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
National Academies Holds Workshop on Ontologies for Behavioral Science
On May 24th, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Accelerating Behavioral Science Through Ontology Development and Use (see previous coverage) held its first virtual workshop, âWhy Are Ontologies and How Are They Used in Science?â which explored questions about the classification systems and knowledge structures that scientific disciplines use to establish shared labels, definitions, and frameworks. The workshop was spent establishing what ontologies are philosophically and how scientists usefully apply them into their work as well as discussing current ontologies, such as Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), which has been slowly implemented at the National Institutes…
AAAS Fellows to Host Symposium on COVID-19 & Health Inequities
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellows will host a day-long symposium addressing âHealth Inequities Exposed and Exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemicââ on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. The symposium will feature expert panels on healthcare access, health literacy, and the long-term social, behavioral, and economic impacts of COVID-19 mitigation efforts. More information about the symposium is available here.
House and Senate Appropriators Hold Hearings on NIH Budget for FY 2022
The Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) in both the House and the Senate recently held hearings to discuss the fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Since both hearings were held prior to the full release of President Bidenâs FY 2022 budget request, much of the discussion focused on the proposed increase to the top-line budget for NIH as well as the proposal for a new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) as referenced in the Biden Administrationâs âskinny budgetâ released earlier this year. The House…
FROM THE ARCHIVES: On the Fast Track: NCRR Dissolved / NCATS Created by October 2011 (February 7, 2011)
In celebration of COSSA’s 40th anniversary, we are diving into the decades of Washington Update archives to share articles from years past that resonate with today’s news. On January 14, Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent letters to [Congressional leaders] apprising them of her intent to establish the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) per the recommendation of NIH director Francis Collins and based on the recommendations from the Scientific Management Review Board (SMRB). Sebelius also indicated that the “relevant NCRR functions and programs,” as appropriate, would be…
June Headlines to Feature Deep Dive on National Secure Data Service with Nancy Potok
COSSA members can sign up for the monthly COSSA Headlines webchat to catch up on the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer your questions. Stick around for our deep dive discussion with former US Chief Statistician Nancy Potok on proposals for implementing a National Secure Data Service within the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here.
Biden Administration Release FY 2022 Budget Request; Read COSSAâs Analysis
On May 28, the Biden Administration released details of its fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget request to Congress. A âskinny budgetâ with preliminary details was issued on April 9. As with any first budget of a new presidential administration, the blueprint outlines several shifts in priority from the last administration as well as proposals for new activities and initiatives. Of particular note, the Biden budget underscores the Presidentâs commitment to science as a means for addressing large societal challenges, such as climate change, racism, and, of course, pandemic recovery. To this end, the budget request proposes some fairly major changes…
NIH Working Group Presents Report on Opportunities in Basic Behavioral and Social Science Research
During the May 20-21 meeting of the Council of Councils at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a Working Group on Basic Behavioral and Social Science Research (bBSSR) presented a report analyzing past support for basic research on behavioral and social phenomena related to health and areas ripe for additional study. The working group report, co-chaired by the Director of NIHâs Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) Dr. Bill Riley, looks at the historical trends of basic research at NIH and identifies potential trans-NIH opportunities to fill gaps in the agencyâs efforts. The presentation touched on several trends…
2020 COSSA Annual Report Released
COSSAâs 2020 Annual Report is now available. Check it out to learn more about COSSAâs activities and successes over the past year. Find out how your organization can become a member of COSSA on our website.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Waterman Award to Lawrence H. Summers (April 10, 1987)
In celebration of COSSA’s 40th anniversary, we are diving into the decades of Washington Update archives to share articles from years past that resonate with today’s news. A young Harvard economist is the first social or behavioral scientist to win the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Alan T. Waterman Award. That award, established in 1975 to honor the first director of the Foundation, is given annually to an American citizen or permanent resident who is 35 years of age or younger or has received the Ph.D. degree within the past five years. The recipient receives a medal and up to $500,000…
House Sends Slate of Science Bills to the Senate
On May 17, the House of Representatives approved a group of bills introduced in the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee that aim to make the U.S. science enterprise more equitable, safe, and fair. Four bills, the Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act (H.R. 144), the STEM Opportunities Act (H.R. 204), the MSI STEM Achievement Act (H.R. 2027), and the Combatting Sexual Harassment in Science Act (H.R. 2695) were introduced by Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson and were endorsed by COSSA. The Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act would authorize the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a two-year pilot program to award…
Social Scientist Nicholas Carnes Named Co-Winner of NSFâs Waterman Award
On May 11, the National Science Foundation (NSF) named two co-winners of the 2021 Alan T. Waterman Award, the agencyâs highest honor for early-career scientists. One of the co-winners, Dr. Nicholas Carnes, is a social scientist from Duke University who was recognized for research on the social determinants affecting peopleâs pursuit of public or community service. The Waterman Award was presented to the winners at the National Science Board (NSB) meeting on May 18-19. âGetting involved in public service is a really time-consuming and really complicated process. The challenge for scientists is understanding all the links in the chain,â Carnes…
NIH Launches New Bridge2AI Program
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund has established a new program, Bridge to Artificial Intelligence (Bridge2AI), which aims to generate flagship data sets and best practices for the collection and preparation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML)-ready data to address biomedical and behavioral research grand challenges. The program plans to support several interdisciplinary Data Generation Projects (OTA-21-008) and one complementary cross-cutting Integration, Dissemination and Evaluation (BRIDGE) Center (NOT-RM-21-021). The new program was the subject of a recent post on the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Directorâs blog. NIH will also host a series of webinars and virtual events in June to share more information about…
Kathleen Cagney, University of Chicago Sociologist, to Head Michiganâs ISR
Kathleen A. Cagney, professor of sociology and director of the University of Chicagoâs Population Research Center, has been named the next director of the University of Michiganâs Institute for Social Research (ISR). Cagney will also hold research professorships in ISRâs Survey Research Center and Population Studies Center. Her research examines social inequality and its relationship to health with a focus on neighborhood, race, and aging and the life course. Cagney will succeed David Lam, who has directed the Institute since 2015, and will return to the faculty. She will assume her new position on September 1.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Doubling NSF Budget Gains Support of House Science Panel (May 13, 2002)
In celebration of COSSA’s 40th anniversary, we are diving into the decades of Washington Update archives to share articles from years past that resonate with today’s news. With the five year doubling of the National Institutes of Health’s budget about to come to a successful end, the focus has shifted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its budget needs. For the past two years, Senators Christopher Bond (R-MO) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) have enunciated their support for doubling NSF’s budget over five years. Unfortunately, financial constraints and competing spending priorities have kept them from delivering on this promise from…
May Headlines to Feature Deep Dive on NCSES Diversity in STEM Report
COSSA members can sign up for the monthly COSSA Headlines webchat to catch up on the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer your questions. Stick around for our deep dive discussion on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, with. Dr. Elizabeth Grieco, Senior Analyst at the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here.
COSSA Joins Science Organizations Highlighting Diversity in STEM on âWMPD Dayâ
On May 12, scientific organizations, including COSSA, the Federation of Associations in Behavioral Brain Sciences, and SAGE Publishing, will observe âUnderstanding Diversity in STEM: WMPD Day.â The event takes its name from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statisticsâ (NCSES) biannual report: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering. Organizations will hold events throughout the day to recognize, celebrate, and build on the contributions of women, minorities, and person with disabilities in the STEM enterprise. Scheduled activities include a kickoff event with experts from NCSES to discuss the most recent WMPD report (11 AM ET), a…
Senate Committee Considers Lander Nomination to OSTP
On April 29, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing to discuss the nomination of Dr. Eric Lander as President Bidenâs pick to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), a role that the President has elevated to Cabinet-level. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) chaired the hearing and in her opening remarks, she acknowledged Landerâs scientific accomplishments, but also noted concerns about past actions related to women and minorities in STEM fields. The hearing provided an opportunity to clear the record on these and other issues and to explore Dr. Landerâs positions and goals…
Minerva Research Initiative Announces FY 2021 Funding Opportunities
The Minerva Research Initiative, the signature social science research program within the Department of Defense (DOD), has announced research opportunities for fiscal year (FY) 2021 and listed several target research topics for the program. Minerva aims to apply social science research to critical national security questions and inform broader DOD decision-making based on this research. The following nine topics have been listed as key areas of interest for research to address: Social Implications of Environmental Change Resource Competition, Social Cohesion, and Strategic Climate Resilience Security Risks in Ungoverned, Semi-Governed, and Differently-Governed Spaces Analysis of Foreign Influence Operations in Cross-Cultural Perspective…