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
Lawmakers Punt FY 2023 Funding to December
Congress averted a government shutdown late last month by passing a short term continuing resolution (CR) (PL 117-180) that keeps the federal government operational until December 16. While fiscal year (FY) 2023 officially began on October 1, as has become commonplace, Congress has yet to complete its work on the FY 2023 appropriations bills. Lawmakers will return to Washington after the November midterm elections at which time they will revisit the FY 2023 funding debate. You can follow FY 2023 funding coverage on the COSSA website.
ICYMI: Arati Prabhakar Confirmed as OSTP Director
In September, the Senate confirmed President Bidenâs nominee for Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Arati Prabhakar, by a vote of 56-40. Prabhakar, who is a former Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), had been nominated in June to take charge of the office that has been led in the interim by OSTP Deputy Director for Science and Society Alondra Nelson (see previous COSSA coverage). Prabhakar is also expected to assume the role of the Presidentâs science adviser, which had been carried out by former Director of the National Institutes of…
NSF Seeking Deputy SBE Director
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced they are recruiting for a deputy assistant director for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate. This position would support NSFâs Assistant Director for SBE Kellina Craig-Henderson in guiding the strategic goals and daily operations of the Directorate including the wide range of research programs and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). Applications for the position will be accepted through October 14. The position and its requirements may be found on USAJobs.
White House Releases Learning Agenda
In September, the White House released the final Presidentâs Management Agenda (PMA) Learning Agenda, which identifies questions in need of answering in order to achieve an âequitable, effective, and accountable [federal] government that delivers results for all Americans.â As previously reported, the 2018 Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (âEvidence Actâ) called on the Federal Government to make decisions using the best available evidence. In 2021, the Biden Administration issued guidance (memorandum M-21-27) affirming the Administrationâs commitment to the goals of the Evidence Act and expanding on previously released guidance related to Learning Agendas and Annual Evaluation Plans. The PMA Learning Agenda released…
White House Releases Biennial Report on International Science & Technology Cooperation
In September, a subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a report on international collaboration related to science and technology. The report, which is a Congressionally mandated biennial document, identifies strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. approach to international scientific collaboration and offers recommendations on how to strengthen U.S. leadership in international science and technology. The report acknowledges that the U.S. remains a global leader in many areas of science and is successfully attracting and retaining talented foreign scientists. However, it also notes that other countries…
Bureau of Justice Statistics Announces Innovative Newsletter
After being appointed as the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in August 2022, Dr. Alexis Piquero expressed his commitment to making justice statistics and data more accessible to the public, including by releasing data more quickly and in easy-to-read formats. To this end, BJS has announced âJust the Stats,â a series of short reports that will modernize the process of releasing data to the public. The timeline for releasing the first report is not yet known; however, stakeholders have been invited to subscribe here.
EPA Creates New Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights Office
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights Office to address environmental justice, enforce civil rights law, and deliver new grants and support. This office was created by merging three already existing programs within EPA: the Office of Environmental Justice, External Civil Rights Compliance Office, and Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center. EPA is dedicated to advancing justice and equity, particularly through aiding underserved communities with community-driven solutions.
Golden Goose Award Seeks 2023 Nominations
Nominations are now open for the 2023 Golden Goose Award, an annual honor recognizing federally funded research that may sound odd, obscure, or serendipitous, but ends up having a major impact on society. Many social and behavioral scientists have been award recipients in the past and honored at the annual ceremony and reception in Washington, DC. Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, but for the best chance for consideration for the 2023 awards, nominations should be submitted by December 18, 2022. More information and the nomination form can be found on the Golden Goose website.
National Academies Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine Seeks Nominations for New Consensus Study
The National Academies Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (CWSEM) is calling for nominations for members and reviewers of a new consensus study committee, Policies and Practices for Supporting Parents and Caregivers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee will research challenges faced by parents and caregivers within these disciplines, document institutional support, conduct interviews specifically focusing on marginalized populations, identify new practices and opportunities for improvement, and set recommendations for academic institutions and federal agencies. The Committee is seeking 12-17 volunteers and are particularly interested in individuals with experience in gender equity in science, engineering, and medicine;…
CNSTAT Celebrates 50 Years with Seminar and Data Infrastructure Report
The National Academies Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) is hosting a public seminar celebrating 50 years of CNSTAT on October 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. The event will be webcast for those unable to attend in person. The seminar will include a brief review of notable accomplishments and current efforts. CNSTAT will also be discussing their recent report, Toward a Vision for a New Data Infrastructure for Federal Statistics and Social and Economic Research in the 21st Century. This report details the importance of creating a new data infrastructure that both modernizes the processes and addresses the various challenges facing…
DBASSE Celebrates 60 Years and Discusses their Future
The Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will be celebrating their 60th anniversary during a two-day virtual event on October 13-14 in Washington, DC. The meeting will highlight some of the Divisionâs most notable accomplishments, celebrate past contributions, and share a vision for the future. The event The event schedule is available here and register for the event here.
John B. Diamond to Deliver AERAâs Annual Brown Lecture on White Supremacy in Education
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), a COSSA governing member, will host its annual Brown Lecture in Education Research virtually on November 3. The Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research commemorates the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education and is designed to feature the important role of research in advancing understanding of equality and equity in education. The 2022 lecture is titled âWhite Supremacy, Opportunity Hoarding and the Legacy of Brownâ and will be delivered by John B. Diamond, Professor of Sociology and Education Policy at Brown University and scholar of the relationship between racial inequality and…
Nominations Open for 2023 SAGE-CASBS Award
The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University and SAGE Publishing now are accepting nominations for the 2023 SAGE-CASBS Award. The Award recognizes accomplishments in the behavioral and social sciences that push the boundaries of our understanding of social issues. In addition to a cash prize, the SAGE-CASBS Award winner will deliver a public lecture to be held at CASBS in spring 2023. The deadline for nominations is December 9, 2022. More information about the Award can be found on the CASBS website.
OBSSR Requesting Comments on Draft Priorities for 2023-2028 Strategic Plan
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a Request for Information aiming to gather stakeholder feedback on the draft priorities and strategic objectives for the Office in their 2023-2028 Strategic Plan. These draft priorities are the result of evaluation of the previous strategic plan, a previous Request for Information, and multiple listening sessions with internal and external NIH stakeholders. The draft strategic plan provides a framework with three major scientific priorities which each carry their own objectives: Improve the synergy between basic behavioral and social sciences research and research…
Debate on FY 2022 CR Continues
With the end of the fiscal year looming on September 30, Congress continues to debate the contents of a stopgap measure to keep the government open. Votes are expected this week on a continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the federal government funded through December 16, thereby pushing decisions on final FY 2023 spending until after the November midterm elections. The current version of the CR contains a controversial energy permitting rider authored by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) that so far has prevented passage of the stopgap measure in the Senate. Should the permitting language be dropped, the House and…
House Committee Holds Hearing on Academic, Social, and Emotional Needs of Students
On September 20, the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee within the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to discuss how to best meet studentsâ academic, social, and economic needs in the upcoming school year, especially after the disruption of online learning during the pandemic. The witnesses were Phyllis Jordan, Associate Director of FutureEd, Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, President and CEO of Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, Dr. Penny Schwinn, Tennessee Commissioner of Education in the Tennessee Department of Education, and Dr. Matthew Blomstedt, Commissioner of Education in the Nebraska Department of Education. Committee Chair Gregorio…
White House Provides Updates on Social and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee & Upcoming Framework
The White House has released a memo providing updates on the activities of the National Science and Technology Councilâs (NSTC) Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Subcommittee, including the development of a whole-of-government framework on the use of SBS research to advance evidence-based policymaking by April 30, 2023. The SBS Subcommittee was recently rechartered by the Biden Administration as part of a âYear of Evidence for Actionâ after being sidelined during the previous Administration. The Subcommittee has established interagency working groups on five policy priorities to assist with the development of the SBS framework. These working groups are tasked with applying…
National Science Foundation Launches Entrepreneurial Fellowships for Engineers and Scientists
The National Science Foundation has launched a new entrepreneurial fellowship program in partnership with Activate.org to support scientists and engineers engaging interested in translating their research into new products and services. NSF will invest $20 million to support the Activate fellows, which will provide extensive training and $350,000 over a two-year period. Fellows will develop leadership skills, turn their groundbreaking research into tangible products, and learn how to build a business. The fellowship program is the latest initiative to come out of NSFâs new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships Directorate (TIP), which is bridging the gap between âlab and society.â The…