COSSA Member
COSSA Member Organizations
Save the Date: AAPSS 2024 Moynihan Lecture
This fall, The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), a COSSA member, will award the 2024 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize to acclaimed public interest attorney and scholar Bryan Stevenson. The annual Prize is intended to honor those who have “promoted the use of sound analysis and social science research in policymaking, while contributing to the civil discourse in society.” Each year, the winner of the Moynihan Prize delivers the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture on Social Science and Public Policy in Washington, DC. Stevenson will deliver this year’s lecture on November 18 and the lecture will be followed by a conversation between…
Population Scientists Discuss Maternal Mortality on Capitol Hill
On July 22, the Population Association of America (PAA), in cooperation with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Statistical Association (ASA), Association of Population Centers, March of Dimes, Population Reference Bureau, and Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), sponsored its annual in-person briefing on Capitol Hill, “Maternal Mortality in America: Understanding the Challenges and Crafting Population Based Solutions.” PAA, ASA, and SRCD are COSSA governing member organizations. The briefing featured a panel of experts who addressed not only nuances in data regarding U.S. maternal mortality trends, but also addressed potential policy recommendations. The speakers’ presentations also underscored…
Supreme Court Overturns 1984 Chevron Decision
On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1984 Chevron decision. The Chevron deference doctrine was established by the ruling in Chevron U.S.A v. Natural Resources Defense Council, and granted federal agencies the ability to interpret ambiguous federal laws. Chevron allowed the federal government increased flexibility in addressing issues relating to many sectors, including the environment, public health, and workplace safety. By a 6-3 majority, the Chevron doctrine was overturned in the Supreme Court’s decision on Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) released an in-depth statement highlighting the implications of this verdict. With the courts increasingly shifting power…
American Statistical Association Releases “The Nation’s Data at Risk” Report
On July 9, The American Statistical Association (ASA), in partnership with George Mason University, hosted a webinar and released a report focused on assessing the health of the principal federal statistical agencies. This webinar provided an overview of the most comprehensive and current assessment of the challenges facing the nation’s most vital statistics and the report detailed the findings and recommendations from the project team. The team assessed the health of federal statistical agencies regarding professional autonomy, support from their parent agency, sufficiency of their budget and staffing, challenges and opportunities for data quality and innovation, and engagement with data…
AAAS Accepting Nominations for 2025 Awards & Prizes
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced that nominations are now open for the following awards and prizes: AAAS also sponsors a wide range of other awards and prizes recognizing scientists, engineers, authors, journalists and public servants for significant contributions to science and the public’s understanding of science. The deadline for all nominations is June 30 and award winners will be announced in early 2025. Learn more on the AAAS website.
PAA to Host Congressional Briefing on “Maternal Mortality in America: Understanding the Challenges and Crafting Population Based Solutions”
On July 22, the Population Association of America (PAA) will host a congressional briefing on “Maternal Mortality in America: Understanding the Challenges and Crafting Population Based Solutions.” The event will feature discussion about the complex social, economic, and health factors contributing to the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. Speakers to include: Dr. Robert Anderson from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Dr. Alecia McGregor from Harvard University, and Dr. Amanda Stevenson from the University of Colorado-Boulder. This event will offer a space to explore and address these issues, fostering an informed conversation about the research and potential interventions…
Nominations Open for 2025 Sage-CASBS Award
The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University and Sage now are accepting nominations for the 2025 Sage-CASBS Award. Both Sage and CASBS are COSSA members. Established in 2013, the Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the behavioral and social sciences that push the boundaries of our understanding of social issues. In addition to a cash prize, the Sage-CASBS Award winner will deliver a public lecture to be held at CASBS in spring 2025. The deadline for nominations is September 16, 2024. More information about the Award can be found here.
Sage Launches Free Collection of Social Science Resources on Global Democracy and Elections
On May 30, Sage launched a free-to-read hub of social and behavioral science resources focused on global democracy and elections. The hub contains a selection of free resources to help foster evidence-based discussions about the 2024 elections and democracy as a whole. The collection is accessible to students, librarians, faculty, researchers, and policymakers. It will help educators encourage critical thinking on key subjects shaping politics in a significant election year. The resources available include articles, reports, videos, and more, grouping resources into four key subject areas: Democracy, Elections, Teaching and Politics, and International Politics. Explore the free resources on the democracy and elections…
Introducing SRCD’s Child Policy Hub
On May 10, the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) announced the launch of their Child Policy Hub. Child Policy Hub was designed with leading policy and academic experts with the goal to transform SRCD’s policy programs. The Hub, exclusive to SRCD members, includes a suite of policy trainings and programs that will give members new ways to improve evidence-based policymaking. Members will be able to answer policymakers’ research questions, access new trainings, network with policymakers, hear from esteemed scholars, submit ideas for policy briefs, and more. To learn more, visit here. SRCD is a COSSA member organization.
Upcoming AAPSS Webinar: “Media Policy for an Informed Citizenry”
On April 17, The American Academy of Political & Social Science (AAPSS) will be hosting an open webinar titled “Media Policy for an Informed Citizenry: Revisiting the Information Needs of Communities for Democracy in Crisis”. AAPSS is a COSSA member institution. The topic of this webinar is based on the May 2023 edition of The Annals, a scholarly periodical produced by AAPSS. The webinar will discuss how people obtain news and information and how changes in technology have influenced the availability and reliability of such information. The webinar will be moderated by Molly Laas of the Social Science Research Council and will feature experts from…
AEA to Host Summer Evaluation Institute
The American Evaluation Association (AEA) has opened registration for the Summer Evaluation Institute which will take place June 26-28 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. The Summer Evaluation Institute offers development workshops for all experience levels of evaluators as well as applied researchers, grantmakers, foundation program officers, nonprofit administrators, and social science students. More information about the event can be found here. Any questions can be directed to education@eval.org. AEA is a COSSA member organization. All COSSA members can receive a 10% discount on general registration costs with the code SUM_COSSA24.
AAPSS Announces 2024 Academy Fellows
On March 13, The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) announced that they will welcome eight new scholars as 2024 fellows this fall. AAPSS is a COSSA member organization. Every year, the AAPSS selects a small group of scholars and public intellectuals to become fellows of the academy, recognizing their contributions to social science and the extent to which their work has deepened public understanding of social dynamics. The 2024 Fellows of the AAPSS are as follows: Read the full announcement here.
APSA Seeks Executive Director
The American Political Science Association (APSA) has initiated a search for an Executive Director. The Executive Director is expected to lead and represent the Association through developing strategic plans and goals, communicating with members, managing the staff and budget, and overseeing Association activities. A full list of responsibilities can be found in the job description here. The candidate is projected to begin the position around August 2024. APSA is a COSSA governing member organization. Applications will remain open until the position is filled and questions about the job posting can be directed to recruiter@apsanet.org.
AAPOR Awards Deadline Extended
The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) has extended their awards deadline to February 21. AAPOR has a portfolio of awards to recognize distinguished work in the profession, as well as to further the education of students and early career researchers. AAPOR is a COSSA governing member association and welcomes and encourages diversity in all aspects of the research profession, including their award nominees. Learn more about the different awards that are open for submissions here. Don’t wait to send in your nominations!
AAPSS Hosts Webinar: Civic Education in a Time of Democratic Crisis
On January 16, the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) hosted a webinar on “Civic Education in a Time of Democratic Crisis.” Esteemed panelists convened to address the pressing need for a revitalized approach to civic education. Amidst deep political division, the webinar underscored the critical need to revisit and enhance the teaching of government, philosophy, and civics within our educational institutions. The panelists collectively called for a nationwide public dialogue aimed at redefining the content and methodology of student engagement in civic education. They stressed the importance of incorporating diverse historical perspectives and fostering an environment conducive to civil…
AAPSS to Host an Upcoming Webinar: “Civic Education in a Time of Democratic Crisis”
On January 16, The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) will be hosting a webinar titled, “Civic Education in a Time of Democratic Crisis: Charting a new agenda for bipartisan and effective learning in our contentious environment”. AAPSS is a COSSA member institution. The webinar, moderated by William Galston of The Brookings Institution, will highlight research from a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to describe what works in civic education, and it will feature a dialogue on re-orienting teaching and learning toward meaningful civic outcomes. Panelists will discuss how educators can more effectively teach civics and how to best prepare…
Sage Publishing Launches Sage Policy Profiles Tool
Sage Publishing has officially launched their new tool, in partnership with Overton, titled “Sage Policy Profiles“. The tool is free-to-use and enables individual researchers and academics to easily discover how their work is impacting policy. Additional functionalities of the tool include: Sage is a COSSA affiliate member. Learn more about the tool here.
Editor’s Note: Update Returning on January 9
This is our final issue of the COSSA Washington Update for 2023. Late-breaking news and analysis will be shared with members subscribed to our members-only emails. We will resume our ongoing coverage of policy developments affecting the social and behavioral sciences on January 9. The COSSA team wishes all our readers a happy and healthy holiday season.
SPSP Launches New Advocacy Resource
On October 16, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) unveiled their new State of Research report designed to help anyone interested in leveraging personality and social psychology research to address societal challenges. SPSP is a COSSA governing member. The State of the Research resources offers easy summaries of personality and social psychology research findings that can inform practical policy solutions. The report focuses on the following key priority areas: Interested parties can learn more about the report here or download the full resource here.
SSRC Announces New Criminal Justice Fellowship Program with Arnold Ventures
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a COSSA member, has announced a new criminal justice fellowship program with support from Arnold Ventures. The Arnold Ventures Criminal Justice Innovation Fellowships will support five post-doctoral fellows who are pursuing policy-relevant causal research designed to innovate and evaluate cost-effective and scalable policy solutions that advance the efficacy and equity of criminal justice practices. The Fellowships will begin in September 2024, are available for up to three years, and will provide salaries of $120,000 with full benefits and annual increases. Applications are due January 15. More information about the program can be found here.