Science Community News
National Academies Calls for Nominations for Study on Improving Economic and Social Mobility
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicineâs (NASEM) Committee on Population (CPOP) and Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) are leading a consensus study to identify gaps in knowledge on the influences on economic and social mobility in the U.S. Recognizing the prevalence of inequalities in income, wealth, health, and life across the U.S., the study will seek to understand how such inequalities are influenced by policy interventions and how they vary across different population groups. NASEM invites nominations for individuals to serve on the committee. Expertise is sought in the following areas: economics, sociology, demography, statistics/methodology, psychology, political science,…
National Academies Releases New Report on Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a new report, Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science, Practice, and Policy. The report addresses disparities faced by people of color in the criminal justice system that result from systemic racism and the policies and practices that reinforce it. It highlights evidence-based policy interventions, focusing on reforming the criminal justice system and developing strategies to strengthen community reforms. Recommendations for reforming the criminal justice system include eliminating cash bail, reducing drug incarceration and felony sentences, discarding the death penalty, and more, while community reforms include health and…
DBASSE Celebrates 60 Years and Looks to the Future
On October 13, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine held a symposium celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE). During the two-day event, presenters revisited some of the Divisionâs most notable activities and reports, such as the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) and the report on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science, to name a few. Later, speakers explored some of the topics that could dominate in the years ahead and how social science can contribute. In the words of former Director of the National Science Foundation Rita Colwell, âThis is…
CNSTAT Nominations for Workshop on Improving Measurement of Death by Suicide of Law Enforcement Officers
The Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Statistics is calling for nominations for members of an organizing committee to create a public workshop on strategies to measure death by suicide of law enforcement and correctional officers. CNSTAT is seeking experts in criminal justice research and statistics, mental health and occupational health, administrative data, and integrating federal, state, tribal, and local government data systems. They are also seeking law enforcement and correctional officers for the event. Nominations will close on November 10, 2022.
CNSTAT Releases Report on a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) recently released the report Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Mobilizing Information for the Common Good. The report offers an ambitious vision and roadmap for bringing the U.S. data infrastructure in line with the nationâs need for reliable, accessible statistics and social and economic research. During a recent seminar celebrating CNSTATâs 50th anniversary, CNSTAT Chair Robert Groves of Georgetown University offered additional context for the report, noting the convergence of increasing survey costs, all-time low response rates, and the unprecedented amount of digital data now…
National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Release Year Three Annual Report
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released the Year Three Annual Report for the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education and held the Fourth Annual Public Summit last week. The report builds off of the 2018 report, Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (see previous COSSA coverage). The Action Collaborative focuses on raising awareness, sharing evidence-based policies and strategies, developing standards for measuring progress, and setting shared research agenda related to eradicating harassment in higher education settings. The Year Three Annual Report highlights the improvements the National Academies…
Golden Goose Award Seeks 2023 Nominations
Nominations are now open for the 2023 Golden Goose Award, an annual honor recognizing federally funded research that may sound odd, obscure, or serendipitous, but ends up having a major impact on society. Many social and behavioral scientists have been award recipients in the past and honored at the annual ceremony and reception in Washington, DC. Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, but for the best chance for consideration for the 2023 awards, nominations should be submitted by December 18, 2022. More information and the nomination form can be found on the Golden Goose website.
National Academies Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine Seeks Nominations for New Consensus Study
The National Academies Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (CWSEM) is calling for nominations for members and reviewers of a new consensus study committee, Policies and Practices for Supporting Parents and Caregivers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee will research challenges faced by parents and caregivers within these disciplines, document institutional support, conduct interviews specifically focusing on marginalized populations, identify new practices and opportunities for improvement, and set recommendations for academic institutions and federal agencies. The Committee is seeking 12-17 volunteers and are particularly interested in individuals with experience in gender equity in science, engineering, and medicine;…
CNSTAT Celebrates 50 Years with Seminar and Data Infrastructure Report
The National Academies Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) is hosting a public seminar celebrating 50 years of CNSTAT on October 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. The event will be webcast for those unable to attend in person. The seminar will include a brief review of notable accomplishments and current efforts. CNSTAT will also be discussing their recent report, Toward a Vision for a New Data Infrastructure for Federal Statistics and Social and Economic Research in the 21st Century. This report details the importance of creating a new data infrastructure that both modernizes the processes and addresses the various challenges facing…
DBASSE Celebrates 60 Years and Discusses their Future
The Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will be celebrating their 60th anniversary during a two-day virtual event on October 13-14 in Washington, DC. The meeting will highlight some of the Divisionâs most notable accomplishments, celebrate past contributions, and share a vision for the future. The event The event schedule is available here and register for the event here.
National Academies to Host Seminar on The Future of Education Research at IES
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will be hosting a symposium, The Future is Now: Advancing and Sustaining an Equity-Oriented Science, on September 20. The event will discuss innovative ways to improve equity in education through research and feature highlights from the recent NASEM report, The Future of Education Research at IES: Advancing an Equity-Oriented Science (see previous COSSA coverage). This symposium will take place at the NASEMâs Keck Center in Washington, D.C. and will be available virtually.Â
National Academies Study Addresses Lack of Diversity in Clinical Trials and Research
The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a report on diversity in clinical trials and research. The consensus study report, Improving Diversity Across the Clinical Trial and Research Ecosystem examined data from various organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, and found, generally, a significant lack of data on diversity on clinical trials. The report cites the lack of standardization of demographic data collection across organizations as a barrier to accessing this type of information. The report details the current atmosphere around clinical trials and research, and the lack of diversity within them, which can lead…
National Academies Call for Nominations for Panel on Womenâs Empowerment, Population Dynamics, and Socioeconomic Development
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Population has announced they are accepting nominations for a panel on womenâs empowerment, population dynamics, and socioeconomic development. This panel will perform a study on the impact of womenâs empowerment on global social and economic development and provide recommendations. Goals of the study include developing a framework to conceptualize the impact of womenâs empowerment, reviewing the current literature, assess policy options, and set an agenda for future research priorities on this subject. Prospective panelists should have expertise in a related field of social science, including demography, sociology, economics, survey…
National Academies Seeks Nominations for Committee on Misinformation
The Board on Science Education (BOSE) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) is launching a consensus study that will examine misinformation about science, and is seeking nominations for committee members, reviewers, and participants. The ad-hoc committee will be compromised of approximately 12-14 members and will examine evidence to define and map the landscape of misinformation, examine the mechanisms and impacts of misinformation experienced by diverse communities, examine the effectiveness of existing interventions, and provide a roadmap to guide future research. BOSE is looking for volunteers who are experts in the fields of science communication, psychology, political…
National Academies Release New Report on Ontologies in the Behavioral Sciences
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has released a new consensus study report titled Ontologies in the Behavioral Sciences: Accelerating Research and the Spread of Knowledge. The report offers a description of ontologies, or frameworks for organizing existing knowledge, and ways they can be used to support behavioral science. In addition, the report offers several recommendations for science stakeholders to best use ontologies to advance behavioral science research, including federal agencies and professional organizations. Some of these recommendations include: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) should create agendas for advancing behavioral science…
National Academies Seeking Director for Board on Human-Systems Integration
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has announced the search for a new director for the Board on Human-Systems Integration (BOHSI), a major program housed in the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE). The director of BOHSI is responsible for managing all programs under the Boardâs purview including human capital management, cybersecurity, and other human factors research. In addition, the director is responsible for leading communications, managing staff, and fostering partnerships with federal agencies, industry, and professional associations. More information on how to apply is available on the NASEM website.
National Academies Release Report on Improving Representation in Clinical Trials and Research
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have released a report titled Improving Representation in Clinical Trials and Research: Building Research Equity for Women and Underrepresented Groups, which aims to identify existing challenges and potential solutions to the lack of representation of populations such as women and ethnic minority groups in clinical research studies. According to the report, the underrepresentation of populations in clinical trials and research does much to harm the clinical research enterprise by compromising research findingsâ usefulness to the whole population, costing hundreds of billions of dollars, hindering innovation and effective health discoveries, and undermining…
Social, Behavioral, and Economic COVID Coordinating Center Launches New Website & Resources
The Social, Behavioral, and Economic COVID Coordinating Center (SBE CCC), an effort led by the University of Michiganâs Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recently developed a new website with a host of resources on coordinating research efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic. The SBE CCC acts as an information hub for communication about COVID-19 research, information-sharing between researchers, and sharing opportunities among the social, behavioral, and economic sciences community. Among the resources available on the new website are breaking news stories about COVID-19 research, podcasts and webinars, and publications…
National Academies to Hold Seminar on the Future of Work
On May 31, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will hold a public seminar on the Future of Work during the meeting of the Board on Human-Systems Integration. This seminar, which will feature speakers from scientific societies and federal agencies, will focus on various systems-based issues related to the future of work such as building resilience to threats in the future workplace, understanding how human behavior influences algorithmic bias in workplace decision-making, and understanding how to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion in the future workplace. Registration for the event is available here.
National Academies to Host OSTPâs Alondra Nelson for Discussion on Equity in Federal Research
On May 12, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will host a hybrid event featuring Dr. Alondra Nelson, Acting Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), for a discussion regarding equity within federal research programs. The event will feature keynote remarks from Dr. Nelson on co-producing scientific knowledge in partnership with diverse groups of stakeholders. Following these remarks will be a moderated panel discussion and a public forum to answer, âwhat does equitable co-production look like in practice?â and âwhat should it look like?â Registration in advance is required to attend the event in person,…