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
NIH Director Fills Vacancies for PMI Cohort and ECHO Programs
National Institute of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins recently announced the appointments of Eric Dishman as the Director of the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) Cohort Program and Matthew Gillman as the Program Director of the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO).
NCHS Releases Health, United States 2015
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has released the most recent issue of one of its hallmark publications, Health, United States. The 2015 edition compiles data on the health of the U.S. population, including on mortality and life expectancy, morbidity and risk factors, health insurance coverage, access to and utilization of health care, and health expenditures. This yearās edition also includes a special feature on racial and ethnic health disparities. The full report can be accessed on the NCHS website, as well as the shorter Health, United States, 2015: In Brief. Back to this issueās table of contents.
NIJ Identifies Additional Topics for School Safety Research Initiative
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Director Nancy Rodriguez issued a Dear Colleague letter last month identifying additional research topics as part of the agencyās Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI). The additional guidance suggests topics of interest such as āunderstanding and reducing disparities in school discipline; involvement of local stakeholders and multiple disciplines; data systems for school behavior and discipline; inclusion of safety issues for Indian Country schools and students; event sequence and decision-making analysis; and instances where students are removed from the educational environment.ā The deadline for proposals is May 27. Back to this issueās table of contents.
BTS Issues Quarterly National Transportation Statistics Update
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has issued its quarterly update of National Transportation Statistics, its compilation of data on the U.S. transportation system. The April release updates 44 of the 260 data tables, which cover the impact of the transportation system on safety, the economy, and the environment. Back to this issueās table of contents.
COSSA Welcomes the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences
COSSA is pleased to welcome the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) as its newest member. As its name suggests, CCAS is the national association representing colleges of arts and sciences, with a membership that includes nearly 800 deans at 525 institutions across the U.S. and abroad. The Council exists to āprovide professional-development programming to its member deans and to sustain the arts and sciences as a leading influence in American higher education.ā Welcome CCAS! COSSAās full membership list can be viewed here. Information on how to join can be found on the COSSA website. Back to this…
Funding Opportunity Announcements
AHRQ: Pediatric Quality Measures Program (PQMP): Dissemination and Implementation of Child Health Quality Measures Cooperative Research Grants (U18) (RFA-HS-16-002) AHRQ: Optimizing Care for People Living with Multiple Chronic Conditions through the Development of Enhanced Care Planning (NOT-HS-16-013) AHRQ; Pediatric Quality Measures Program (PQMP): Dissemination and Implementation of Child Health Quality Measures Cooperative Research Grants (U18) (RFA-HS-16-002) FDA: Collaborating Centers of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (U01) (RFA-FD-16-036) NIH opportunities: NIH: Population Health Interventions: Integrating Individual and Group Level Evidence (R01) (PA-16-146), (R21) (PAR-16-146) [DPCPSI, OBSSR, NCI, NIAAA, NIDCR, NIDA, NIDCD] NIAID, NIMH: Understanding HIV Rebound (P01) (RFA-AI-16-028) NIDA: Growing…
Events Calendar
Alcohol, Stress, and the Brain: Implications for Treatment and Recovery, Washington, DC, May 5, 2016 2016 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture: Policy, Politics and Partisanship, Washington, DC, May 12, 2016 American Association for Public Opinion Research Annual Conference, Austin, TX, May 12-15, 2016 Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 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…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 35 Issue 8
Featured News Researchers Discuss Projects Targeted by Wastebooks at Capitol Hill Poster Exhibition COSSA in Action COSSA Submits FY 2017 Testimony on NIH, CDC, Education, and Other Agencies Congressional News House and Senate Get Moving on 2017 Spending Bills House Agriculture Appropriations Bill Passes Subcommittee Federal Agency & Administration News OBSSR to Hold Webinars to Present 2016-2020 Strategic Plan NASS Launches New Local Foods Survey NSF Seeks Nominations for Advisory Committees Nominations Sought for U.S. Preventive Services Task Force EPA Seeks Scientific Advisory Committee Members Publications & Community Events National Academies Holds Workshop on ACS Respondent Burden Funding Opportunity Announcements…
COSSA Submits FY 2017 Testimony on NIH, CDC, Education, and Other Agencies
COSSA submitted its annual Outside Witness Testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. COSSAās testimony for fiscal year (FY) 2017 addresses the need for strong funding of the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Institute for Education Sciences, and Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs. ClickĀ hereĀ to read testimony submitted to the House, andĀ hereĀ for the Senate. Back to this issueās table of contents.
OBSSR to Hold Webinars to Present 2016-2020 Strategic Plan
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) is holding two webinars to present the Officeās 2016-2020 Strategic Plan and to solicit feedback from the scientific community, including āresearchers in academia and industry, scientific or professional organizations, public health and health care professionals, patient advocacy organizations, and other interested members of the public.ā OBSSR Director William Riley and Deputy Director G. Stephane Philogene will present the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan during both webinars; the information provided will be the same. The webinars are scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 2016 (10:30 ā 11:30 am EDT) and…
NASS Launches New Local Foods Survey
The U.S. Department of Agricultureās (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has begun data collection for its first-ever Local Food Marketing Practices Survey, which will produce official benchmark data on the U.S. local food sector. According to a NASS press release, the survey will produce information on āthe value of food sales by marketing channel (i.e. farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) arrangements, restaurants, roadside stands, food hubs, and more), value of crop and livestock sales, marketing practices, expenses, Federal farm program participation, and more.ā NASS expects to release the data in December 2016. Back to this issueās table of…
NSF Seeks Nominations for Advisory Committees
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued its annual call for recommendations for membership to its various advisory committees and technical boards. These committees advise NSFās offices and directorates on program management, research direction, and policies impacting the agency.Ā Committees of particular interest to the COSSA community include the Advisory Committee for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences and the Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources.Ā Recommendations for membership are maintained for 12 months. See the Federal Register notice for details on how to submit names. Back to this issueās table of contents.
Nominations Sought for U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is an independent advisory body that makes evidence-based recommendations about the effectiveness of clinical preventive services and health promotion. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which supports the work of the USPSTF, is accepting nominations for candidates to serve on the Task Force. In addition to expertise in evaluation of research, preventive medicine, and implementation of recommendations, candidates are sought with experience in public health, health equity and health disparities, application of science to health policy, behavioral medicine, and communication of scientific findings to multiple audiences. Applications are due by May…
EPA Seeks Scientific Advisory Committee Members
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting nominations for candidates to serve on two scientific advisory bodies: the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB). More information on the jurisdiction of the committees and how to submit nominations is available in the Federal Register notice. Nominations are due on May 6, 2016. Back to this issueās table of contents.
Researchers Discuss Projects Targeted by Wastebooks at Capitol Hill Poster Exhibition
On April 13, the COSSA-led Coalition to Promote Research (CPR) and the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) sponsored a Congressional exhibition and reception, āWastefulā Research? Looking Beyond the Abstract, designed to provide researchers whose work had been targeted in the various Congressional āwastebookā publications an opportunity to put their research into context for Members of Congress and their staff. The unique Congressional exhibition and reception featured nine researchers from across the disciplinary spectrum. Also presented were posters on the peer/merit review process by National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Participating researchers included: Aletha Akers,…
House and Senate Get Moving on 2017 Spending Bills
More than a dozen markups and hearings are scheduled this week for House and Senate Appropriations committees and subcommittees. Appropriators are moving ahead with writing their respective fiscal year (FY) 2017 appropriations bills, despite no agreement on top-line funding levels by way of a budget resolution. You will recall that a bipartisan budget deal was struck back in October, which provided for an extra $30 billion (of a $1.1 trillion total federal budget) in discretionary spendingāsplit evenly between defense and nondefenseāin FY 2017. However, the most conservative wing of the GOP in the House are digging in their heels, demanding…
House Agriculture Appropriations Bill Passes Appropriations Committee
The House Appropriations Committee has released its draft bill and Committee Report for the fiscal year (FY) 2017 funding for the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies. The bill passed the Subcommittee by on April 13 andĀ the full Commtitee on April 19. A list of amendments adopted during the full committee markup is available hereĀ (none affect the research and science agencies funded by the bill).Ā Details on the billās proposed funding for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies importantĀ toĀ the social and behavioral sciences follow. Overall, the bill provides flat funding or very modest increases to…
National Academies Holds Workshop on ACS Respondent Burden
In March, the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a āWorkshop on Respondent Burden in the American Community Survey,ā which brought together experts from the Census Bureau and the broader statistical community to discuss how to make the American Community Survey (ACS) a more pleasant, less intrusive experience for respondents.
Funding Opportunity Announcements
AHRQ: AHRQ Announces Interest in Innovative Research in Primary Care (NOT-HS-16-011) DOJ: Office of Violence Against Women FY 2016 Research and Evaluation Solicitation (OVW-2016-9780) NIH Opportunities: NIH: Mechanisms, Models, Measurement, and Management in Pain Research (R21) (PA-16-187), (R01) (PA-16-188) [NINR, NCCIH, NIA, NIAMS, NIDA, NIDCR, NIMHD, NINDS] NIH: Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01) (PA-16-190), [NCCIH, NHGRI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID, NIAMS, NIBIB, NICHD, NIDA, NIDCD, NIDCR, NIMH, NINR, DPCPSI, ORIP] NIH: Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award National Institutes of Health (Parent K08) (PA-16-191) [NCCIH, NCI, NEI, NHGRI, NHLBI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID,NIAMS, NICHD NIDA, NIDCD, NIDCR, NIDDK, NIEHS,…
Events Calendar
22nd Annual CNSF Exhibition & Reception, Washington, DC, April 26, 2016 Global Issues Forum: Is mobile the future of evidence in development? Washington DC, April 27, 2016 Where Does the Time Go? Understanding Overwhelmed Working Families, Washington, DC, May 2, 2016 2016 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture: Policy, Politics and Partisanship, Washington, DC, May 12, 2016 American Association for Public Opinion Research Annual Conference, Austin, TX, May 12-15, 2016 Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2016 Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, June 24-26, 2016 Joint Statistical Meetings, Chicago, IL,…