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.
National Academies Release Report on Antiracism in Science Organizations
On February 14, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) held a webinar marking the release of a report on Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEMM Organizations. The report aims to identify structural barriers to participation in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) by minoritized individuals and provides recommendations on how the scientific community can instigate meaningful changes to remove these barriers and instill principles of antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI). The report offers the following recommendations to the scientific community: The report can be read in full on the NASEM website.
Registration Open for In-Person Social Science Advocacy Day on April 24-25
You will be teamed up with advocates from your home state and participate in a day of in-person meetings (Tuesday, April 25) with House and Senate offices on Capitol Hill. Through these meetings, you will share reasons why federal government support for social and behavioral science research is so critical and discuss how you and your institution can be helpful to your elected officials. Advocates will be given all the resources they need to have successful meetings. This fun, informative event is a must for anyone within the social and behavioral science community who cares about sustainable funding for our…
COSSA Featured in AmStat News
On February 1, the American Statistical Association (ASA) interviewed Wendy Naus of the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) in a Q&A article of AmStat News, the membership magazine of ASA. The Q&A centered around the advocacy work of COSSA, the benefits of COSSA membership, and the various tools COSSA uses to advocate for the social and behavioral sciences. You can read the full article on the ASA website.
118th Congress: Profile of the House Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee
As its name suggests, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) is responsible for crafting funding legislation for the Departments of Education (ED), Health and Human Services (HHS), including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Labor (DOL), as well as other independent agencies like the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Council on Disability. The LHHS Subcommittee is one of the most sought-after appointments in the House. In recent weeks, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), Chair of the full House Appropriations Committee, announced Republican subcommittee appointments. Rep. Robert Aderholt…
Nelson to Depart OSTP Post
Dr. Alondra Nelson, Deputy Director for Science and Society at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is stepping down from her position and returning to academia effective February 10, according to reports. Nelson was appointed to the newly-created position by then-President-elect Biden in January 2021. A large focus of her work has been on advancing equity in science and using science to inform more equitable policies for the public good. She also served as acting director of OSTP for several months following the departure of Eric Lander in February 2022 amid reports of workplace bullying. In…
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Releases Biennial Diversity and STEM Report
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) recently released the 2023 edition of the report, Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities. This biennial report provides data and insights into the demographics of the STEM workforce, including wage and STEM unemployment among underrepresented groups. With the report, NCSES seeks to understand how representation within STEM continues to change. The report found that women comprise 35 percent of the STEM workforce, underrepresented minorities comprise 24 percent, and persons with disabilities comprise 3 percent. The report also found that the number of…
OMB Requests Comments on Initial Proposals for Modernizing Race and Ethnicity Collection
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has requested comments on their initial proposal for modernizing the collection of race and ethnicity data across the Federal government. The request is a part of a series of ongoing revisions that were announced in June 2022, and were informed by OMB listening sessions to gain public input on the process (previously reported by COSSA). The comment request, coordinated by the Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards within OMB, is intended as a response to calls for expanding options within race and ethnicity data collection to account for diversity,…
NIJ Seeking Applicants for W.E.B. Du Bois Research Program
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) within the Department of Justice (DOJ) has solicited applications for the 2023 W.E.B. Du Bois Program of Research on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System. The research program aims to identify public policy interventions to address racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. NIJ has supported funding for the W.E.B. Du Bois Program since 2000, although the program was halted between 2018 and 2021. Two categories of researchers will be selected: Applications are due April 24. More information is available on the NIJ website.
Research!America Releases Survey Results of Public Opinion of Science
Ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address, Research!America released the results from a January 2023 national survey displaying findings concerning the perceived status of R&D funding this year, with notable differences from years past. Among the hopeful signs for science is noticeably strong bipartisan support among Americans for investing in research. Some highlights from the survey suggest science and technology have become more of a priority for the country: Additionally, the survey findings show that Americans strongly support federal investment in research which advances the frontiers of knowledge (92% of Democrats, 78% of Republicans, 76% of independents) and…
National Academies Seeking Members for Board on Environmental Change and Society
A call for nominations has been released for new members to serve on the Board on Environmental Change and Society (BECS) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Prospective new members are preferred to have expertise in social and behavioral sciences, including decision-making research, sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, environmental policy, and human-environment science. A full list of desired disciplines is available here. BECS advances the integration of social and behavioral science research into environmental science and policy through programs which explore human interactions with the biophysical environment. BECS is also focused on developing a coherent field of…
Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences Appoints Sarah A. Soule as Director
The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University, a COSSA member organization, has appointed a new director, Sarah A. Soule, who will begin her tenure September 1, 2023. Dr. Soule received a PhD in sociology from Cornell University and previously served as senior associate dean of Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. The position was previously held by Margaret Levi, a political scientist, for eight years. More information is available on the CASBS website.
Biden Announces 2023 Class of the National Science Board
The Biden Administration has announced the appointment of the new class of members to the National Science Board (NSB). NSB is the policy-making body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) that also advises the President and Congress on federal science policy. The new members will each serve a six-year term. The new members include: With terms ending for departed NSB members Emilio Moran and Bob Groves, Deborah Ball and Wanda Ward will be the only two social and behavioral scientists serving on the 30-person Board. Ball previously served on the NSB during the Obama Administration and Ward was previously a…
118th Congress: Profile of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee
Now that the fight over who will serve as Speaker of the House has been settled, Congressional committees are starting to take shape, albeit later than originally planned. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) has been chosen to serve as chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee; Lucas served as Ranking Member in the last Congress. In a press release, Lucas stated his hope to continue working in a bipartisanship manner with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the ranking Democrat. Lofgren replaces Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) who retired at the end of the last Congress. However, not all of Lucas’ stated…
House Votes to Establish Select Committee on China
On January 10, the House of Representatives established a new Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. The Committee, which will have bipartisan membership and will be chaired by Mike Gallagher (R-WI), is authorized to hold public hearings and “to investigate and submit policy recommendations on the status of the Chinese Communist Party’s economic, technological, and security progress and its competition with the United States.” However, the Committee will not have legislative authority, meaning it will not have the authority to develop or consider legislation. The establishment of the Committee is another…
Sen. Chuck Grassley Seeking Information on Science Fellows Serving in the Biden Administration
In December, Politico reported on what some view as a growing influence of Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, in the Biden Administration. The article cited financial support provided by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), which receives funding from Schmidt, for salaries of fellows serving in the Administration under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program. The IPA program is widely used across the federal government to allow for the temporary placement of non-governmental employees to federal agency posts for a short period of time “when this movement serves a sound public purpose.” The employees’ salaries are paid by their…
OSTP Announces “Year of Open Science,” Doubles Up with Scientific Integrity Policies
On January 11, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a fact sheet detailing several actions aiming to advance open science and research while dubbing this year the “Year of Open Science.” The announcement comes in the wake of the recent guidance aiming to increase public access to federally funded research (see previous COSSA coverage). Some of the notable actions include developing an official definition of “open science,” requiring federal agencies to update their public access plans, and publishing a new online resource for the public to learn about engaging in open science programs. A few…
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics to Release Biennial Diversity and STEM Report
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), within the National Science Foundation (NSF), will release its biennial report, Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities, on January 30. The report was last released in 2021 under the title, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (WMPD), and provides statistical information on women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering education and employment. NCSES will host an informational webinar on the results of the Diversity and STEM report on January 31. Register for the event here.
William T. Grant Foundation Seeking Applicants for Scholars Program
The William T. Grant Foundation has opened their online application for the 2023 Scholars Program. The William T. Grant Foundation supports social, behavioral, and health science researchers through encouraging researchers to expand their focus areas. The program provides $350,000 over a five-year period to develop a research plan to provide solutions for inequity and/or build strategies for improving the use of research evidence. Applicants require a nomination from their university to be eligible for the grant. The 2023 Scholars Program Application Guide has been released to aid potential applicants. The deadline to apply is July 5, 2023.
ICYMI: Congress Finalizes FY 2023 Spending Deal, COSSA Releases Analysis for Science Agencies
At the end of last year, House and Senate Appropriations Committees released details of the massive fiscal year (FY) 2023 omnibus appropriations and supplemental spending package. The omnibus includes all twelve annual appropriations bills as well as one-time emergency funding for disaster relief and support to Ukraine. Congress took up the package before the December 23 continuing resolution was set to expire, thereby completing the FY 2023 appropriations process, albeit nearly three months late. As noted, the final package contains $27 billion in emergency supplemental funding to help respond to recent natural disasters and extreme weather events. Within the disaster…