COSSA Member
COSSA Member Organizations
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.
Register for the 2023 Sage-CASBS Award Lecture
On November 16, the 2023 Sage and Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University (CASBS) Award Lecture will be taking place. Back in June, Sage and CASBS announced Elizabeth Anderson and Alondra Nelson as the winners of the 2023 Award (see previous coverage). Sage and CASBS are both COSSA members. During the event, Elizabeth Anderson and Alondra Nelson will deliver their award talks, then join in a moderated conversation. The event will conclude with award presentations. Anyone interested in attending can watch the livestream here or register to attend in person here. The event will be streamed live online…
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AAPSS 2024 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), a COSSA member organization, is accepting nominations for the 2024 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize in Social Science and Public Policy. The Moynihan Prize is an annual honor that recognizes social scientists, public officials, and other leaders who champion the use of informed judgment to improve public policy. Candidates must be willing to deliver a major public policy address on the topic of their choosing and nominations may be considered over a three-year period. The winner is recognized at a public event and receives a $20,000 cash prize. Nominations will be accepted through November…
Register for AERA’s 20th Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research
On October 19, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), a COSSA governing member, will host its 20th Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research. The annual lecture aims to illuminate the important role of research in advancing understanding of equality and equity in education. The 2023 lecture is titled, “Otherwise Qualified: The Untold Story of Brown and Black Educators’ Professional Superiority” and will be delivered by Dr. Leslie T. Fenwick, professor and dean emerita of the Howard University School of Education, and dean in residence at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Register for the event (virtually or in-person) here.
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…
DHS Designates “Demography and Population Studies” as STEM Degree
On July 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a Federal Register notice adding “Demography and Population Studies” 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 “Optional Practical Training” 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 “Demography and Population Studies” within this category. Read more about this successful change on the PAA website here.
AAAS Hosts Federal Agencies to Discuss Public Access Policies
On July 17, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) hosted federal agencies alongside the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a discussion, How can public access advance equity and learning? During the first half of the webinar, officials from NSF, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) discussed their implementation strategies for public access. During the panel and audience Q&A session, AAAS invited professors and PhD candidates to discuss the effect of public access on universities and students. In accordance with…
Social Science Community Responds to Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling
The social science community has voiced its concerns and disappointment following the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in college admissions. On June 29, the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in the two cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, declaring that race cannot be a factor in college admissions. The 6-3 ruling, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, effectively marks the end of affirmative action in higher education in the United States. Leaders within the social science community have responded. Felice J…
AAPSS and Niskanen Center Hosts Webinar on Preventing Gun Violence in America
On June 10, the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) hosted a webinar to discuss a collection of reports on Preventing Gun Violence in America: What Works and What is Possible. The collection, published in the AAPSS’s journal The ANNALS, consists of fourteen reports focusing on different issues and solutions of gun violence in America, including mass shootings, community gun violence, and intimate partner violence with guns. The Niskanen Center co-hosted the webinar with a panel that included one of the report’s special editors, Dr. Kerri M. Raissan, and two authors of the report, Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut and Dr. Jennifer Paruk. The discussion focused…
AmStat and COSSA Virtual Briefing: What the Latest DOJ Funded Research and Statistics Say About Crime and Justice in the US
On July 27, the American Statistical Association (AmStat) and COSSA will be sponsoring a virtual briefing concerning the importance of research and statistics to inform crime and justice policy. Join Dr. Nancy La Vigne, Director of the National Institute of Justice, and Dr. Alex Piquero, Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, for a discussion about their priorities for advancing the use of science in crime and justice including in the areas of forensics and DNA, corrections and recidivism reduction, and the effectiveness of police body armor. Learn more about the briefing and registration here.
Ady Arguelles-Sabatier Named New AAA Executive Director
On July 10, the American Anthropological Association (AAA), a COSSA member, announced Ady Arguelles-Sabatier as its new executive director. Arguelles-Sabatier joins AAA with a background in anthropology and association management, dedicating her career to social entrepreneurship projects and non-profit fundraising for over 20 years. Previously, Arguelles-Sabatier served as the Senior Executive Director of Development, Innovation Philanthropy & Florida International University (FIU) Ventures, as well as the Interim Senior Executive Director of Corporate Relations at FIU. Arguelles-Sabatier will assume her role on July 31st, 2023 and will be responsible for guiding AAA’s strategic direction, enhancing member engagement, and advocating for the importance of…
AAAS: 2024 Philip Hauge Abelson Prize
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is inviting nominations for the 2024 Philip Hauge Abelson Prize, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the U.S. scientific community through research, policy, and/or civil service. The recipient will receive a monetary prize of $5,000, a commemorative plaque, complimentary registration to the AAAS Annual Meeting, a complimentary one-year AAAS membership, and reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses to attend the AAAS Annual Meeting to receive the prize. The Prize will be presented at the 2023 AAAS Annual Meeting. The Abelson Prize has been given to Anthony Fauci, Margaret Hamburg, and Sekazi Mtingwa, among others….
PAA and APC In-Person Briefing: Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Baby Boom Generation
On July 20, the Population Association of America (PAA) and the Association of Population Center (APC), will host a Birthday Bash and in-person discussion for the final cohort of the Baby Boom generation, who turn 65 this year. The event will hold an enlightening talk over cake and ice cream addressing this significant demographic shift, and its resulting nationwide implications in policy and health debates. The panel of distinguished experts will include Dr. Emily Agree of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Linda Jacobsen from the Population Reference Bureau, Dr. Lisa Berkman of Harvard University, and Dr. I-Fen Lin from Bowling Green…
Elizabeth Anderson and Alondra Nelson Win 2023 Sage-CASBS Award
Sage and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University announced Elizabeth Anderson and Alondra Nelson as the winners of the 2023 Sage-CASBS Award. Sage and CASBS are both COSSA members. The Award recognizes accomplishments in the behavioral and social sciences that push the boundaries of our understanding of social issues and highlights the role of the social and behavioral sciences in enhancing public discourse and good governance. Elizabeth Anderson is a renowned philosopher specializing in moral, social, and political philosophy; feminist theory; social epistemology; and the philosophy of economics and social sciences. Anderson currently serves as…
AAPOR Introduces Public Opinion Podcast
The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Communications Committee has soft launched the Public Opinion Podcast (POP)! The podcast aims to increase public awareness of the field of survey methodology and public opinion. POP will also serve as a learning tool to provide teaching materials to undergraduate and graduate programs to increase the visibility of expertise at AAPOR. Two episodes have been released, the first one titled “Technological Advances and Public Opinion Research Challenges with Courtney Kennedy, Jennifer Agiesta, and Natalie Jackson,” and the second on “Race, Justice, and Public Opinion with David C. Wilson, Maria Krysan and Natalie…