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.
House Oversight Hosts Census Bureau Director Rob Santos
On December 5, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on the Oversight of the U.S. Census Bureau with Director Rob Santos as the witness. During his opening remarks, House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) raised concerns over the 2020 Census and the overcount and undercount of different states, suggesting that undercounting was found in predominately Republican states while overcounting was found in predominately Democratic states. In his response, Santos indicated that the unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated overcounts and undercounts. Further, he clarified that the Census Bureau and subsequent surveys are non-partisan. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (R-MD) pointed to…
President-Elect Trump Nominates Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to Lead NIH
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of health policy at Stanford University, as the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Notably, Bhattacharya was a critic of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and was the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, Murthy v. Missouri, where he argued that he was “unfairly censored” on social media by the government for his views on the issue. While the case gained national attention, it was ultimately unsuccessful in a 6-3 ruling. About the nomination, Trump said, “Dr. Bhattacharya will work in cooperation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr….
Trump Names David Sacks as AI Czar/PCAST Head
On December 4, President-elect Trump announced his plan to appoint tech venture capitalist and PayPal cofounder David Sacks to a new “AI czar” position and advisor on cryptocurrency in the next Administration. The announcement also states that Sacks will lead the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). While little more detail is known about Trump’s plan for PCAST, the naming of Sacks as chair signals that the council will be maintained in Trump’s second term. This is notable particularly because during Trump’s first term, PCAST was not reconstituted until almost three years into his term. This is a developing story.
OSTP’s CoSTEM Releases Five-Year Federal Strategic Plan Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CoSTEM) has released the Federal Strategic Plan Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent. The five-year plan is intended to promote STEM education and careers, particularly in coordination with multi-sector collaborators throughout the STEM ecosystem and has identified three principles to achieve this goal, including expanding opportunity, developing partnerships and the ecosystem, and fostering transparency and accountability. Within these principles, OSTP has identified five pillars including STEM engagement; STEM teaching and learning; STEM workforce; STEM research and innovation capacity; and…
NSF Releases NAIRR Dear Colleague Letter for AI Research and Education
On November 15, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot released a Dear Colleague letter seeking datasets to “enable a broader set of researchers and educations” in artificial intelligence (AI) and foster the development of AI skills in educational environments (see previous COSSA coverage here). The deadline to submit datasets is February 7 and can be submitted here. Full details about the submission criteria and evaluation can be found here.
Currently Reading: CPI’s Census Accuracy Guides
The Center on Poverty and Inequality (CPI) at Georgetown Law released a series of guides designed for civil rights organizations, advocates, and policymakers. The Census Accuracy series includes: This series is intended to help stakeholders and organizations advocate for necessary research and reforms to ensure every community is accurately counted, promote robust funding for the census by emphasizing the need for accurate data to help ensure fair political representation and equitable resource distribution, and implement measures to mitigate the impact of census inaccuracies. Read the guides here.
Social Science Advocacy Day 2025 News
COSSA’s annual Social Science Advocacy Day will be taking place March 24-25, 2025 in Washington, DC! This signature, members-only event brings together social and behavioral science researchers, faculty, students, association professionals, and other advocates from across the country to meet with their elected officials in Congress to discuss the value of our sciences and the importance of federal funding. Early bird registration is officially OPEN! Register now and take advantage of our early bird rates (these won’t last long). Visit the COSSA website for the latest information on Social Science Advocacy Day and share with your colleagues.
Editor’s Note: Update Returning on January 7
This is our final issue of the COSSA Washington Update for 2024. Late-breaking news and analysis will be shared with members subscribed to our members-only emails. We will resume our ongoing coverage of policy developments affecting the social and behavioral sciences on January 7. The COSSA team wishes all our readers a happy and healthy holiday season.
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinars continue December 5
Join COSSA on December 5 for an informal discussion on the results of the 2024 national elections and their implications for the social and behavioral sciences as we head into the new year. Upcoming Webinars: Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations.
House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee Holds NIH Budget Hearing
On November 19, the House Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee invited Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the Hill for a budget hearing. Normally, these hearings are scheduled prior to the appropriations bills being written—typically in the spring—but the House Appropriations Committee released their LHHS bill in July without holding a single hearing (see COSSA’s analysis here). Despite the unusual sequence of events, Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) were interested in the NIH’s budget and investments, and how to restore trust in science. Chairman Aderholt,…
FY 2025 Hangs in the Balance as Congress Begins Preparations for the 119th Session
As the year nears its end, Congress is looking to pass either the fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations bills by December 20 or a continuing resolution (CR) that extends the deadline to March. As previously reported by COSSA, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has indicated interest in the latter despite contention from Democrats and some Republicans advocating to complete the FY 2025 appropriations process so the new Congress can focus its attention on the FY 2026 appropriations process. The 119th Congress, which will be sworn in on January 3, will look quite a bit different from the outgoing Congress. The House…
House Oversight Probes Biden-Harris Administration’s Scientific Integrity Committees
On November 14, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced an investigation into the Biden-Harris Administration’s scientific integrity committees, including for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Comer cited concerns of interference of the “executive agency of future presidential administrations” through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Presidential Memorandum directing the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to develop a Task Force on Scientific Integrity and federal agencies to produce scientific integrity reports (see previous COSSA coverage here). In letters sent to the EPA and HHS, Comer requested information on the…
CNSF Celebrates Science Committee Chairman Lucas’s Service
On October 19, the Coalition for the National Science Funding (CNSF), of which COSSA is a member, celebrated Representative Frank Lucas’s (R-OK) service to the scientific community as Chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. With remarks from Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Tom Kean (R-NJ), and other members of Congress, CNSF applauded the bipartisan effort of the Committee under Chairman Lucas’s leadership. Image: Representative Frank Lucas at CNSF Celebration (Credit: CNSF X Account)
NASEM Seeking Experts for Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has put out a call for experts to serve on the Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication which seeks to engage all science communities in an equitable and evidence-based way. The Board of Science Education (BOSE) is looking for a diverse group of 4-5 people to serve on the committee with expertise in health/science communications, artificial intelligence (AI), psychology, sociology, and more. The announcement can be found here and the deadline to submit nominees is November 29. This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Paige Kirkham.
COSSA Welcomes Child Trends as Newest Member!
COSSA is pleased to welcome Child Trends as its newest member! Child Trends is an independent research organization focused on improving life for children, youth, and families. According to Child Trends, “Our work explores how a child’s environment shapes their life and the drivers of variance in their outcomes across individual, socioeconomic, and other characteristics.” Interested in joining COSSA? Find more information on the COSSA website. COSSA’s full membership list can be found here.
AERA Seeks Executive Director
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has begun the search for their new Executive Director. The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring that the organization contributes to building capacity for its members, fosters community and collective opportunities for collaboration, and supports the growth of a diverse and engaged membership. The Executive Director is also responsible for the fiscal well-being, financial management, and professional integrity of the association. Learn more about the description and specifications here. AERA is a COSSA governing member organization.
SSRC Opens Applications for Visual Sociology Prize
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is seeking applicants for the Rachel Tanur Memorial Prize for Visual Sociology. The prize recognizes students in the social sciences who incorporate visual analysis in their work and encourages students to work with photography as a visual medium in their study and understanding of social phenomena. The contest is open worldwide to undergraduate and graduate students in the social sciences. Students must be enrolled in their undergraduate or graduate program at the time of application. The deadline for applications is February 4, 2025. Learn more about the prize and the application process here. SSRC is a COSSA…
President-Elect Trump and a New Majority Congress: 2025 Policy Outlook
With the results of the 2024 Presidential election cycle nearing completion, Former President Donald Trump pulled out an electoral victory with 312 electoral college votes compared to Vice President Kamala Harris’s 226. In addition, Republicans outperformed expectations in the Congressional races, taking control of the Senate and still in contention to hold on to the majority in the House (although not all races have been called), potentially giving President-elect Trump an ideal landscape in which to enact his policy agenda after the transition. Presidential Transition With the presidential race decided, attention now turns to the presidential transition. The President-elect has…
Deadline Extended: NSF Seeking Input on Research Ethics
In September, the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a Dear Colleague Letter requesting public input into the agency’s efforts to improve its merit review process to mitigate the potential harms of emerging technologies as required by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. The deadline for the Request for Information (RFI) has been extended to December 13 in response to feedback requesting more time. The RFI contains several guiding questions to assist with public response, such as: “Describe ethical, social, safety, and/or security risks from current or emerging research activities that you believe might be of concern to the community, profession, or organization…
BLS and Census Bureau Pause Decrease in CPS Sample Size Following Friends of BLS Letter
As previously reported by COSSA, the Friends of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) coalition sent a letter urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to modernize the Current Population Survey (CPS) with additional funding in FY 2025. On October 29, BLS and the Census Bureau, who jointly sponsor the survey, announced that they have paused intent to decrease the CPS sample size in January 2025. A $6 million anomaly in the continuing resolution (CR) passed by Congress in late September (see previous COSSA coverage here) was provided to fund the sample size assuming the funding remains in any final bills or future CR’s passed by Congress…