A staple since COSSA’s earliest days, the biweekly COSSA Washington Update newsletter provides members and the public with comprehensive coverage of policy developments impacting social and behavioral science research.
COSSA 101: “What is Appropriations?”
COSSA is excited to announce the latest brief in our COSSA 101: A Crash Course on the Federal Government series: “What is Appropriations?“ The series will continue to provide easy-to-understand information about the inner workings of the federal government and how they affect social and behavioral science research. Continue to check back on the homepage to discover new briefs. Do you have a federal government topic you would like explained by COSSA 101? Send us your ideas! Other recent topics include, “What is a Government Shutdown?“
Meet COSSA’s Policy Intern: Anne Tighe!
Anne Tighe started as COSSA’s policy intern in September. Before she signs off, she provided some reflections from her time at COSSA! How did you learn about COSSA and the opportunity to serve as a policy intern? While seeking fall internship opportunities on Handshake, I encountered COSSA’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Internship. My interest was piqued in the chance to advocate for a cause I am passionate about while working with the federal government. In my previous experience as a Community Affairs Liaison for the New York State government, I spent my summer in Queens helping connect constituents with…
Congress Turns to Final Appropriations Bills Following End of Government Shutdown
As previously reported by COSSA, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) that extends fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding through to January 30, 2026, ending the weeks-long government shutdown and giving Appropriators additional time to finish their work on FY 2026 funding. Currently, only three appropriations bills have been enacted into law—each having been attached to the CR—including the Agriculture bill, Legislative Branch bill, and Veteran Affairs bill. Despite delays, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has reiterated that the Senate has plans to consider the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS), Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS), and Transportation,…
President Trump Executive Actions
Trump Administration Actions (all actions available here): Find COSSA’s full list of Trump’s Executive Actions and more information here or on the Social Science Space Tracker.
Trump Administration launches AI-focused ‘Genesis Mission’
On November 24, the White House issued an executive order (EO), Launching the Genesis Mission. It is the latest action by the Trump Administration seeking to establish American leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). Genesis Mission, according to the EO, will “unleash a new age of AI-accelerated innovation and discovery” by “[building] an integrated AI platform to harness Federal scientific datasets—the world’s largest collection of such datasets, developed over decades of Federal investments—to train scientific foundation models and create AI agents to test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.” The Department of Energy (DOE) is tasked with implementing the mission with…
NSF Downsizes its Physical Location
Earlier this month the General Services Administration (GSA) announced the location of the new Alexandria, VA headquarters of the National Science Foundation (NSF). As previously reported, it was announced in July that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would be taking over the NSF headquarters building later this year. At the time, it was not clear where NSF’s 1600 employees would be relocated. NSF will now be collocated with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which is less than a half mile away from NSF’s current location. The announcement states the move is part of the Trump Administration’s…
Federal Agencies Reopen with Uncertainty
The 44-day government shutdown created chaos and uncertainty across federal agencies. Now that the government has reopened, federal employees are back to work but face new uncertainties about the future. Acting Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Brian Stone circulated a memo to staff outlining the agency’s plans for resuming its activities. According to the memo, priority will be placed on processing backpay for employees and restoring NSF’s capacity to make awards. However, the memo explains that as a result of the lapse in funding, the agency will not be able to administer all of its programs as planned. The memo…
Trump Announces Several Interagency Agreements under the Department of Education
On November 18, President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced several interagency agreements (IAA), including partnerships with the Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to the provided fact sheets (see below), the Department of Education “will maintain all statutory responsibility and will continues its oversight of these programs,” but will yield other responsibilities through these partnerships. The announced IAAs include: Notably, in both the President’s Budget Request (PBR) and the House fiscal year (FY) 2026 bill, IEFLS would see its funding terminated (see COSSA’s analyses). In the provided fact sheet, it notes that…
AAPOR Releases Report Evaluating 2024 Election Polling
The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), a COSSA governing member, has released a new report titled “Task Force on 2024 Pre-Election Polling: An Evaluation of the 2024 General Election Polls.” This report analyzes the effectiveness of pre-election polling for the 2024 elections. The task force found that polls were more accurate compared to previous election years, and that – consistent with recent trends – polls underestimated Republican votes compared to Democrats’. The report was discussed in-depth at a recent AAPOR webinar, details can be found here. This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Anne Tighe.
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinar on December 10
On December 10, join COSSA for the final Headlines webinar of the year. We will cover key policy developments and Congressional activity that affected the social and behavioral sciences in 2025 and preview what’s ahead for 2026. Register now and join the conversation. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
Social Science Advocacy Day: Early Bird Registration Opening Soon!
COSSA’s annual Social Science Advocacy Day is BACK and will take place March 23-24, 2026 in Washington, DC! This signature, members-only event brings together social and behavioral science researchers, faculty, students, association professionals, and other advocates from across the country. Together, we’ll meet with elected officials in Congress to discuss the value of our sciences and the importance of federal funding. Early Bird Registration will be open next month. Stay tuned for more details and sponsorship opportunities. Until then, save the date and share this exciting opportunity with your colleagues. Visit the COSSA website for the latest information on Social Science Advocacy Day.
Senate Democrats Break Rank to Pass New Spending Package
Late Monday night, seven Senate Democrats and one Independent joined Senate Republicans to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that would extend fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding through January 30, 2026. As a reminder, FY 2025 was enacted under a year-long CR, funding the federal government with FY 2024 levels. Senate Republicans managed to wrangle the necessary 60 votes with support from Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Angus King (I-ME). Several concessions were reportedly made to secure the agreement, including a…
ICYMI: Graduates of U.S. Institutions Exempt from $100,000 H-1B Fee, Questions Remain
In September, a White House proclamation, Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, was issued stating, “the entry into the United States of aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in a specialty occupation under [the H-1B visa program], is restricted, except for those aliens whose petitions are accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000.” The fee applies to petitions filed after September 21, 2025. The announcement caused concern and confusion across the higher education and research communities, including whether the fee is intended for private sector employers or if it would also apply to U.S. colleges and universities who rely…
HHS Cancels USPSTF’s November Meeting
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel that makes recommendations on clinical preventive services and health promotion, has had their November meeting cancelled by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), blaming the government shutdown despite no federal employees serving on the task force. This is the second meeting cancelled this year; the task force traditionally meets three times a year to review and revise recommendations. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly indicated intent to overhaul the task force, potentially through a similar replacement of the committee members as seen with the Centers for…
Call for Nominations: Golden Goose Award
Nominate your colleagues, collaborators, and role models for a Golden Goose Award! The Award honors federally funded researchers whose work may sound odd or obscure, but ultimately had a major positive impact on society. The purpose of the Award is to demonstrate the human and/or economic benefits of federally funded scientific research. It’s intended to demonstrate that scientific outcomes build upon each other and that the technological advances that flow from them cannot easily be predicted at the outset of a particular scientific research project. Nominations for the 2026 Golden Goose Awards are being accepted through December 12, 2025. More information and the…
SRCD Accepting Applications for 2026-2027 Policy Fellowship Program
The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), a COSSA governing member, is now accepting applications for its 2026-2027 Policy Fellowship. The fellowship provides the opportunity for post-doctoral experts in child development to work in Congress or a state agency for a 1–2-year time period. Fellows will receive a competitive stipend and be granted access to professional networking opportunities and resources. SRCD is currently looking for applicants who have earned a doctoral-level degree, are SRCD members, and have experience working in child development. The application process involves a written section, an interview, and subsequent matching (for Congressional placement). Interested applicants…
AAPOR To Host Pre-Election Polling Webinar on November 19
On November 19, the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), a COSSA governing member, will host the next installment of their analysis of general election polls during presidential elections, Performance of Pre-Election Polling in 2024. The webinar will examine AAPOR’s newly released report, Pre-Election Polling Task Force Report, which evaluates the accuracy of general election polls during the 2024 election cycle. Registration for the webinar can be found here. This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Anne Tighe.
Nominations Open for NASEM Planning Committee on New Scientific Integrity Workshop
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is seeking nominations for a planning committee that would be tasked with organizing a new workshop, Enhancing Scientific Integrity: Progress and Opportunities in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. The workshop seeks to address common questions and concerns, including: NASEM is looking for experts in a broad range of areas, including journal editors and publishers; behavioral and social science researchers; professional association leaders; legal/criminology expertise; AI expertise; and ethics. Nominations are due November 7 and can be submitted here.
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinar on October 30
On October 30, join COSSA for the next installment in the 2025 Headlines Webinar series. The COSSA team will be joined by special guest Dr. Erica Groshen to discuss the ongoing challenges facing the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the broader federal statistical system (read recent COSSA coverage). The COSSA team will also discuss other timely developments. Register now and join the conversation. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.