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 Washington Update, Volume 35 Issue 12
Featured News Senate Presses Forward on 2017 Spending Bills Congressional News Lawmakers Call for CDC Gun Research Senate Committee Approves Librarian of Congress Nominee Federal Agency & Administration News NIJ to Host Seminar on Violence Against Indigenous Adults NIGMS Seeks Input on “Strategies for Modernizing Biomedical Graduate Education” Funding Opportunity Announcements Events Calendar
Senate Presses Forward on 2017 Spending Bills
The Senate Appropriations Committee has been making progress over the last several weeks on its fiscal year (FY) 2017 appropriations bills in an effort to pass as many of the bills as possible before heading home in mid-July for the party conventions and August recess (follow all of the developments on the COSSA website). The FY 2017 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill, which made it out of Committee on April 21, is expected to be on the Senate floor later this week. Stay tuned – COSSA will be closely monitoring the floor debate as this is when we could…
Lawmakers Call for CDC Gun Research
On May 31, 146 Members of Congress signed a letter in support of eliminating appropriations riders that have prevented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from conducting research on gun violence prevention since 1996 (the “Dickey amendment”). The bipartisan letter, led by Rep. David Price (D-NC) states, “Although Members of Congress may disagree about how best to respond to the high incidence of gun violence, we should all be able to agree that our response should be informed by sound scientific evidence,” and argues that Congress should “allow the research community to investigate evidence-based solutions that could help…
Senate Committee Approves Librarian of Congress Nominee
On June 9, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration approved Carla D. Hayden’s nomination for Librarian of Congress. If approved by a vote of the full Senate, Hayden will be the first African-American and the first women to lead the Library of Congress. Hayden currently heads the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore and has previously worked at the Chicago Public Library. Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) said he expects her nomination to move to the Senate floor later this month. If her nomination is approved, Hayden will also be the first term-limited Librarian of Congress, limited to…
NIJ to Host Seminar on Violence Against Indigenous Adults
On June 23, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) will host a Research for the Real World seminar on violence against indigenous adults to help improve awareness and understanding of American Indian and Alaska Native victims of crime. André Rosay, University of Alaska Anchorage, will present on a large-scale survey that examined violence and victimization experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and men. The seminar will be moderated by NIJ Director Nancy Rodriguez and a panel on policy and practice implications will include Carrie Bettinger-Lopez, Advisor on Violence Against Women in the Office of the Vice President; Joye…
NIGMS Seeks Input on “Strategies for Modernizing Biomedical Graduate Education”
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a Request for Information (RFI): Strategies for Modernizing Biomedical Graduate Education (NOT-GM-16-109) seeking the input of the scientific community and the general public “on how to catalyze the modernization of biomedical graduate education through NIGMS’s institutional predoctoral training grants program.” The Institute would like to receive input on such topics addressing changes that assure that future researchers have the knowledge, skills and abilities to navigate biomedical research; major barriers to pursuing this training through NIGMS training programs; and the key skills needed by…
Funding Opportunity Announcements
NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network: Advancing Basic Behavioral and Social Research on Resilience — An Integrative Science Approach (UG3/UH3) (PAR-16-326) [NCI, NCCIH, NIA, NIAAA, NIAMS, NIDA, NIEHS, NIGMS, NIMH, OBSSR] NICHD: Characterization of the Adolescent Reproductive Transition (R01) (PA-16-314), (R21) (PA-16-315), (R03) (PA-16-316) NCI: Intervening with Cancer Caregivers to Improve Patient Health Outcomes and Optimize Health Care Utilization (R01) (PAR-16-317), (R21) (PAR-16-318) NIDCD: Mentored Career Development Award for Postdoctorate Au.D./Ph.D. Audiologists (K01) (PAR-16-320) NIDCR: Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Diversity in the Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Workforce (K01) (PAR-16-321) Back to this issue’s table of…
Events Calendar
9th Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Day: Real Life, Labs, Research, Washington, DC, June 20, 2016 Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, June 24-26, 2016 Joint Statistical Meetings, Chicago, IL, July 30-August 4, 2016 American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Denver, CO, August 4-7, 2016 Rural Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, August 16-19, 2016 American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, August 20-23, 2016 A list of COSSA members’ annual meetings and other events can be found on the COSSA website. COSSA members who have an upcoming event they would like to see listed in…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 35 Issue 11
Featured News House Bill Includes Flat Funding for NSF, Boosts for NIJ, BJS, and Census COSSA in Action Complete Archive of COSSA Washington Update Now Available Congressional News Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2017 Agriculture Bill Federal Agency & Administration News OBSSR 2016-2020 Strategic Plan Discussed at NIH Council of Councils White House Releases First-Ever Working Group Report on Language and Communication John Haaga Named Director of NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research Maureen Goodenow Appointed NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research NSF Accepting Applications for Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Position NIMH Seeks Perspectives on the State of Mental…
House Bill Includes Flat Funding for NSF, Boosts for NIJ, BJS, and Census
On May 24, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill. This bill serves as the vehicle for annual appropriations for the National Science Foundation (NSF), Census Bureau, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and countless other federal departments and agencies. The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced its version of the CJS bill on April 21. The House bill would provide NSF with a total budget of $7.4 billion in FY 2017, slightly below the FY 2016 level of $7.46 billion. Most notably, the bill does…
Complete Archive of COSSA Washington Update Now Available
COSSA is pleased to announce that the first 25 volumes of the COSSA Washington Update are now available on the COSSA website, completing the online archive of the newsletter. The archive offers a unique window into nearly 35 years of social and behavioral science policy. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2017 Agriculture Bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its fiscal year (FY) 2017 spending bill for the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (S. 2956) on May 19 (the bill had marked up in the Subcommittee earlier in the week). The House passed its version of the legislation (H.R. 5054) in April. So far, neither chamber has scheduled the Agriculture appropriations bill for floor consideration, although given that they are relatively uncontroversial, it would not be surprising to see votes on the floor before the summer recess. The Senate bill would provide the Economic Research Service (ERS) with $86.8…
OBSSR 2016-2020 Strategic Plan Discussed at NIH Council of Councils
On May 20, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) Director William Riley updated and received feedback from the NIH Council of Councils regarding the progress of the OBSSR 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. The Council consists of approximately 30 members, selected from the various NIH Institute and Center (IC) Advisory Councils, representatives nominated by the Office of the Director program offices, and broad lay representation. It also advises the NIH Director on matters related to the policies and activities of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), where OBSSR is housed.
White House Releases First-Ever Working Group Report on Language and Communication
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences recently released the first ever, Report from the Interagency Working Group on Language and Communication, “an inventory of current programmatic activities across Federal agencies and departments that relate to the scientific and technological aspects of language and communication.” The report explains why the government and the American people benefit from its investments in R&D activities relating to language and communication. A key feature of the report is the Language and Communication R&D Taxonomy providing a “common framework…
John Haaga Named Director of NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research
On March 24, National Institute on Aging (NIA) Director Richard Hodes announced the appointment of John Haaga as director of NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR). Haaga has served as the Division’s acting director where he has served as deputy director for the past 11 years. Prior to joining NIA, Haaga held leadership positions at the Population Reference Bureau, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, the Population Council, and the RAND Corporation. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Maureen Goodenow Appointed NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research
On May 18, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins announced the selection of Maureen M. Goodenow as NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director of the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR). Goodenow, currently at the University of Florida, Gainesville, is a professor of pathology, immunology, and laboratory medicine, and the Director of the Florida Center for AIDS Research. She is expected to join the agency in July. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NSF Accepting Applications for Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Position
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting applications for the position of Deputy Division Director in the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) within the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE). The Deputy Division Director will serve as a member of the BCS leadership team and as the “principal spokesperson in the area of behavioral, cognitive, anthropological and geographic sciences.” More information can be found at USAJOBS. The deadline for applications is June 3, 2016, though applications may be accepted afterwards to ensure a pool of qualified applicants is identified. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NIMH Seeks Perspectives on the State of Mental Illness Research
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is inviting “perspectives on the state of mental illness research” and the institute’s role in development of the research. The institute is seeking the input of the extramural community to “develop briefing materials that represent the full diversity of perspectives on mental illness research in preparation for the next NIMH director.” Comments are solicited on such topics as: basic neuroscience, translational, intervention, clinical, and services research; Research Domain criteria initiative (RDoc), global mental health, diversity and training of the workforce; advocacy and outreach efforts; and translational…
NIGMS Solicits Input on Approaches for Supporting Team Science
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking input “on team-based scientific research and the manner in which this activity could be supported by the Institute.” Accordingly, NIGMS has issued a request for information (RFI), Approaches for Supporting Team Science in the Biomedical Research Community (NOT-GM-16-107), to assist it in “considering needs and opportunities in team science at the multi-investigator, institutional, regional, and national level.” The Institute plans to examine the “benefits and challenges of team science and is considering how to best support this mode of scientific research.” The RFI…
IES to Hold Webinars on FY 2017 Funding Opportunities
The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has scheduled a series of webinars for individuals interested in fiscal year (FY) 2017 funding opportunities. IES’ National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) and the National Center for Education Research (NCER) are hosting the free webinars, which will cover a variety of topics, including teachers and instructional personnel, basic overview of research grants, researcher-practitioner partnerships in education, funding opportunities for minority serving institutions, special education research training for early career development and mentoring, the IES application process, research networks focused on critical problems of policy and practice, and grant writing,…