A staple since COSSAās 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.Ā
NSF, NSB Want to Hear Your Thoughts on Merit Review Process
In recent weeks, the National Science Board (NSB), the governing and oversight body of the National Science Foundation (NSF), has issued aĀ Dear Colleague letterĀ requesting public input into the Boardās ongoing review of NSFās merit review criteria and process. As previously reported, theĀ NSB-NSF Commission on Merit Review (MRX)Ā was formed following passage of theĀ CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which required NSF to commission a review of how ābroader impactsā criterion are being applied in the merit review process across the agency. The NSB chose to broaden the review to the entire merit review process, which has not had a holistic look…
NASEM Calls for Experts for AI and Climate Change Roundtable
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has released a call for experts for their new roundtable on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Climate Change that is intended to explore the intersection of these two topical issues. Particularly, NASEM is interested in experts in mathematics and statistics, human-centered AI, risk assessment and management, environment and public health, misinformation and disinformation, and more. A full list of topics can be found here. The Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) is one of the collaborators working with the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences on this roundtable and social and behavioral…
Midwest Political Science Association Calls for Conference Proposals
The Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) is now accepting proposals for their 82nd Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference. The conference will take place April 3-6, 2025, in Chicago. The deadline for submitting papers, roundtables, complete panel, and working group proposals is October 8, 2024; the deadline for submitting subfield and undergraduate section proposals is November 27, 2024. Learn more on the MPSA conference website. MPSA is a COSSA governing member organization.
CASBS is now Accepting 2025-26 Fellowship Applications
The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University is now accepting applications for residential fellowships for the 2025-26 academic year. Applicants should be scholars and thinkers who are tackling big questions with fresh approaches. CASBS especially appreciate scholars who value discussion across fields, unencumbered by disciplinary boundaries. An academic year at the Center provides fellows freedom to work on consequential projects, a location that affords them access to research and colleagues at Stanford and Silicon Valley, and a collaborative environment that encourages fellows to broaden their perspectives. The Center encourages those from diverse backgrounds, institutions,…
Social Science Advocacy Day 2025 News
COSSAās 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 will be here before you know it! Until then, mark your calendars and share this exciting opportunity with your colleagues. Visit the COSSA website for the latest information on Social Science Advocacy Day.
Save the Date: Social Science Advocacy Day 2025
COSSAās 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. Stay tuned for an official “save the date” and additional details. Early bird registration will be here before you know it! Until then, mark your calendars and share this exciting opportunity with your colleagues. We hope to see you in Washington, DC in…
RSVP: NIH Town Hall with COSSA on August 29!
In early June, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), in partnership with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL), released a framework outlining potential reforms for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (see previous COSSA coverage). Since this framework was released, there has been a lot of conversation about the future of NIH and what this framework would look like in action. On August 29 at 12pm EST, join COSSA Staff for an informal conversation about recent developments and the proposed framework. Keep an eye on your inbox…
Meet COSSAās Summer Policy Intern: Rachel Bashe
Rachel Bashe started as COSSAās summer policy intern in May. Before heading back to class later this month, she provided some reflections from her summer at COSSA.
Senate Advances CJS and LHHS Bills Before August Recess; COSSA Releases Analysis
Over the last few weeks, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees released and began consideration of their fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations bills. The Senate Appropriations Committee considered the Commerce, Justice Science (CJS) and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) bills; read on for details of the bills as approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Currently, the Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced 11 of its 12 bills, however, it is unlikely that the Senate will bring any of its bills to the Senate floor when Congress returns in September. Instead, itās anticipated that the House and Senate will begin negotiations on…
Rep. Ross Reintroduces Reauthorization of Title VI International Education Programs
On July 25, Representatives Deborah Ross (D-NC), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act to reauthorize the Title VI International Education programs at the Department of Education. The bill aims to support the existing international education programs at the Department, with Congresswoman Foushee stating, āThis legislation will help prepare elementary and secondary school students by providing critical investments in language education to achieve success in global marketplaces, and navigate multi-lingual environments.ā Previously, this bill was originally introduced in 2019 by former Congressman David Price (D-NC) (see previous COSSA coverage). More information can be…
NSF Establishes Research Security Center
Last month, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the establishment of the Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) center. According to an NSF press release, the new entity, led by the University of Washington in collaboration with several institutions, āwill serve as a clearinghouse for information to empower the research community to identify and mitigate foreign interference that poses risks to the U.S. research enterprise. The SECURE Center will share information and reports on research security risks, provide training on research security to the science and engineering community and serve as a bridge between the research community and…
Call for Applications: NASEMās Mirzayan Fellowship
The application window for the Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is now open. This 12-week fellowship is intended for current or recent graduate students to gain a broader understanding of science and technology policy as well as to explore possible career prospects that engage science and policy communities. The newest session will run from March 3, 2025 to May 23, 2025. More information on how to apply is available here and the deadline to apply is September 9, 2024. This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Rachel Bashe.
Remembering Sheila Jackson Lee
On July 19, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee passed away at the age of 74. Jackson Lee represented Texas’ 18th Congressional District since 1995 and was campaigning for her 16th term in office when she announced she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was one of the two longest-serving members of the Texas congressional delegation. Jackson Lee’s legislative accomplishments included establishing the Juneteenth federal holiday and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. She served Houston in elective office for close to 35 years, first as a Houston City Council member before winning election to the U.S. House in 1994.Ā Jackson Lee was on three…
COSSA Releases Full Analysis of FY 2025 House Appropriations Bills for Federal Science Agencies
Over the last several weeks, appropriators in the House of Representatives have been considering funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2025, which beings October 1. This is the first appropriations cycle under the leadership of Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK). As previously reported, the year began with an understanding that the FY 2025 appropriations process was going to be an especially difficult one. Thanks to strict budget caps set last year for FY 2024 and FY 2025, discretionary spending is once again on the chopping block. The caps as currently set have the potential to further decimate agency budgets, especially…
Save the Date: NIH Town Hall with COSSA on August 29!
In early June, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), in partnership with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL), released a framework outlining potential reforms for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (see previous COSSA coverage). Since this framework was released, there has been a lot of conversation about the future of NIH and what this framework would look like in action. On August 29 at 12pm EST, join COSSA Staff for an informal conversation about recent developments and the proposed framework. Keep an eye on your inbox…
House Passes Twelve Bills through Appropriations Committee; Senate Releases Subcommittee Allocations
The House and Senate appropriations process is well underway for fiscal year (FY) 2025, with the House having completed and passed all twelve bills through the House Appropriations Committee, and looking to pass all twelve on the floor before August recess begins (see previous COSSA coverage). On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate is pushing forward with their respective bills, having released subcommittee allocations and passing three of its bills through the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 11. The House is rumored to vote the week of July 29 on the two bills that fund federal science agencies….
The Census Bureau Requests Public Input on Timeline for New Race and Ethnicity Standards
The Census Bureau, is requesting public input on the timeline of introducing the new race and ethnicity standards to the American Community Survey (ACS) outlined in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive No.15 (SPD 15) (see previous COSSA coverage). The request for information (RFI) is seeking to understand the impacts of implementing the new standards in 2026, for dissemination of the ACS in 2027, versus 2027, for dissemination of the ACS in 2028. Comments can be submitted here, or emailed to acso.pra@census.gov with the subject line āACS SPD 15,ā prior to the August 12 deadline.
White House Issues Research Security Guidelines to Agencies and āCovered Institutionsā
On July 9, the Biden Administration issued a memorandum on Guidelines for Research Security Programs at Covered Institutions. The document provides guidance to federal research agencies as they implement research security certification requirements set by National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM)-33, the hallmark research security policy that has been in development since early 2021, and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Under these acts, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is responsible for ādeveloping a āstandardized requirementā for āuniform implementationā across federal research agencies.ā This latest memo serves as that standardized requirement. Informed by input received from inside and outside the…
Good Science Project Seeks Proposals on Improving Funding and Practice of Federal R&D
The Good Science Project, a non-profit that seeks to improve the funding and practice of research and development (R&D), is seeking proposals from the public on actionable steps that government leaders and policymakers can take to positively reform R&D. The Good Science Project was developed in 2022 by Stuart Buck following the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the positives and negatives of the current science funding model within the federal government. To this end, the Good Science Project intends to publish a series of policy briefs from researchers and scientists on ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal R&D, including but not limited to identifying…