A staple since COSSAās 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.Ā
Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Seeks Input
The Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking, established by a law passed in March 2016, is charged with producing a report that identifies how the government can enhance its use of data and evidence to improve federal programs and policies, to be delivered to the President and Congress within 15 months of the Commission’s formation. As it begins its work, the Commission is seeking input on existing strategies and practices for generating and incorporating data and evidence into policymaking as well as potential challenges it may encounter. The Commission has requested comments on 19 questions across three broad categories: (1) overarching questions,…
Department of Education Seeks Nominations for National Assessment Governing Board
The Department of Education seeks candidates for four open seats on its National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). The Board sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a nationally representative measure of U.S. students’ knowledge and abilities in core academic subjects. NAEP is broadly recognized as the gold standard in testing. NAGB is composed of 26 members consisting of “governors, state legislators, chief state school officers, a local school superintendent, local and state school board members, principals, classroom teachers, curriculum and testing experts, a business representative, a representative of nonpublic schools, and members of the general public, including…
White House SBS Team Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
On September 15, the White House’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST) celebrated its one-year anniversary. SBST, a group of behavioral scientists within the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), is chaired by the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). It also includes the participation of federal agencies, departments, and White House offices. The 2016 Social and Behavioral Sciences Team Annual Report cites the progress made by the team in implementing President Obama’s Executive Order 13707, “Using Behavioral Science Insights to Better Serve the American People” (see Update, September 22, 2015). The 2016 report…
NIH Department of Bioethics Fellowship Opportunities Available for Fall 2017
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Department of Bioethics is accepting applications for its fall 2017 fellowship program. The two-year post-doctoral and pre-doctoral fellows engage in the activities and “intellectual life” of the Department, as well as study “ethical issues related to conduct of research, clinical practice, genetics, and health policy.” In addition to having access to educational opportunities at NIH, fellows also have opportunities to participate in weekly bioethics seminars, case conferences, ethics consultations, and IRB deliberations. The application deadline for the post-doctoral fellowship is December 31, 2016 and January 15, 2017 for the pre-doctoral fellowship. To view the…
Request for Information Solicits Input on International Trends in Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently released a request for information (RFI) (NOT-HL-16-440) seeking input for an October 2018 conference that will address “international trends in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.” The conference will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the landmark “Conference on the Declining Mortality from Coronary Heart Disease” (CHD). That conference brought together experts from epidemiology, clinical research, cardiology, and public health. Similarly, NHLBI would like to bring experts “in a broad range of fields to consider from a global perspective where we are in terms of understanding the…
Nursing Institute Releases New Strategic Plan
On September 15, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a new strategic plan, “Advancing Science, Improving Lives: A Vision for Nursing Science.” The new strategic plan was informed by NINR’s Innovative Question (IQ) initiative, which “sought to explore unanswered questions, promote results-oriented research, and guide the science over the next five to 10 years.” Four areas of scientific focus are highlighted in the plan: symptom science, wellness, self-management, and end of life and palliative care. Back to this issue’s table of contents.Ā
DOD Seeks Candidates for Associate Director for Social Science Research
The Department of Defense (DOD) Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research is seeking candidates to fill the position of Associate Director of Social Science Research. This position includes direction of the Minerva Research Initiative. The Minerva Initiative was launched in 2008 as a university-based social science research program. The position will be filled through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act process, so applicants must be the employee of state, local, federal, or tribal government; an institution of higher education; or another eligible nonprofit, and agree to serve a set term in the position. Demonstrated experience with large program…
PCORI Challenge Offers Prize for Research Questions on Addressing Cardiovascular Disease
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have announced a contest for researchers and clinicians to submit research questions that can help address evidence gaps to improve treatment for people with cardiovascular disease. The challenge will award four cash prizes of $5,000. Proposed hypotheses should pose questions that can be answered using comparative effectiveness research and a precision medicine approach. Entries must be submitted by October 6, 2016. More information is available on the PCORI website. Back to this issue’s table of contents.Ā
Funding Opportunity Announcements
AHRQ: Developing Measures of Shared Decision Making (R01) (PA-16-424) AHRQ: Large Research Projects for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB) (R01) (PA-16-423) AHRQ: Large Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Projects for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB) (R18) (PA-16-422) AHRQ: Advancing Patient Safety Implementation through Safe Medication Use Research (R18) (PA-16-421) AHRQ: Advances in Patient Safety through Simulation Research (R18) (PA-16-420) NIH: Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Data Science (R25) (RFA-MD-16-002) NIH: BD2K Research Education Curriculum Development: Data Science Overview for Biomedical Scientists (R25) (RFA-ES-16-011) NIDCD: Notice of NIDCD’s Participation in PA-16-305 “Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award…
AERA Releases “Ed-Talks”
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), a COSSA governing member, has released over thirty “Ed-Talk” videos, which feature discussions of cutting-edge research on education and learning. Additionally, AERA released research fact sheets to provide more details on the findings and research presented in the “Ed-Talks”. These presentations were given at a forum held in Washington, DC as well as the AERA annual meeting in April of 2016. More details can be foundĀ here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.Ā
Events Calendar
Golden Goose Award Ceremony, Washington, DC, September 22, 2016 Congressional Briefing on Violence Prevention from the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy and WestEd’s Justice and Prevention Research Center, Washington, DC, September 27, 2016 Summit on Social and Behavioral Sciences for National Security, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, October 4-5, 2016 Center for Public Scholarship 35th Social Research Conference, New York, NY, October 13-14, 2016 Evaluation 2016,Ā Atlanta, GA,Ā October 22-30, 2016 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention,Ā New York, NY, October 27-30, 2016 A list of COSSA members’ annual meetings and other events can be found on the COSSAĀ webpage. COSSA…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 35, Issue 17
Featured News Congress Returns with Much Left Undone COSSA in Action COSSA Releases Second Issue of āSetting the Record Straight on āWasteful Researchāā Congressional News Congressional Briefing on Violence Prevention Federal Agency & Administration News NSF Seeks Input into Next Strategic PlanĀ NIH Center for Scientific Review Seeks Director for Division of AIDS, Behavioral, and Population Sciences Diana Bianchi Named director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NIH Seeks Input on Metrics to Assess Value of Biomedical Digital Repositories NIOSH Requests Input on Motor Vehicle Safety Research Priorities Candidates Sought for CDC Health Disparities Advisory Subcommittee…
Congress Returns with Much Left Undone
Congress returns to work this week for one more stretch before the November elections. This will be the final work period before the current fiscal year (FY 2016) expires on September 30. That means some type of action is needed in the coming weeks to keep the federal government funded and operating come October 1. See COSSAās analysis of the state of play of FY 2017 Appropriations bills for full details. In addition to action on the annual spending bills (which will undoubtedly result in a continuing resolution punting final action to after the election), Congress will be looking to…
Congressional Briefing on Violence Prevention
The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy and WestEdās Justice and Prevention Research Center are hosting a Congressional Briefing on Tuesday, September 27 on violence and violence prevention. Topics covered will include strategies for violence prevention, patterns of violence, as well as the influences and costs of violence. Nancy Rodriguez, the Director of the National Institute of Justice, will introduce a diverse panel of experts from the public, academic, and non-profit sectors, including COSSA board member and Director of the Urban Instituteās Justice Policy Center Nancy La Vigne. Register to attend the briefing here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NSF Seeks Input into Next Strategic Plan
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is in the beginning stages of updating its strategic plan, which it does every four years. Its current strategic plan, Investing in Science, Engineering, and Education for the Nationās Future, was released in 2014 and runs through 2018. As an initial step, NSF is soliciting comment on the āVision, Core Values, Strategic Goals, and Strategic Objectivesā included in the current plan (2014-2018). Public input can be provided on the NSF website by September 27. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NIH Center for Scientific Review Seeks Director for Division of AIDS, Behavioral, and Population Sciences
The National Institute of Healthās (NIH) Center for Scientific Review (CSR) is seeking a Director for its Division of AIDS, Behavioral, and Population Sciences (DABP). The Director of DABP is a member of CSRās senior management, advises the Director of CSR and other NIH officials on scientific issues relevant to the Division and its mission, and represents CSR within and outside of NIH. DABPās director will āprovide scientific leadership for the Division, which handles reviews covering the broad fields of AIDS and AIDS related research, biobehavioral and behavioral processes, epidemiology and population sciences, healthcare delivery and methodologies, and risk, prevention…
Diana Bianchi Named director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
On August 25, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins announced the selection of Diana Bianchi as director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). She is expected to begin her NIH tenure on October 31, 2016. Bianchi joins the NIH from the Floating Hospital for Children and Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and is the fou nding director of the Mother Infant Research Institute and vice chair for pediatric research. A medical geneticist with special expertise in reproductive genetics, Bianchiās research focuses on prenatal genomics. Read more about Bianchi and NICHD…
NIH Seeks Input on Metrics to Assess Value of Biomedical Digital Repositories
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting the input of the scientific community regarding āmetrics to assess the value and impact of biomedical digital data repositories that may provide a basis for technical and science policy actions required to supportā repositoriesā long-term sustainability. NIH notes that its goal for data management and sharing āis to make publicly-funded data broadly accessible to support reuse, reproducibility and discovery while simultaneously balancing the costs and the benefits.ā Accordingly, the agency has issued a request for information (RFI), (NOT-OD-16-133), seeking information on qualitative and quantitative metrics that describe utilization at multiple levels; quality…
NIOSH Requests Input on Motor Vehicle Safety Research Priorities
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is looking for input from the scientific community on the direction of its motor vehicle safety research efforts (see its Center for Motor Vehicle Safety strategic plan). Specifically, the Institute is seeking feedback on its research priorities, communications and outreach efforts, and how its products are used by stakeholders. Comments may be submitted in writing by October 14, 2016 or during a public web meeting on September 14, 2016. More information is available in the Federal Register. Back to this issue’s table…