1, 2018 in Washington, DC. The Conference brings together COSSA members and other stakeholders for a day of discussion about federal policy impacting our science followed by the only annual, coordinated advocacy day in support of all of the social and behavioral sciences. Early bird registration will open later in December. More details will be posted on the Conference webpage as they are made available. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

SRCD Answers “Why Social Science?”

November 28, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Martha Zaslow, Director for Policy and Communications at the Society for Research and Child Development, who writes about ways the social sciences can tell us how to “grow the roots” of STEM learning in children. Read it here and subscribe.

The American Sociological Association Answers “Why Social Science?

November 14, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Jean Shin, Director of Minority and Student Affairs at the American Sociological Association, who writes about how insights from the social sciences both demonstrates the importance of diversity and help us identify ways build a more inclusive society. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

COSSA Joins Societies in Requesting Changes to NIH Clinical Trial Policy

October 31, 2017 | , ,

In a letter sent to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins on October 27, COSSA and 21 other scientific societies and associations requested that NIH revisit a new policy that alters the definition of “clinical trials” funded by the agency and institutes new reporting requirements for such research (see COSSA’s coverage of this issue). While the letter is supportive of the goal of enhancing transparency of NIH-funded research, including introducing registration and reporting requirements, the signatories express concern that “basic science research is being redefined as a clinical trial at NIH and that “basic science investigators will be…

COSSA, SAGE Host Why Social Science? Congressional Briefing

October 17, 2017 | ,

COSSA and SAGE Publishing hosted a Congressional briefing on Wednesday, October 4 on Social Science Solutions for Health, Public Safety, Computing, and Other National Priorities. The event featured authors of past Why Social Science? blog posts, including Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Peter Harsha of the Computing Research Association, Nancy La Vigne of The Urban Institute, and William Riley of the National Institutes of Health. Panelists discussed the importance of social science applications to preventing cyberattacks, how social science can help identify the causes of health disparities, and how behavioral reinforcement or “nudges” can be incorporated into federal policy. A complete recording of the…

COSSA Praises Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking Report

October 17, 2017 |

On October 11, COSSA issued a statement on the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking’s final report, released in September (see COSSA’s summary of the report’s recommendations). The statement reads: “COSSA applauds the work of the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking and commends its open, thorough process in producing its final report, The Promise of Evidence-Based Policymaking. The report represents the beginning of what we hope will be an ongoing, nonpartisan discussion on how the federal government can incentivize decision-making based on sound science while ensuring the careful stewardship of confidential information. The Commission’s recommendations demonstrate that expanding the use of evidence and…

SAGE Answers “Why Social Science?”

October 17, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science guest post comes from Sara Miller McCune, Founder and Executive Chair of SAGE Publishing, who writes about how her personal and professional experiences have been shaped by research in the social sciences. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

Tomorrow: Social Science Solutions for Health, Public Safety, Computing, and Other National Priorities

October 3, 2017 |

COSSA and SAGE Publishing will host a Congressional briefing on Wednesday, October 4 on Social Science Solutions for Health, Public Safety, Computing, and Other National Priorities. The event will feature authors of past Why Social Science? blog posts, including Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL); Andrew Bernat, Computing Research Association; Nancy La Vigne, The Urban Institute; and William Riley, National Institutes of Health. The briefing will take place at noon in room 2075 of the Rayburn House Office Building. RSVPs are still being accepted here. For those unable to attend in person, the briefing will be livestreamed on COSSA’s Facebook page. Back…

Research!America Answers “Why Social Science?”

October 3, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Mary Woolley, President and CEO of Research!America, who writes about how research in the social and behavioral sciences has led to life-saving interventions. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

The Computing Research Association Answers “Why Social Science?”

September 19, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Andrew Bernat, Executive Director of the Computing Research Association, who writes about how insights from the social and behavioral sciences enhance the work of computer scientists. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

The American Educational Research Association Answers “Why Social Science?”

September 5, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Juliane Baron of the American Educational Research Association, who writes about how education research has challenged our assumptions about how we learn and helped us improve the way we teach students. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

The American Political Science Association Answers “Why Social Science?”

July 25, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science guest post comes from Steven Rathgeb Smith, Executive Director of the American Political Science Association, who writes about how political science helps us understand and engage with our political and social systems an d institutions. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

Why Social Science? Highlights the National Academies’ SBE Report

July 11, 2017 | ,

This week’s Why Social Science? post highlights the recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, The Value of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences to National Priorities. Produced at the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the report assesses the contributions of the social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences to issues of national importance. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents. 

The Crime and Justice Research Alliance Answers “Why Social Science?”

June 27, 2017 |

This week’s “Why Social Science?” guest post comes from Nancy La Vigne, Chair of the Crime and Justice Research Alliance and Director of the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute, who writes about how findings from criminology help us answer crucial questions about crime and our justice system. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

The National Communication Association Answers “Why Social Science?”

June 12, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Paaige Turner, Executive Director of the National Communication Association, who writes about the role Communication research plays in helping shape our understanding of the world around us. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

COSSA Senate Testimony Calls for Funding for NIH, AHRQ, CDC, Education Programs

June 12, 2017 |

On June 2, COSSA submitted testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies for fiscal year (FY) 2018. The testimony calls for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Institute for Education Sciences (IES), and International Education and Foreign Language Programs (Title VI and Fulbright-Hays). Back to this issue’s table of contents.

CJRA and COSSA to Host “Ask a Criminologist” Panel on Technology and Policing

June 12, 2017 | ,

The Crime & Justice Research Alliance (CJRA) (a collaborative effort of the Academy of Criminal Justice Science and the American Society of Criminology, both COSSA members) and COSSA will be hosting the second in a series of “Ask a Criminologist” Congressional briefings on Wednesday, June 21. This interactive event will feature criminologist experts who will provide an overview of research on the latest technologies police are using across the country. Experts include CJRA Chair Dr. Nancy La Vigne of The Urban Institute, Dr. Cynthia Lum of George Mason University, Dr. Eric Piza of John Jay College, and Eddie Reyes of…

COSSA Releases Analysis of the Trump Administration’s FY 2018 Budget Request

May 30, 2017 | ,

The Trump Administration released its fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget request on May 23. The budget seeks dramatic reductions totaling $3.6 trillion across nearly every department of the federal government, including most science and research agencies. COSSA has prepared an in-depth analysis of the FY 2018 budget request, which includes details on the President’s proposals for the dozens of departments, agencies, and programs of interest to social and behavioral science researchers. The release of the President’s budget request marks the official start of the FY 2018 appropriations process, though some Congressional committees have already begun holding their oversight hearings even…

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences Answers “Why Social Science?”

May 30, 2017 |

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from John Tessitore, Senior Program Advisor at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, who writes about how findings from the social sciences helped inform the Academy’s recent report, “America’s Languages: Investing in Language Education in the 21st Century.” Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

COSSA Joins Scientific Societies in Raising Concerns with Visa Changes

May 30, 2017 |

COSSA joined 54 scientific societies on a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the Department of State raising concerns about the proposed supplemental questions for visa applicants. The letter discusses the community’s concerns about a possible chilling effect on international travelers to the United States, which would negatively impact U.S. higher education and scientific collaborations. The signatories also raise concerns about the lack of clarity on which visa applicants would be affected, that social media information would be collected, and that the burden of this proposed change would be…

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