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.
New Action Alert: Urge Congress to Save NSF’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate!
As COSSA has been reporting, the Trump Administration has proposed eliminating the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate in FY 2027. Advocates have been working tirelessly over the last several months to demonstrate to Congress the importance of SBE and the critical contributions made by social and behavioral science research. In fact, nearly 3,000 letters have been sent to Congress in response to COSSA’s Action Alert issued earlier this spring, urging lawmakers to save SBE. Our work is not done. Too many Members of Congress remain unaware of this issue and need to be contacted immediately….
Did you submit comment to OMB on the Uniform Guidance Proposed Rule?
It is time to share your comments with your members of Congress! Instructions below. As may you know, the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed rule on Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance received tens of thousands of comments from the public, the majority in opposition to the rule. The draft rule included an implementation date of October 1, 2026; however, OMB has acknowledged privately that it is not likely to review all comments, as required by law, by then, likely resulting in a delay. In addition, the continuing resolution (CR) passed last week by the Senate to push Congress’ deadline for…
Meet COSSA’s Policy Intern: Caroline Seo
Caroline Seo started as COSSA’s policy intern in June. 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? My spring semester involved many hours of perusing William & Mary’s job post platform and asking professors if they had any connections with people working in the Northern Virginia area that they would be open to putting me in contact with. Both modes of searching were turning up unsuccessfully, probably because I have pretty specific interests. As a philosophy and sociology double major…
Senate Advances Continuing Resolution That Would Temporarily Block OMB Rule
Before departing for August recess, the Senate passed a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) that would extend current federal funding through December 11 to allow Congress additional time to complete the fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations process (the current deadline is September 30). The Senate’s stopgap measure will need to be passed by the House, which is currently on recess and not slated to return until August 31. While the House also passed a CR before departing Capitol Hill, it did not include a list of anomalies requested by President Trump after the bill was sent to the Senate (see previous…
House Science Committee Democrats Demand Answers about OSTP’s Use of NSF Funds
On August 6, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who serves as the Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and Representative George Whitesides (D-CA) sent a letter to Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Michael Kratsios demanding answers about allegations that OSTP is directing the use of National Science Foundation (NSF) funding. The letter comes after the release of OSTP’s report, Science: A New Golden Age, and Director Kratsios appearing before the Committee on July 22 (see previous coverage). During the hearing, Kratsios repeatedly denied OSTP’s involvement in the direct oversight of NSF funding and research priorities, stating, “I am…
Trump Administration Rescinds Title VI Regulations for NSF and other Agencies
On August 4, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a notice of a new rule in the Federal Register to rescind portions of its Title VI regulations, effective immediately. This comes after a series of similar notices across several federal agencies, including the Department of Education in July (see here) and the Department of Commerce in April (see here). These actions are in response to the Trump Administration’s Executive Order, Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy from April 2025 which sought to “repeal or amend the implementing regulations for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for all agencies to the extent they contemplate…
AAU Releases ‘Leading University Reports’ on NSF and IES Slow Grant Making
The Association of American Universities (AAU) released two Leading University Reports in July on the slow-spend of appropriated funds within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) housed within the Department of Education. The first article, NSF Is Making Fewer Grants, Threatening the Future of Scientific Discovery, released July 10, notes that NSF’s Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE) has awarded only 38 grants this year compared to an average of 357 awards between fiscal years (FY) 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The article continues that the uncertainty regarding awards is leading to “a reduction…
House Passes CR Ahead of August Recess
As August recess rapidly approaches, the House Appropriations Committee passed a continuing resolution (CR) to extend current funding beyond the end of the fiscal year on September 30, to December 4. Notably, six Democrats broke rank with their party to support the stopgap measure, including Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Don Davis (D-NC), Jared Golden (D-ME), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), and Gabe Vasquez (D-NM). Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the only Republican Congressman to vote against the bill. Generally, it is rare for Congress to enact a CR more than two months before the end of the fiscal year….
House and Senate Committees Hold Hearings on the State of American Science
Both the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (CST) and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (SST) held hearings recently regarding the American scientific research enterprise. The House SST hearing was held on July 22 featuring testimony from the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Michael Kratsios. Kratsios used his testimony to unveil a new White House report, Science: A New Golden Age. The report makes several recommendations consistent with executive orders and other policy changes proposed by the Trump Administration. Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX) and several other members across the aisle expressed concerns…
House Select Committee on China Holds Hearing on Federal Research Security
On July 15, the House Select Committee on China held a hearing titled, Protecting American Innovation: The Federal Research Security Enterprise. Witnesses included: Mr. Jeremy Ison, Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Science, U.S. Department of Energy; Dr. Patricia Valdez, Chief Extramural Research Integrity Officer, National Institutes of Health (NIH); and Dr. Rebecca Keiser, Acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Research Security Policy and Strategy, National Science Foundation (NSF). During his opening statements, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) stated that China’s growing scientific research enterprise is a significant threat to the U.S. and argued that greater guardrails are necessary…
White House Issues ‘Golden Age of Science’ Report and 2028 Research Priorities
Earlier this month, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) release a report, Science: A New Golden Age. The report calls for a shift in the way research is funded in the U.S. and centers on Trump Administration priorities in emerging areas like AI. OSTP Director Michael Kratsios discussed the report before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee last week (see related article). The report outlines several recommendations, including expanding opportunities for startups, independent research organizations, nonprofits, and industry partners. To encourage more innovative research, the report argues that traditional peer-review systems often favor consensus over high-risk, high-reward ideas. Among…
NCHS Opens Applications for New Director
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the statistical arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is currently accepting applications for a new Director. Interested applicants should apply on USA Jobs by July 30. The announcement comes after the previous Director, Dr. Brian Moyer, announced his retirement last year. He was appointed Director of NCHS in March 2020 after serving as the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) within the Commerce Department (see previous coverage). Dr. Carolyn Greene has been serving as Acting Director since.
New Special Feature: Science in Service: Behavioral Research Applications across Federal Agencies
The Science in Service: Behavioral Research Applications across Federal Agencies Special Feature demonstrates how behavioral science helps government agencies better serve the public through evidence-based decision-making. The articles demonstrate applications across consumer protection, financial regulation, pharmaceutical oversight, health insurance policy, and government benefits administration, illustrating how behavioral research informs regulations, improves public-facing programs, and supports more effective policy implementation. Together, the papers highlight the value of interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and practitioners, revealing how behavioral insights can strengthen public institutions, improve outcomes for citizens, and generate new opportunities for advancing both science and public service. This Special Feature was organized by Alycia…
Call for Nominations: AAPSS 2027 Moynihan Prize
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) announced they are currently accepting nominations for the 2027 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize in Social Science and Public Policy. The Moynihan Prize is an annual honor created to recognize social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders who advance the public good through informed judgment and the application of social science research to policy and practice. The winner will deliver the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture on Social Science and Public Policy in Washington, DC, next fall. Nominations must be submitted by November 1, 2026. Find more information about the Moynihan Price and submission details…
Congress Returns from July Recess
As previously reported, consideration of the fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills slowed as Congress left Washington for a two-week July 4th recess. While the House managed to advance all twelve of its bills through committee, the Senate has repeatedly delayed their consideration of several bills, including the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill that funds the National Science Foundation. Complicating things further, Senate Republicans’ dwindling majority worsened following the unexpected death of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and the continued hospitalization of Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). While the Senate Republicans had reportedly drafted their bills without the input…
House Appropriations Committee holds OMB Oversight Hearing
On June 30, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held an oversight hearing on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with testimony from Director Russell Vought. During the hearing, several House Republicans, including Chairman David Joyce (R-OH), questioned Vought on OMB’s budget; and Vought praised the Administration’s efforts to end “fiscal futility.” Ranking Member Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Representative Glenn Ivey (D-MD) also expressed disappointment that the Committee did not hold a budget hearing before voting on the appropriations bills (see previous coverage). The line of questioning quickly turned to unreleased fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriated funds and…
Scientific Community Responds in Force to OMB Proposed Rule
More than 340,000 public comments have been submitted in response to the proposed rule, Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, that seeks to make major changes to the Uniform Guidance governing federal financial assistance, including federal research grants. The deadline for comments was July 13. Organizations and individuals used their comments to register deep concerns about the proposed changes and their potential impacts on the U.S. research enterprise and our diminishing global competitiveness. COSSA’s comments, which have not yet been posted officially to regulations.gov, is available here. According to the proposed rule, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) set an implementation date of…
The “DOGE” Era Ends
The so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” or DOGE, which was created by executive order on President Trump’s first day in office, was officially dismantled on July 4 in accordance with the termination date set in the executive order. DOGE, previously led by Elon Musk, is responsible for much of the upheaval felt by federal agencies and the research community over the last year and half, including mass federal worker layoffs and grant terminations. The entity, which was originally tasked with finding $2 trillion in government savings, most recently claimed to have reduced federal spending by $215 billion. However, in a recent hearing before…