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 and Members Comment on Proposed Revisions to the Common Rule
COSSA, in conjunction with the American Educational Research Association (AERA) (a COSSA governing association) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, submitted comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects or the “Common Rule” (click here for context on the NPRM). Overall, the comments are supportive of the proposed changes affecting the social and behavioral sciences and urge that “major and substantial improvements… not be delayed or deferred even if it is determined that some issues require further analysis before some rule changes can be made.” The comments also points out several sections where additional clarification…
OBSSR Responds to Concerns about NIH Guidance on the Funding of Health Economics Research
In November 2015, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued guidance Clarifying NIH’s Priorities in Health Economics. The notice was accompanied by blog post from Carrie Wolinetz, NIH Associate Director for Science Policy (see Update, December 1, 2015). In a recent blog post, NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) director William Riley responded to questions the office has received from the social and behavioral science community regarding the impetus for the NIH notice. Riley highlighted his participation in the guidance’s development and his desire to convey and assure the research community that “health economics research is alive…
White House SBS Team Seeks Fellows
The White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST), which uses insights from the social and behavioral sciences to improve federal programs, is accepting applications for new members to serve on the team as Fellows or Associate Fellows. The one-year fellowship begins in October 2016 and is open to PhD or Masters level scientists with expertise in one or more field in the social and behavioral sciences. The deadline for applications is January 24, 2016. More information on the fellowship is available here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NIA Director Expresses Appreciation for NIH and NIA FY 2016 Budgets
National Institute on Aging (NIA) director Richard Hodes acknowledged “exciting news” reflected in the FY 2016 budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and specifically for NIA in a January 6 blog post. Noting the $2 billion (6.6 percent) increase for the NIH for FY 2016, Hodes underscored that the increase provided a boost of approximately 33 percent for NIA, including the $350 million in funding allocated for research on Alzheimer’s disease (see COSSA’s omnibus analysis). Notwithstanding the resources dedicated to Alzheimer’s research, NIA’s FY 2016 budget provides a 4.2 percent increase to the institute, “the largest increase to…
NIH Discusses the Science of Self-Management
In 2015, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences Opportunity Network (OppNet) jointly convened a panel of ten experts to “discuss basic psychosocial mechanism and processes involved with self-management” of disease and other related conditions. The science of self-management has grown exponentially over the last several decades. During this time, the NIH has provided support for clinical- and community-based interventions and programs related to the management of acute and chronic illnesses, including asthma, arthritis, diabetes, heart failure, and HIV/AIDS. In particular, the National Institute of…
Documenting Endangered Languages Webinar – January 19
The National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will hold a free webinar in January 19 to provide details on the joint NSF/NEH Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) program. The webinar is intended for researchers who are considering submitting a proposal to the program; the next deadline for DEL proposals is September 15, 2016. Registration is required for participation. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
BTS Releases 2016 Pocket Guide to Transportation
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has published its 19th annual Pocket Guide to Transportation. The 2016 Pocket Guide provides quick reference information on the transportation system and covers topics such as infrastructure, moving people and goods, performance, economy, safety, and environment. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
President Obama Proclaims January 2016 National Mentoring Month
On December 31, President Obama issued a proclamation declaring January 2016 “National Mentoring Month” to honor “all those who continuously strive to provide young people with the resources and support they need and deserve.” The proclamation announced the Administration’s recommitment to “building a society in which all mentors and mentees can thrive in mutual learning relationships.” To read the entire proclamation, go here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Albert Bandura to be Awarded National Medal of Science
In December, President Obama announced the recipients of the 2013 and 2014 National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nation’s highest honors for discoveries and advancements in science and technology. Among the 2014 recipients is Albert Bandura of Stanford University, who will receive the National Medal of Science in Behavioral and Social Science. Bandura is a social cognitive psychologist, known best for the “Bobo doll experiments,” and whose work pioneered “social learning theory,” which stresses observation, imitation and modeling as central components of learning. Bandura and the other honorees will be receive their medals at…
Events Calendar
Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Washington, DC, January 13-17, 2016 Webinar on Documenting Endangered Languages Program, January 19, 2016 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, San Diego, CA, January 28-30, 2016 American Psychosomatic Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Denver, CO, March 9-12, 2016 COSSA Annual Meeting & Social and Behavioral Science Advocacy Day, Washington, DC, March 15-16, 2016 Southwestern Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, March 22-27, 2016 Midwest Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 23-26, 2016 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 28-April 2, 2016 Academy of Criminal…
Funding Opportunity Announcements
AHRQ: Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Child Health Quality Measurement Implementation and Development (NOT-HS-16-002) IES: Low-Cost, Short Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions (CFDA 84.305L) NIH Opportunities: NIDA, NIAAA, OBSSR: Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development Program (R01) (PA-16-072), R34 (PA-16-073), R03 (PA-16-074) NIDA: Behavioral Science Track Award for Rapid Transition (B/Start)(R03) (PAR-16-071) NIH: Notice of Frequently Asked Questions Posted to the Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program Website (NOT-PM-16-003) NIH: NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00) (PA-16-077) [NCCIH, NCI, NEI, NHGRI, NHLBI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID, NBIBI, NICHD, NIDA, NIDCD, NIDCR, NIDDK, NIEHS, NIGMS, NIMH, NIMHD,…
Registration now OPEN for 2016 COSSA Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day
Registration is now open for the 2016 COSSA Annual Meeting and 2nd Annual Social and Behavioral Science Advocacy Day scheduled for March 15-16, 2016. Click here to register today! Registration fees will increase in February. Individuals who work for COSSA member organizations may be eligible for a members-only registration rate. Email [email protected] for details. Visit the COSSA Annual Meeting page for full details, including discounted hotel rates for those traveling to the meeting (reservations must be made by February 15!). ABOUT THE COSSA MEETING The COSSA Annual Meeting brings together representatives from throughout the social and behavioral science community for a day of discussion on federal…
Analysis of the FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill and Implications for Social and Behavioral Science Research
On December 15, House and Senate negotiators unveiled their final fiscal year (FY) 2016 omnibus appropriations bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (H.R. 2029), which includes all 12 of the individual appropriations bills and totals $1.15 trillion. Congress passed another short term continuing resolution (CR) on Wednesday to allow enough time for the House and Senate to pass the massive spending bill and for the President to sign it, which he has indicated he would. Policymakers now have until December 22 to achieve final passage. Assuming the House can pass the bill on Friday-which will require the support of several…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 34 Issue 23
Featured News FY 2016 Funding Debate Labors On Federal Agency & Administration News NSF Defends Research Targeted in GOP Waste Reports NIH Strategic Plan, PMI Cohort, HIV/AIDS, and Big Data Discussed at NIH Advisory Committee Meeting NIH Launches Next Phase of ECHO/Children’s Study Follow-On Funding Opportunity Announcements COSSA Member Spotlight SPSSI Seeks Applicants for James Marshall Public Policy Fellowship Events Calendar Next Update: January 12, 2016
FY 2016 Funding Debate Labors On
Congress was forced to pass another funding extension last week in order to avoid a government shutdown on December 11. Policy makers have given themselves until December 16 at midnight to complete work on the fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations bills, allowing for a few more days to work through the many policy riders (dealing with Syrian refugees, Planned Parenthood, and about 40 others) that have slowed progress on the $1.1 trillion package over the last several weeks. As of the time of this writing, text of a final FY 2016 spending package (also known as an omnibus) has not…
NIH Strategic Plan, PMI Cohort, HIV/AIDS, and Big Data Discussed at NIH Advisory Committee Meeting
The December 10-11 meeting of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) included an update on the progress of several high-profile initiatives NIH is developing, including the Congressionally-mandated NIH-Wide Strategic Plan, the President’s proposed Precision Medicine Cohort Program, assessment of the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities, and the NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2k) program.
NSF Defends Research Targeted in GOP Waste Reports
Two reports released in recent weeks by Republican policy makers point to hundreds of federally-funded activities they deem to be wasteful and unworthy of taxpayer support. Included in the reports are peer-reviewed research projects supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Sen. James Lankford’s (R-OK) Federal Fumbles claims to identify “100 ways the government dropped the ball,” poking fun at six NSF grants and two NIH grants, among dozens of other projects. A second report was released just last week by Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Wastebook: The Farce Awakens. Flake’s report is said to…
SPSSI Seeks Applicants for James Marshall Public Policy Fellowship
The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), a COSSA member, is accepting applications for its James Marshall Public Policy Fellowship, which begins September 1, 2016. The Fellowship is designed to “train early career scientists to (1) contribute to the effective use of scientific knowledge about social issues in the formation of public policy at the federal level; (2) educate the scientific community about how research can contribute to the development of public policy; and (3) establish a more effective liaison between social scientists and various policy-making mechanisms.” The fellowship is a one-year full-time post-doctoral level appointment in…
Events Calendar
American Economic Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, January 3-5, 2016 Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting, New York, NY, January 6-9, 2016 American Historical Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, January 7-10, 2016 Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, January 7-10, 2016 Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting, San Juan, PR, January 7-9, 2016 Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Washington, DC, January 13-17, 2016 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, San Diego, CA, January 28-30, 2016 American Psychosomatic Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Denver, CO, March 9-12, 2016 COSSA Annual Meeting & Social…
Funding Opportunity Announcements
NIFA: Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (USDA-NIFA-ICGP-005517) AHRQ: Increasing Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Rural Primary Care Practices (R18) (RFA-HS-16-001) NIJ: Research on Measurement of Teen Dating Violence (NIJ-2016-9001) HRSA: Bridging the Word Gap Challenge NIH: Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program NIH: Notice to Extend PAR-13-055 Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R01) (NOT-CA-16-006) [NCI, NCCIH, NHLBI, NHGRI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID, NICHD, NIDCD, NIDCR, NIDDK, NIDA, NINDS, NIMH, NIMHD, NINR, and OBSSR] NIH: Notice to Extend PAR-13-054 Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R21) (NOT-CA-16-007) [NIMH, NCI, NHGRI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID, NICHD, NIDCD, NIDCR, NIDA, NINDS,…