OMB
COSSA Lends Support for New F&A Model
COSSA has joined more than 160 national organizations in a letter to House and Senate appropriators expressing support for the work of the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs (JAG), specifically its efforts over the last several months to “develop a new, more transparent model for ensuring that institutions’ essential research costs are adequately supported.” The letter asks appropriators to support these efforts by: The letter remains open for additional signatures.
Trump Administration Releases FY 2027 R&D Priorities Memo
On September 23, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued their annual memorandum to federal agencies outlining the Trump Administration’s research and development priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2027. The memo is intended to inform the development of agencies’ FY 2027 budget requests. The memo continues to prioritize critical and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. In addition, the Administration intends to focus on: “energy dominance,” including exploration of polar regions and oceans; national and economic security; health, including chronic diseases; and space exploration. The memo…
Latest from the White House (August 5)
Temporary Pause in NIH Funding Released After Chaotic Few Hours On July 29, the Washington Post reported on a temporary pause on the release of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, which was later lifted (see related article above). In a budget document authored by the White House Office of Management and Budget to NIH, the agency was given its “full-year apportionment” of funding for fiscal year (FY) 2025—which ends September 30. However, the document included a footnote that appeared to limit how the money could be spent, including on research grants. Democratic lawmakers were quick to respond, with statements issued by Sen….
Mark Calabria Appointed as New Chief Statistician
On July 10, Dr. Mark Calabria was appointed as the new Chief Statistician at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), replacing Dr. Karin Orvis. Calabria currently serves as the Associate Director for Treasury, Housing, and Commerce, a role he will continue in during his tenure as Chief Statistician (see White House announcement). Before his appointment, Calabria was a Senior Advisor at the Cato Institute, and during the first term of the Trump Administration, Calabria served as the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). He also previously served as the Chief Economist to Vice President Mike Pence. Orvis,…
Leaked HHS Passback Budget Includes NIH Reorganization, Cuts to Health Agencies
On April 10, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) passback budget was leaked to the public. A passback budget is a preliminary proposal in which Federal Agencies and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) negotiate discretionary funding and legislative priorities for inclusion in the Presidential Budget Request (PBR). It should not be considered the final version to be included in the PBR when it is released. Notable provisions within the leaked passback: The Presidential Budget Request (PBR) is rumored to be released in May with the possibility of a skinny budget sooner. Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on…
FY 2025 Appropriations Uncertain as Congress Approaches CR Deadline
Fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding is set to expire on March 14 unless Congress acts. As previously reported, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) in December to keep the government funded until March, which is nearly six months into the fiscal year. The first step is for Congressional leaders to agree on topline numbers (see previous COSSA coverage). Following the House Republicans policy retreat in Florida, it was reported that lawmakers are seeking to pass the final appropriations bills before President Trump’s State of the Union Address, which has been scheduled for March 4. However, with the recent federal funding freeze memorandum…
Executive Action Affecting Federal Agencies
Since President Trump was sworn into office on January 20, several executive actions have been taken that have impacted social and behavioral science (SBS) research, including freezes on hiring federal workers and requiring federal workers to return to the office, a halt on all communications, spending, and travel within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and a memorandum from the White House Office of Budget and Management (OMB) instituting a freeze on federal spending across agencies that was rescinded two days later. As previously reported by COSSA, President Trump signed two Executive Orders (EO) implementing a hiring freeze…
OMB Publishes Revisions to Race and Ethnicity Standards for Federal Data Collection
On March 28, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the updated standards for Statistical Policy Direction No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. The revisions come after months of seeking comments from the public, including through requests for public comments, public listening sessions, and town hall meetings on the topic. Effective immediately, based on the recommendations of the Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards, a Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) minimum category will be separated from the White category, a decision that has been widely requested by the community (see previous…
OMB Seeks Public Comment on AI Governance Memorandum
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced an open call for public comment on draft memorandum “Advancing Governance, Innovation, and Risk Management for Agency Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).” This initiative seeks to establish new requirements for federal agencies in AI governance, innovation, and risk management. The proposed memorandum is designed to direct agencies towards adopting specific minimum risk management practices, particularly for AI applications that could impact public safety and individual rights. OMB encourages feedback on various aspects, such as recommending roles and responsibilities for Chief AI Officers across federal agencies, effective coordination methods for AI Governance Bodies,…
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…
White House Releases FY 2025 Budget Priorities for R&D
On August 17, the White House released a memorandum outlining the Administration’s priorities for research and development (R&D) for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget cycle. This memorandum, which is traditionally released annually by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), aims to set cross-cutting priorities for all federal research agencies to consider as they develop their budget submissions. The FY 2025 memorandum lists seven such priorities for agencies to consider: While the priorities listed are similar to those in the White House R&D memorandum for FY 2024, there is notably more…
White House Secures Commitments from Leading AI Companies for Safer AI Development
On July 21, the White House gathered seven of the world’s leading AI companies, including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI to gain consensus over the responsible development of AI. Reflecting the Administration’s ongoing commitment to leverage AI’s potential without compromising Americans’ rights and safety, these companies agreed to operate by the standards that emphasize safety, security, and trust in AI. This initiative showcases a collective understanding that AI’s benefits should not come at the expense of fundamental rights. In line with the announcement, the Administration has been actively consulting international allies, aiming for a globally coordinated approach to AI. Countries…
Debt Limit Deal Struck, Spending Caps Likely for FY 2024-25
Over the Memorial Day weekend, the White House and House Republican leadership agreed to a budget deal that would keep the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, at least until after the 2024 elections. The agreement would suspend the U.S. debt limit until January 2025. However, as Republicans have been demanding, the suspension would come with limits—as well as some cuts—to discretionary spending over the next two years. Should it make it through the House and Senate, the deal would set caps on discretionary spending at levels roughly 5 percent or $40 billion below current levels. However, by reclaiming unobligated…
COSSA Board Member Sara Curran Comments on U.S. Race & Ethnicity Standards
On March 16, The Seattle Times quoted Director of the University of Washington’s Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology and At-Large member of COSSA’s Board of Directors Sara Curran in an article on the need to update the U.S. standards of collecting race and ethnicity data. The recent push to revise the race and ethnicity data standards has been a priority of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which has led town halls to collect public feedback on the proposed changes to the standards (see previous COSSA coverage). In the article, Dr. Curran states that “these categories change…
OMB, Stakeholders Preparing for Changes to Race and Ethnicity Standards
As previously reported by COSSA, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is in the process of revising and modernizing their race and ethnicity standards that were last updated in 1997. The Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Statistical Standards is hosting a series of Town Halls to receive feedback from the public on the initial proposals. The Town Halls are scheduled for Tuesday, March 14 at 2pm ET, Friday, March 17 at 2pm ET, and Saturday, March 18, at 2pm ET. Registration has not yet opened but will be available here. OMB will also record the sessions…
OMB Requests Comments on Initial Proposals for Modernizing Race and Ethnicity Collection
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has requested comments on their initial proposal for modernizing the collection of race and ethnicity data across the Federal government. The request is a part of a series of ongoing revisions that were announced in June 2022, and were informed by OMB listening sessions to gain public input on the process (previously reported by COSSA). The comment request, coordinated by the Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards within OMB, is intended as a response to calls for expanding options within race and ethnicity data collection to account for diversity,…
OMB Launches New Public Listening Sessions on Federal Race and Ethnicity Standards Revision
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced that it is working to improve race and ethnicity standards across the Federal government by revising their Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. Specifically, OBM is seeking to understand whether current reporting standards should be changed to address detailed race and ethnic groups, whether formatting changes should be considered, and ways that the guidance for the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data can be improved. OBM will be scheduling private listening sessions to hear from members of the public beginning on September…
White House Releases Budget Priorities for R&D for FY 2024
On July 22, the White House released a memorandum outlining the Administration’s priorities for research and development (R&D) for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget cycle. This memorandum, which is traditionally released annually by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), aims to set cross-cutting priorities for all federal research agencies to consider as they develop their budget submissions. The FY 2024 memorandum lists seven such priorities for agencies to consider: Preparing for and preventing pandemics; Reducing the death rate from cancer in half; Tackling climate change; Advancing national security and technological…
Biden Administration Names DOD’s Karin Orvis as Chief Statistician
On April 29, it was announced that President Biden would name Karin Orvis as the permanent Chief Statistician of the United States at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a position that has been vacant for more than two years. Orvis comes to OMB with experience from the Department of Defense (DOD), having previously served as the director of DOD’s Defense Suicide Prevention Office, as acting principal director of military community and family policy, and as director of DOD’s Transition to Veterans Program Office. The role of Chief Statistician has not had a permanent director since Nancy…
Invitation: White House Holding Virtual Summit to Kick Off “Year of Evidence for Action”
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will hold a Virtual Summit on Evidence for Action on April 7, 2022. The summit will kick off a “Year of Evidence for Action” to be focused on “building and strengthening partnerships between evidence communities within and outside of the federal government.” The event will include an opening plenary featuring Acting OSTP Director Alondra Nelson, OMB Deputy Director for Management Jason Miller, Senior Counselor in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) K. Sabeel Rahman, Census Bureau Director Robert Santos, and Deputy…