A staple since COSSAâs 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.Â
NIH: BD2K Biomedical Science Training Coordination Center
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking applications for a coordination center designed to narrow the gap between the availability of biomedical big data and the ability of biomedical scientists to utilize such data accurately, effectively, and efficiently. The funding opportunity announcement, NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Biomedical Science Training Coordination Center (RFA-ES-15-004), responds to increasingly large, diverse, and complex biomedical datasets. These datasets tax conventional methods for sharing, managing, and analyzing data. Researchersâ abilities to capitalize on biomedical big data science-based approaches are limited by poor data accessibility and interoperability, the lack of appropriate tools, and insufficient…
NIH: BD2K MOOC on Data Management for Biomedical Big Data
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking applications designed to develop an open, online educational course that complements and/or enhances the training of a workforce to meet the nationâs biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA), NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Initiative Research Education: Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Data Management (RFA-LM-15-001), focuses on curriculum or methods development.
NIJ: Forensic Science and Elder Abuse
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has issued a solicitation for proposals on research and development in forensic science for criminal justice purposes. The agency is looking to fund research that will â(1) Increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice or; (2) Result in the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or methods that have the potential for forensic application.â Proposals examining human factors as they relate to specific disciplines within forensic science will be accepted. More information is available in the full solicitation. The deadline for proposals is April 8, 2015.
COSSA Welcomes New Members in 2015
COSSA welcomes two new members this year. The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) has joined as COSSAâs 19th Governing Member association. As a Governing Member, SPSP holds a seat on the COSSA Board of Directors. SPSP is the largest organization of social psychologists and personality psychologists, with more than 5,500 members. COSSA is also pleased to welcome the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research (OIBR) at the University of Georgia as a new member in the Centers and Institutes category. OIBR strives to âcatalyze high-impact interdisciplinary researchâ in the social and behavioral sciences across the university. COSSAâs full membership…
Events Calendar
Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, January 14-18, 2015 Southern Political Science Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, January 15-17, 2015 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA, February 26-28, 2015 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, March 3-7, 2015 Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations Annual Meeting, New Brunswick, NJ, March 5-7, 2015 COSSA Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day, Washington, DC, March 9-10, 2015 A list of COSSA membersâ annual meetings and other events can be found on the COSSA webpage. Back to this issueâs table of…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 33 Issue 23
Featured News NIH Discontinues National Childrenâs Study COSSA in Action COSSA Urges Census to Maintain Field of Degree, Marriage Questions in ACS Congressional News Congress passes FY 2015 Spending Bill, Adjourns for the Year Federal Agency & Administration News NSF Seeks Social Science Communications Specialist SMRB Accepts Working Group Report On Pre-College Engagement In Biomedical Science NSF Updates Transparency and Accountability Practices New Releases From NCHS: Health Insurance Coverage, Contraception, Nut Consumption Publications & Community Events Gilbert White Lecture Focuses on Reducing Losses from Natural Hazards Funding Opportunities NIH: Cancer Institute Releases Series of Funding Announcements NIJ: Social Science Research…
COSSA Urges Census to Maintain Field of Degree, Marriage Questions in ACS
On December 9, COSSA submitted public comment to the U.S. Department of Commerce urging the decision to remove several questions from the 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) be reversed. As previously reported, the ACS recently underwent a comprehensive review of its current 72 questions, which resulted in a proposal to remove questions deemed of âlow benefit.â COSSAâs comments outline the importance of Person Question No. 12âUndergraduate Field of Degreeâand Person Questions No. 21-23, relating to marital history, to the social science research community. The Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics (COPAFS), a COSSA sister organization, also submitted public comment. More information on the…
Congress passes FY 2015 Spending Bill, Adjourns for the Year
Congress adjourned this week for the remainder of 2014 after a busy, and often contentious, lame duck legislative session. Among its post-election activities was passage of a spending package for 11 of the 12 outstanding fiscal year (FY) 2015 appropriations bills. The âcromnibus,â as it is being called inside the Beltway, was signed into law by President Obama on December 16. COSSA has prepared a full analysis of the spending package outlining its impact on social and behavioral science research programs funded across the federal government. Read on for full details. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
NSF Seeks Social Science Communications Specialist
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking candidates for a new position within the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). The Communications Specialist will âdevelop and implement a strategy to communicate information about the Directorate’s support of research, education, and training in the social, behavioral and economic sciences.â Among the required qualifications includes âexperience with a science organization developing and implementing integrated communications strategies to promote research about social, behavioral, and economic sciences to a variety of audiences and stakeholders.â The announcement closes on January 16, 2015. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
NSF Updates Transparency and Accountability Practices
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced revisions to its guidelines for program officers and principle investigators (PIs) intended to better communicate the value of the research it funds. According to an NSF press release, language added to the guidelines for program officers require that non-technical project descriptions âserve as a public justification for NSF funding by articulating how the project serves the national interest, as stated by NSF’s mission: to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; or to secure the national defense.â Training and guidelines will also assist program staff in writing…
New Releases from NCHS: Health Insurance Coverage, Contraception, Nut Consumption
The National Center for Health Statistics has released several new reports covering a variety of health-related topics: Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, JanuaryâJune 2014 â In the first six months of 2014, the uninsured rate dropped from 26.5 percent in 2013 to 20.4 percent, with a larger drop among young adults aged 19-25. Current Contraceptive Status Among Women Aged 15â44: United States, 2011â2013 â During the survey period, 61.7 percent of women were currently using contraception, with the pill, female sterilization, condoms, and long-acting reversible contraceptives being the most common methods. Nut…
NIJ: Social Science Research on Forensic Science
In a recently issued Dear Colleague letter, Acting National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Director William Sabol emphasized NIJâs interested in receiving proposals âthat examine the social science questions related to the effective use of forensic evidence to identify and process criminal offenders and to explore the impact of these advances on the criminal justice system.â Particular areas of interest for fiscal year 2015 include digital forensics, ballistics forensics, and crime scene scanning technology. See the full letter for more details. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Events Calendar
American Historical Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY, January 2-5, 2015 Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, January 2-5, 2015 American Economic Association Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, January 3-5, 2015 Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, January 8-11, 2015 COSSA Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day, Washington, DC, March 9-10, 2015 A list of COSSA member annual meetings and other events can be found on the COSSA web page. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
NIH Discontinues the National Childrenâs Study
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has decided to discontinue the National Childrenâs Study (NCS). At the December 12 meeting of the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD), a working group charged by NIH director Francis Collins to evaluate whether the NCS âas currently outlined is feasible, especially in light of increasing and significant budget constraints,â concluded that the NCS as currently designed is not. The working group further recommended âthat the NIH champion and support new study designs, informed by advances in technology and basic and applied research, that could make the original goals of the NCS more…
SMRB Accepts Working Group Report on Pre-college Engagement in Biomedical Science
On December 15, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Scientific Management Review Board (SMRB) unanimously approved the Report of the SMRB Working Group on Pre-college Engagement in Biomedical Science. Chaired by Clyde Yancy, Northwestern University, the working group was charged by NIH director Francis Collins âto recommend ways to optimize NIHâs pre-college programs and initiatives that both align with the NIH mission and ensure a continued pipeline of biomedical science students and professionals.â The group released preliminary findings at its October meeting (see Update, October 28, 2014).
Gilbert White Lecture Focuses on Reducing Losses from Natural Hazards
The National Academiesâ Board on Earth Sciences and Resources held its annual Gilbert F. White Lecture in the Geographical Sciences on December 4. Susan Cutter, Distinguished Carolina Professor at the University of South Carolina (and a past president of COSSA), delivered the lecture, which focused on âWhy More Knowledge Is Not Reducing Natural Hazard Losses.â She explained that despite huge increases in our knowledge of the physical processes and social forces that interact during natural disasters, losses from such events have only grown.
NIH: Cancer Institute Releases Series of Funding Announcements
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently released a series of funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) designed to enhance the diversity of the NCI-funded cancer research workforce. The awards support individuals from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, social, and clinical sciences. The Institute notes that a major obstacle to developing a stronger national health disparities cancer research effort has been the lack of significant strategic training programs for students and scientists. It further notes, âGreater involvement of students and scientists from underrepresented backgrounds is integral to a successful national cancer research effort involving more underserved…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 33 Issue 22
Featured News SAVE THE DATE: COSSA Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day COSSA in Action Scientific Community Expresses Support for NIH and Its Peer Review Process COSSA and Partners Urge Support for International and Foreign Language Education for FY 2015 Congressional News FY 2015 Funding Bills Approaching December 11 Deadline Federal Agency & Administration News Deadline Extended for Applications to SBE Leadership Posts NIH to Use Single IRB to Speed the Initiation of Clinical Research, Seeks Comments NIH Seeks Comments on Draft NIH Policy on Dissemination of NIH-Funded Clinical Trial Information OMB Finalizes New Statistical Policy Directive Reminder: Comments on Proposed…
SAVE THE DATE: COSSA Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day
The COSSA Annual Meeting and inaugural Social and Behavioral Science Advocacy Day will be held in Washington, DC on March 9-10, 2015. The meeting will feature presentations from federal agency leaders and other officials and will provide an excellent opportunity to network with others from throughout the social and behavioral science research community. New in 2015 will be the first-ever Social and Behavioral Science Advocacy Day in which COSSA members will have an opportunity to educate their elected officials about the value of social and behavioral science research and the importance of federal funding. Additional details, including registration information, will…
Scientific Community Expresses Support for NIH and Its Peer Review Process
On December 2, the Coalition to Promote Research (CPR) sent letters to Congress expressing its âcontinued and strong support for the competitive peer review process used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).â The letter, signed by 128 diverse organizations, noted that the scientific community is âextremely concerned about the recent criticism of the NIH’s funding decisions and the accompanying mischaracterization of NIH-supported research in the media and by some in Congress. The ongoing targeting of specific grants produces a chilling effect across the entire scientific community. These attacks inhibit the very scientific progress the critics claim to support. Our…