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
Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis Request Comments on Data Collection Security
The U.S. Census Bureau and US Bureau of Economic Analysis have released a request for comments related to the collection of data from the public âto fulfill their data security requirements when providing access to restricted use microdata related to evidence building.â As part of the agenciesâ ongoing implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (or Evidence Act), the White House of Office Management and Budget (OMB) established a Standard Application Process (SAP) for researchers to use when requesting access to confidential government data assets. The request for comment related data security requirements seek to understand if…
Application Period Opens for Federal Evaluation Fellowships
The Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) within the General Services Administration (GSA) has announced they are accepting applications for their 2023 Annual Fellowships. OES is a team comprised of social science researchers that helps federal agencies evaluate and use evidence in their practice. OES Fellows join the office for a minimum of one year in Washington, DC or remotely. Applications are being accepted for Fellowships and Federal Details and will be accepted through January 11, 2023. More information is available on the OES website.
National Academies Releases New Report on Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a new report, Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science, Practice, and Policy. The report addresses disparities faced by people of color in the criminal justice system that result from systemic racism and the policies and practices that reinforce it. It highlights evidence-based policy interventions, focusing on reforming the criminal justice system and developing strategies to strengthen community reforms. Recommendations for reforming the criminal justice system include eliminating cash bail, reducing drug incarceration and felony sentences, discarding the death penalty, and more, while community reforms include health and…
COSSA Welcomes Division for Research of the Council for Exceptional Children as New Member
COSSA is excited to welcome the Division for Research of the Council for Exceptional Children as its newest member! The CEC Division for Research (CEC-DR) is âdedicated to the advancement of research related to the education of individuals with disabilities and/or who are gifted,â and focuses on engaging and linking practitioners to research in special education. COSSAâs full membership list can be found here. Information on how to join is on the COSSA website.
NIH to Host 2022 Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be holding the 2022 NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival next month on December 8 and 9. The festival, held annually by OBSSR and the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee (BSSR-CC), features panel discussions on recent social science research results, growing areas, and innovations in the field of health-related BSSR. This year, the festival will focus on social connection, mental and emotional health, social determinants of health, and measurement in BSSR. The keynote address will be delivered by Richard…
COSSA Featured in Practical Significance Podcast
COSSA Executive Director Wendy Naus was featured in the latest episode of the American Statistical Association (ASA) podcast, Practical Significance (the ASA is a COSSA governing member). Naus discusses COSSA’s efforts to promote the social, behavioral, and statistical sciences to policymakers and ways that researchers can engage in the advocacy process. Check out the episode on the ASA website or wherever you get your podcasts.
NSF Announces Name Change of Education Directorate
On October 25, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) had been renamed to the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) in an effort to more accurately reflect the directorateâs portfolio and focus. In addition, the Division of Human Resource Development within the Directorate has been renamed the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES).The name changes were initially proposed in the Presidentâs FY 2023 budget request to Congress. Â The newly named EDU Directorate, which funds education research grants and career development opportunities for scientists, reportedly will not have its portfolio or…
NSF to Consider Proposals on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science
On October 25, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a Dear Colleague Letter reaffirming the agencyâs commitment to the findings of a 2019 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) titled Reproducibility and Replicability in Science. This report was aimed at providing clear research practices and guidelines to recreate scientific results through multiple research methods and to identify ways to improve public confidence in scientific findings (see previous COSSA coverage). In addition, the NSF letter notes that the agency may be interested in funding proposals for research addressing reproducibility and replicability in science. NSF is especially…
National Board for Education Sciences Appointments Announced
President Biden has announced 15 appointments to the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). NBES is responsible for advising the Director of IES to ensure that the institutes priorities are consistent with itâs mission. NBES is also responsible for strengthening procedures for technical and scientific peer review, presenting recommendations to strengthen education research, soliciting advice and information from the field, and ensuring IES is compliant with the Education Sciences Reform Act. NBES has not held a meeting since the end of the Obama Administration in 2016. For more information on appointments, please refer…
DBASSE Celebrates 60 Years and Looks to the Future
On October 13, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine held a symposium celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE). During the two-day event, presenters revisited some of the Divisionâs most notable activities and reports, such as the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) and the report on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science, to name a few. Later, speakers explored some of the topics that could dominate in the years ahead and how social science can contribute. In the words of former Director of the National Science Foundation Rita Colwell, âThis is…
CNSTAT Nominations for Workshop on Improving Measurement of Death by Suicide of Law Enforcement Officers
The Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Statistics is calling for nominations for members of an organizing committee to create a public workshop on strategies to measure death by suicide of law enforcement and correctional officers. CNSTAT is seeking experts in criminal justice research and statistics, mental health and occupational health, administrative data, and integrating federal, state, tribal, and local government data systems. They are also seeking law enforcement and correctional officers for the event. Nominations will close on November 10, 2022.
NIH Releases UNITE Progress Report for 2021-2022
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released the inaugural progress report covering fiscal years (FY) 2021-2022 for the UNITE Initiative, the agency-wide program comprised of five committees charged with identifying and addressing structural racism within the NIH research community and the greater biomedical research enterprise (see previous COSSA coverage). This progress report is the first such report on the UNITE Initiative and aims to describe NIHâs actions since the Initiativeâs establishment in 2021 in identifying and addressing structural racism as well as areas that still need to be addressed. The report cites actions that have been taken to address…
November Headlines to Feature Deep Dive on 2022 Election
Join COSSA for our quarterly COSSA Headlines webinar to catch up on important social and behavioral science news and answer your questions. This quarterâs discussion will feature an analysis of the 2022 midterm elections and its implications for social science in the new Congress. Register for the webinar here.
NIH Creates New Scientific Diversity Advisor Position
The Division Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) within the Office of the Director (OD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking to fill a new role, Scientific Diversity Advisor. This position will be tasked with leading the development and implementation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. The ideal candidate should have a Ph.D., experience identifying and addressing DEIA gaps, and prior scientific and/or policy knowledge of biomedical, behavioral, or social science research relevant to DEIA. Details about the position are available at USA JOBS.
NSF Launches Workforce Development Program for Emerging Technologies
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced it is seeking applications for the new Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) Program. This program, which will be administered jointly by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and the new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), seeks to develop workforce opportunities for individuals interested in gaining career experience in emerging technology areas such as artificial intelligence, microelectronics, and more. The program offers three pathways for individuals at different career levels and STEM experience: Pivots: For current professionals in any field looking to pivot into a career in…
CNSTAT Releases Report on a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) recently released the report Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Mobilizing Information for the Common Good. The report offers an ambitious vision and roadmap for bringing the U.S. data infrastructure in line with the nationâs need for reliable, accessible statistics and social and economic research. During a recent seminar celebrating CNSTATâs 50th anniversary, CNSTAT Chair Robert Groves of Georgetown University offered additional context for the report, noting the convergence of increasing survey costs, all-time low response rates, and the unprecedented amount of digital data now…
National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Release Year Three Annual Report
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released the Year Three Annual Report for the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education and held the Fourth Annual Public Summit last week. The report builds off of the 2018 report, Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (see previous COSSA coverage). The Action Collaborative focuses on raising awareness, sharing evidence-based policies and strategies, developing standards for measuring progress, and setting shared research agenda related to eradicating harassment in higher education settings. The Year Three Annual Report highlights the improvements the National Academies…
American Academy of Political and Social Science Inducts 2022 Fellows
The American Academy of Political and Social Science, a member of COSSA, inducted its 2022 cohort of Fellows at an event in Philadelphia on October 19. The Fellowsâ research âshowcases the importance of the social sciences in addressing issues ranging from racial and economic inequality to extremism in political partiesâ, Marta Tienda, president of AAPSS, says. Fellows include communications and behavior scholar Dolores AlbarracĂn (University of Pennsylvania); economist William âSandyâ Darity, Jr. (Duke University); historian Earl Lewis (University of Michigan); economist Glenn Loury (Brown University); political scientist Paul Pierson (University of California at Berkeley); social psychologist Jennifer Richeson (Yale University);…
Midwest Political Science Association Calls for Conference Submissions
The Midwest Political Science Association is accepting proposal submissions for their 80th Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference (see previous COSSA coverage). The conference will take place April 13-16, 2023, in Chicago. The submission deadline has been extended to December 2, 2022.
OSTP Releases Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently released a Blueprint for an Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights aimed at protecting diverse communities through identifying concerns, risks, and potential solutions to combat discrimination and biases with artificial intelligence systems. To combat the rise of inequity and biases with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, OSTPâs Bill of Rights blueprints identifies five practices: Safe and Effective Systems: Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems should ensure systems have pre-deployment testing that identifies risks and determines the safety of the system. Algorithmic Discrimination Protections: Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems…