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.
Latest from the White House (October 14)
9 Universities Asked to Sign White House Compact in Exchange for Funding Earlier this month, nine of the nation’s leading research universities received letters from the White House urging that they agree to Trump Administration priorities in exchange for federal funding. The Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education lays out several conditions, such as freezing tuition rates for five years, capping international student enrollment, agreeing to the Administration’s definitions of gender, and “transforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spart violence against conservative ideas.” In return, institutions that sign the compact will be guaranteed: “(i) access to…
NIH Senior Officials Terminated After Administrative Leave
Five senior officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been officially terminated after having been placed on administrative leave earlier this year. These include: Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Diana Bianchi, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Eliseo Pérez-Stable, director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Shannon Zenk, director of the National Institute of Nursing Research; and Tara Schwetz, NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. The affected institutes have been led by acting directors since March.
ICYMI: Trump Rescinds BLS Nomination
On September 30, the Trump Administration’s nomination for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), EJ Antoni, was rescinded. As previously reported by COSSA, President Trump fired Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after the initial release of the August jobs report and accused her of falsifying the released data. While the agency has continued operations in the absence of a commissioner, BLS will not be releasing the monthly jobs report during the government shutdown (see related article). It is currently unclear who President Trump intends to nominate in Antoni’s place. Follow COSSA’s continued coverage on BLS here.
Register Now: AAPSS 2025 Moynihan Lecture
This fall, the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), a COSSA member, will award the 2025 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize to distinguished scholar on Ukraine and European authoritarianism, Timothy Snyder. This annual prize honors “social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders” who use “informed judgement to advance the public good.” Every year, the winner of the Moynihan Prize gives the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture in Washington D.C. Snyder will deliver this year’s lecture on October 30, followed by a conversation with Executive Director of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, Alexa Chopivsky. If you are interested in attending this event, please…
Save the Date: Social Science Advocacy Day 2026
COSSA’s annual Social Science Advocacy Day will be taking place March 23-24, 2026 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 additional details in the coming weeks. 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 March 2026!…
COSSA Publishes New At-Home Advocacy Toolkit
During these turbulent times, it is more important than ever that elected officials hear from their constituents. Members of the Congress were elected to represent the interests of you and your community; unfortunately, too few Americans utilize their right to engage with policymakers on the issues and concerns confronting their communities. That’s why COSSA is excited to share its newest resource – COSSA’s At-Home Advocacy Guide! This free resource contains information on how you can impact federal policy from anywhere by calling and emailing your Members of Congress, attending a Town Hall meeting in your community, or responding to organizational Action…
COSSA Lends Support for New F&A Model
COSSA has joined more than 160 national organizations in a letter to House and Senate appropriators expressing support for the work of the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs (JAG), specifically its efforts over the last several months to “develop a new, more transparent model for ensuring that institutions’ essential research costs are adequately supported.” The letter asks appropriators to support these efforts by: The letter remains open for additional signatures.
Federal Funding Set to Expire at Midnight with No Solution in Sight
As previously reported by COSSA, federal funding for fiscal year (FY) 2025 is set to expire tonight at midnight. It has been a tumultuous few weeks, with House Republicans passing a continuing resolution (CR) which, if enacted, would extend funding to November 21. The bill later failed in the Senate by 44-48 vote with Democrats and Republican Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voting against it. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the only Democrat to vote for the House-passed CR. Late last week, House and Senate Democrats put forward their own stopgap bill that would extend funding to October 31 with additional funding…
Fired CDC Director Testifies in Front of Congress
On September 17, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee invited Dr. Susan Monarez, the recently terminated Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to testify in front of the committee on Restoring Trust Through Radical Transparency: Reviewing Recent Events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Implications for Children’s Health. As previously reported by COSSA, Dr. Monarez was publicly terminated by the Trump Administration for allegedly refusing to pre-approve recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) after concerns that the committee was not properly reviewing research and data (read more in her op-ed…
Latest from the White House (September 30)
Potential Government Shutdown is Taken to New Levels All eyes are on Congress this week as lawmakers face a potential government shut down starting October 1 (see related article). Government shutdowns, depending on how long they last, can be incredibly disruptive and damaging to federal agencies, programs, and workers, not to mention Americans who rely on them. Last week, the White House threatened to impose additional pain on the federal workforce if Congress is unable to agree to a temporary funding measure. In a recent email to agency heads obtained by Politico, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed…
Trump Administration Releases FY 2027 R&D Priorities Memo
On September 23, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued their annual memorandum to federal agencies outlining the Trump Administration’s research and development priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2027. The memo is intended to inform the development of agencies’ FY 2027 budget requests. The memo continues to prioritize critical and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. In addition, the Administration intends to focus on: “energy dominance,” including exploration of polar regions and oceans; national and economic security; health, including chronic diseases; and space exploration. The memo…
RFI: Education Department Seeks Feedback on Redesigning IES
On September 25, the Department of Education published a request for information (RFI) seeking feedback on redesigning the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The request follows the Trump Administration’s appointment of Dr. Amber Northern to reform the institute in May (see previous COSSA coverage). Included in the request is a list of suggested areas for comment, including how to: Comments should be submitted here by October 15.
Independent Census Scientific Advisory Committee Meets for the First Time
As previously reported by COSSA, the Independent Census Scientific Advisory Committee (I-CSAC) met on September 18 to discuss several items that were scheduled to be reviewed by the federal advisory committee prior to its abrupt termination, including the 2030 Census Disclosure Avoidance System; Determining the Privacy Loss Budget for the IRS Use Case; and the Environmental Impacts Frame. Barbara Entwisle, who served as the Chair of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee (CSAC), began the meeting by emphasizing that the goal of the independent committee is to continue to “provide scientific expertise” and “constructive feedback” to ensure an accurate and timely 2030…
NASEM Hosts a Webinar on Continuing Social-Environmental Research with Little to No Funding
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in collaboration with the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN), the Board on Environmental Change and Society (BECS), and the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) hosted a webinar titled “Opportunities for Doing Social-Environmental Research with Little to No Funding.” Following actions made by the Trump Administration to cut research funding and terminate grants, the webinar sought to equip researchers with creative ways to fund their research (see previous COSSA coverage). NASEM offered potential ways to cut down on costs, including utilizing secondary sources as well as meta-analysis. Furthermore, they highlighted local field studies…
SSRC Launches Search for Next President
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) announced that they have opened the search for its next President. Applications and nominations are now invited, with an appointment anticipated in early 2026. SSRC is a COSSA member organization. SSRC is seeking a social scientist with a record of scholarly, programmatic, and institutional innovation; broad intellectual interests; and the ability to connect and collaborate across disciplines, institutions, and geographies. The President will lead efforts to nurture new generations of social scientists, deepen inquiry, and bring necessary knowledge to bear on urgent public issues. Learn more about the search process and how to apply on SSRC’s website.
ASA Accepting Nominations for 2026 Annual Awards
The American Sociological Association (ASA) announced that it is now accepting nominations for its 2026 Annual Awards. ASA is a COSSA governing member organization. Find out about all the award categories, including the new recognition for early career sociologists, the “Early Career Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship Award.” The deadline for submissions is January 1, 2026. Learn more on the ASA Awards website.
Read COSSA’s Analysis of the FY 2026 House LHHS Appropriations Bill for Federal Science Agencies
On September 9, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its version of the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations bill, which provides annual appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Education, Department of Labor, and other agencies. The Senate advanced its bill in July (see COSSA’s analysis). The House bill is a mixed bag for the science agencies important to the COSSA community. Similar to the Senate bill, the Committee rejects the President’s proposals to reduce the NIH budget by 40 percent, cut CDC by…
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinar on September 23
On September 23, join COSSA for the next installment in the 2025 Headlines Webinar series. The COSSA team will be providing updates on recent policy and funding developments impacting the social and behavioral science community, discuss Congress’ plans for averting a government shutdown (or not), and analyze the latest actions taking by the Trump Administration. Join the conversation. The webinar will be taking place on September 23 at 2pm EST. Register here. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
COSSA Releases Analysis of House LHHS Bill; Congress Considers Short-Term CR as End of Fiscal Year Approaches
As the appropriations deadline rapidly approaches on September 30, both chambers of Congress remain far from completing their twelve annual spending bills. While individual appropriations bills continue to inch forward (see related article), attention in Congress has turned to drafting a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown in two weeks. Earlier today, the House Republicans released the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026, which, if enacted, would extend funding to November 21 to allow lawmakers additional time to finalize the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills. In their release, Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) also included a section-by-section explainer on the proposed…
HHS Secretary Kennedy on the President’s 2026 Health Care Agenda and CDC Leadership Shakeup
On September 4, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to address the President’s 2026 health care agenda. Several members of the Committee used the opportunity to question Secretary Kennedy on the recent termination of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez and the Administration’s vaccine policy and recommendations, as well as their priorities for improving rural health. In their opening remarks, Senator Crapo (R-ID), Chairman of the Finance Committee, expressed his support for Secretary Kennedy’s leadership of HHS, noting the Secretary’s commitment to ending “waste, fraud, and abuse in…