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.
Trans-Atlantic Platform Seeks Social Science Proposals to Address Democracy, Governance and Trust Challenges
On June 22, The Trans-Atlantic Platform for Social Sciences and Humanities (T-AP) announced a new call for proposals focusing on Democracy, Governance and Trust (DGT). The call seeks to examine the crucial roles of democracy, governance, and trust in addressing contemporary societal challenges and disruptions. Established as a collaborative initiative between humanities and social science research funders from across the Atlantic, T-AP is dedicated to fostering transnational dialogue and relationships among funders, research organizations, and researchers. The Platform is now offering researchers an opportunity to contribute to this mission with their insights on DGT. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and National…
RSVP: The Census Project’s Virtual Briefing on the Latest ACS Report
The Census Project will be hosting a virtual briefing on Monday, July 24 to discuss its newest report: “America’s Essential Economic and Social Data at Risk: A Vision to Preserve and Enhance the American Community Survey”. Dr. Linda Jacobsen, Senior Fellow at the Population Reference Bureau, will summarize findings from the report and present new sections that spotlight how the ACS informs policies and programs serving veterans and the nation’s health care industry. The briefing will also feature former Census Bureau Director Dr. John Thompson. Dr. Thompson will highlight how the ACS fits into broader data collection modernization and dissemination initiatives…
REQUEST FOR INPUT: Shaping NSF’s TIP Directorate
Dear Social Science Community, The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking public input into the development of a roadmap for the newly created Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). The roadmap will guide the TIP Directorate’s activities and directions for the next three years, and COSSA needs your input to help ensure that insights from social and behavioral science research are included—if not prioritized—in efforts to shape the future of U.S. technology development and deployment. COSSA will be submitting comments to NSF on behalf of the research community before the deadline. We want to hear from you. Comments and…
Debt Ceiling Deal Caps Funding for Two Years, House Seeks Additional Cuts
As previously reported, the White House and House Republican leadership agreed to a budget deal late last month that would keep the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, at least until after the 2024 elections. The agreement, passed by Congress as the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746), suspends the federal debt ceiling until January 2025. However, as Republicans have been demanding, the suspension comes with stiff caps on discretionary spending for the next two years. In effect, the caps are likely to result in flat funding for federal research agencies in fiscal year (FY) 2024, with perhaps a few exceptions for…
CNSF/CEF to Host Virtual Briefing on Investing in the Development of STEM Talent
The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) and the Committee for Education Funding (CEF) are co-hosting a virtual briefing titled “The National Imperative to Develop STEM Talent: Why the Investment in Education Matters.” The briefing will feature an expert panel focused on how the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation can support the STEM pipeline. Panelists include Dr. André M. Green, Chair of the Department of Leadership and Teacher Education at the University of South Alabama, and Mr. Billy Mawhiney, Executive Director of the South Dakota Afterschool Network. The virtual briefing will take place on June 21 at 1:00 pm ET. Participants can…
AAAS: 2024 Philip Hauge Abelson Prize
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is inviting nominations for the 2024 Philip Hauge Abelson Prize, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the U.S. scientific community through research, policy, and/or civil service. The recipient will receive a monetary prize of $5,000, a commemorative plaque, complimentary registration to the AAAS Annual Meeting, a complimentary one-year AAAS membership, and reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses to attend the AAAS Annual Meeting to receive the prize. The Prize will be presented at the 2023 AAAS Annual Meeting. The Abelson Prize has been given to Anthony Fauci, Margaret Hamburg, and Sekazi Mtingwa, among others….
PAA and APC In-Person Briefing: Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Baby Boom Generation
On July 20, the Population Association of America (PAA) and the Association of Population Center (APC), will host a Birthday Bash and in-person discussion for the final cohort of the Baby Boom generation, who turn 65 this year. The event will hold an enlightening talk over cake and ice cream addressing this significant demographic shift, and its resulting nationwide implications in policy and health debates. The panel of distinguished experts will include Dr. Emily Agree of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Linda Jacobsen from the Population Reference Bureau, Dr. Lisa Berkman of Harvard University, and Dr. I-Fen Lin from Bowling Green…
Elizabeth Anderson and Alondra Nelson Win 2023 Sage-CASBS Award
Sage and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University announced Elizabeth Anderson and Alondra Nelson as the winners of the 2023 Sage-CASBS Award. Sage and CASBS are both COSSA members. The Award recognizes accomplishments in the behavioral and social sciences that push the boundaries of our understanding of social issues and highlights the role of the social and behavioral sciences in enhancing public discourse and good governance. Elizabeth Anderson is a renowned philosopher specializing in moral, social, and political philosophy; feminist theory; social epistemology; and the philosophy of economics and social sciences. Anderson currently serves as…
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…
NIH Launches New UNITE E Initiatives
The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) UNITE “E” Committee has been working to develop a strategy to advance racial equity and create a more inclusive biomedical research environment (see previous coverage on NIH’s UNITE activity). On May 17, the Committee announced the launch of new initiatives, including innovative funding programs and policy changes. New funding opportunities are as follows: The UNITE E Committee has also launched a prize competition to recognize effective strategies for enhancing DEIA in research environments: the NIH Institutional Excellence in DEIA in Biomedical and Behavioral Research Prize Competition. The prize competition aims to recognize transformative cultures,…
PCAST Discusses AI Implications
On May 18 and 19, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) held a public meeting focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) development. The meeting was centered on understanding how the development of AI technology would affect both the scientific enterprise and society. Dr. Fei-Fei Li, the Co-Director of the Stanford Institute of Human-Centered AI, emphasized the importance of using AI as a tool to benefit productivity and not as a replacement for human work. During the sessions, speakers highlighted the value of AI for innovation while emphasizing the need for ethical guidelines and development transparency. Prior to…
NSF Releases Dear Colleague Letter Opportunity for High School Students
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Dear Colleague Letter focused on High School Student Research Assistantships in the Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences. The opportunity invites SBE scientists, with existing NSF awards, to apply for additional funding to provide high school students with research experience in the field. NSF awardees may apply to support two students and are encouraged to support underrepresented groups and locations that may have less access to SBE research opportunities. A list of eligible NSF programs can be found here.
NIJ Launches Competition on New Data Collection Models
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm within the U.S. Department of Justice, has launched the Innovations in Measuring Community Perceptions Challenge to develop new methods of measuring community attitude about public safety. NIJ has identified a gap in methods able to link to specific geographical locations and is seeking to develop new models to collect this type of data. NIJ is requesting that proposals consider how the model will interact with different communities; how the model will remain cost effective for widescale deployment and scalable to different area sizes; and how the model will collect data accurately…
Dr. Monica Bertagnolli Nominated to Lead NIH
On May 15, the White House announced the nomination of Dr. Monica Bertagnolli as the next Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If confirmed, Bertagnolli would replace the current Acting Director, Dr. Lawrence Tabak, who has been serving since the departure of Francis Collins in 2021. President Biden stated, “Dr. Bertagnolli has spent her career pioneering scientific discovery and pushing the boundaries of what is possible to improve cancer prevention and treatment for patients, and ensuring that patients in every community have access to quality care… Dr. Bertagnolli is a world-class physician-scientist whose vision and leadership will ensure…
Schumer Calls for CHIPS 2.0 Legislation to Up Competition with China
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced plans to develop bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening the U.S.’s ability to continue outcompeting China in key technology development. As previously reported, earlier versions of the CHIPS and Science Act that was enacted last year and focused on domestic investment in semiconductor manufacturing, had a much larger focus on direct competition with China. However, many of those provisions pertaining to trade and foreign policy were dropped at the eleventh hour in order to get the final bill across the finish line. Now, Sen. Schumer wants to reinvigorate those and other…
Senate Subcommittee Discusses NIH’s FY 2024 Budget
On May 4, The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing on the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH Acting Director Dr. Lawrence Tabak, Principal Deputy Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Dr. Douglas Lowy, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Dr. Joshua Gordon, Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Dr. Richard Hodes, and Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Dr. Nora Volkow testified before the committee. In her opening statement, Chairwoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) voiced her support…
NSF Requests Information on Roadmap for new TIP Directorate
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a request for information (RFI) on developing a roadmap for the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). NSF is seeking input to inform the TIP Directorate’s three-year roadmap, and is requesting comments on the following focus areas: artificial intelligence; computer hardware and software; quantum science and technology; robotics and advanced manufacturing; advanced communication technologies; biotechnology; data storage and cybersecurity; energy and industrial technologies; and advanced materials science. NSF is also requesting comments on the societal, national, and geostrategic challenges to be addressed through TIP-supported research, including United States national security and workforce…
NSF Seeks Input on New Research Security Effort, Webinars Scheduled
The Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (OCRSSP) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) seeking input from the research community on the creation of a new Research Security and Integrity Information Sharing Analysis Organization (RSI-ISAO). As previously reported, the CHIPS and Science Act passed in 2022 called for the establishment of a new research security and integrity entity to “safeguard the security and integrity of the U.S. research enterprise while simultaneously promoting the furtherance of human knowledge.” The new entity will be tasked with developing and sharing resources that…
NSF Accepting Proposals for New Language Science Research Initiative
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting proposals that diversify and further deepen the study of language and communication. This is a collaborative initiative across several programs in the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences with shared interests in the study of language. It is an effort to organize new relationships that integrate knowledge across disciplines and/or levels of analysis. The goal is to advance more universal and replicable theories in the language and communication sciences via diversified sampling practices, language(s) of study, methodologies, and theoretical perspectives. This is not a special competition or new program; instead investigators should submit…