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
Administration Ends Attempts to Add Citizenship to 2020 Census
On July 11, President Trump announced that he would no longer seek to add a question on citizenship to the 2020 Census. The announcement appears to resolve over a year of controversy and confusion, which culminated in a tumultuous two weeks that included a Supreme Court ruling stating the question could not be asked unless the Administration could provide a better explanation, an announcement that the Census Bureau had begun printing materials without a citizenship question, a commitment from the Department of Justice to continue fighting to add the question back in, and upheaval in the governmentâs legal team. Census…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 38 Issue 14
Featured News Census Citizenship Question Saga Continues COSSA in Action Save the Date for Social Science Advocacy Day 2020 Julyâs Headlines Webchat to Feature Deep Dive on 2020 Census Letters & Statements Congressional News House Nearly Finalizes Appropriations; Senate Movement Uncertain House Science Committee Hosts Hearing on Societal and Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence Federal Agency & Administration News National Science Board Seeks Nominations for 2020 Honorary Awards Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Notices & Requests for Comment Open Positions Community News & Reports Recent Reports Events Calendar
National Science Board Seeks Nominations for 2020 Honorary Awards
The National Science Board (NSB), the policy-making body of the National Science Foundation (NSF), has issued a solicitation for nominations for its 2020 honorary awards. The NSB honors outstanding research leaders annually through its Vannevar Bush Award and Public Service Award. The Vannevar Bush Award is given to leaders âwho have made exceptional contributions toward the welfare of humankind and the nation through public service activities in science, technology, and public policy.â The Public Service Award honors individuals or groups who have made âsubstantial contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering in the United States,â such as through…
House Science Committee Hosts Hearing on Societal and Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence
On June 26, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology hosted a hearing to examine the societal and ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI). The committee heard testimony from Meredith Whittaker of the AI Now Institute at New York University, Jack Clark of OpenAI, Joy Boulamwini of the Algorithmic Justice League, and Georgia Tourassi of the Health Data Sciences Institute at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Committee Members and witnesses discussed the impact of AI on bias, the changing nature of work due to AI, and the impact of AI on the economy, including the delivery of healthcare. Social science…
House Nearly Finalizes Appropriations; Senate Movement Uncertain
Before Congress left for its annual Independence Day recess, the House of Representatives got a few steps closer to completing its work on fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations. At the time of this writing, the House has passed ten of its twelve appropriations bills, with only the Homeland Security and Legislative Branch funding bills remaining. The House has passed funding for agencies important for social science including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Department of Agriculture. Details about the proposed funding for those agencies can be found in COSSAâs full analyses of the Commerce, Justice,…
Julyâs Headlines Webchat to Feature Deep Dive on 2020 Census
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly Headlines webchat on Thursday, July 11, in which COSSA staff will recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer participantsâ questions. The July chat will feature a deep dive discussion on the state of the 2020 Census with Ron Wasserstein, Executive Director of the American Statistical Association. Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Save the Date for Social Science Advocacy Day 2020
COSSAâs 2020 Social Science Advocacy Day, the only annual, coordinated advocacy day in support of all of the social and behavioral sciences, will take place on March 30-31, 2020. Social Science Advocacy Day brings together social scientists and other science advocates from across the country to engage with policymakers in Washington, DC. COSSA provides in-depth training and logistical support (including scheduling meetings with Congressional offices and providing an on-call expert to answer day-of policy questions) as well as polished, up-to-date materials to help advocates bring their message to Capitol Hill. Participants are teamed up with other advocates from their area…
Census Citizenship Question Saga Continues
Despite a decision from the Supreme Court, the fate of the Census citizenship question remains uncertain. While the ruling was expected to be the final word on whether the government could include a question on citizenship on the 2020 Census, the Supreme Court decided on June 27 that the question could only be asked if the government provided a different, more acceptable justification. However, with time running out to begin printing the necessary forms and other lawsuits working their way through lower courts, it was unclear whether enough time remained for the government to provide such a justification. See COSSAâs…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 38 Issue 13
Featured News President Issues Executive Order to Reduce Number of Federal Advisory Committees COSSA in Action Communications Researchers Answer âWhy Social Science?â Letters & Statements Congressional News House Passes First of FY 2020 Bills House Science Committee Holds Hearing on Sexual Harassment in Science, Passes Bipartisan Bills Federal Agency & Administration News OSTP Requests Information for Research Strategy to End Veteran Suicide Administration Releases Updated Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Plan Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Notices & Requests for Comment Open Positions Fellowships & Professional Development Community News & Reports Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Notices & Requests for Comment Recent…
President Issues Executive Order to Reduce Number of Federal Advisory Committees
On June 14, the White House released an executive order directing federal agencies to eliminate at least one-third of their advisory committees by October 2019. The executive order applies to committees established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and provides exemptions for committees authorized in statute and merit review panels that are ânecessary to fund extramural research.â While merit review panels are exempt from the order, science advisory committeesâimportant for delivering scientific advice and guidance to agency leaders across the governmentâare not. Agencies are directed to terminate at least one-third of their advisory committees by the end of the…
House Passes First of FY 2020 Bills
The House of Representatives passed the first set of fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations bills on June 21, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill, which is responsible for funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Education, among other agencies. The House next turned to consideration of another package of bills, including the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill (CJS), which funds the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Census Bureau, among other agencies. At the time of publication, the House is still considering the CJS bill package, but is expected…
House Science Committee Holds Hearing on Sexual Harassment in Science, Passes Bipartisan Bills
On June 12, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology (SST) held a hearing to discuss combatting sexual harassment in scientific and research-oriented settings. Witnesses included Managing Director of Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) John Neumann, Wellesley College President Dr. Paula Johnson, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Boston University Dr. Jean Morrison, and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of California, Davis Dr. Phillip Kass. SST Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) both expressed concern about the prevalence of sexual harassment in science…
OSTP Requests Information for Research Strategy to End Veteran Suicide
The While House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a request for information (RFI) for the National Research Strategy portion of the Presidentâs Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End the National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS). PREVENTS was established by executive order in March 2019 and includes a National Research Strategy to advance efforts to improve quality of life and reduce the rate of suicide among veterans. OSTP hopes to better coordinate research within and beyond the Federal government, and enhance cross-disciplinary research into the social, behavioral, and biological determinants of wellness and brain health. The deadline for responses…
Administration Releases Updated Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Plan
On June 21, the Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) released a 2019 update to its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research and Development Plan. The first national AI R&D plan was released in 2016 and has been updated to include strategic priorities and accounts for new research and technologies in AI. The new strategic priorities include: making long-term investments in AI research; developing effective methods for human-AI collaboration; understanding and addressing the ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI; ensuring the safety and security of AI systems; developing shared public datasets and environments for…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 38 Issue 12
Featured News Comments Sought on Federal Data Strategy Action Plan COSSA in Action COSSA Creates New Portal to Collect Social Science Success Stories COSSA Executive Director Featured in âWhen Science Speaksâ Podcast Still Time to Register for Juneâs Headlines Webchat COSSA Submits Testimony to Senate in Support of Funding for NIH, CDC, ED, BLS Congressional News FY 2020 Agriculture Bill Advances in House Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on Foreign Threats to Taxpayer-Funded Research Federal Agency & Administration News NSF Seeks Input into 2026 Idea Machine Entries NCES Releases Condition of Education Report Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Notices & Requests…
Comments Sought on Federal Data Strategy Action Plan
The White House is seeking public comment on its Draft 2019-2020 Federal Data Strategy Action Plan. The Federal Data Strategy, which is being coordinated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is a âten-year vision for how the Federal government will accelerate the use of data to support the foundations of democracy, deliver on mission, serve the public, and steward resources while protecting security, privacy and confidentiality.â The Strategy consists of 10 principles, and 40 best practices to guide federal agencies on how to leverage the value of their data. The next phase in the Strategyâs implementation is the…
COSSA Creates New Portal to Collect Social Science Success Stories
COSSA has created a new portal for members and other stakeholders to share stories of social science successes to aid in its work to promote the value of the social and behavioral sciences to Congress, the White House, Executive Branch agencies, and the public. COSSA is seeking tangible examples from the social and behavioral sciences to help make the case that federal investment in these sciences is not only a wise use of taxpayer dollars, but that this research yields results that make the nation and world healthier, safer, and more prosperous. Anyone interested in furthering the social and behavioral…
COSSA Executive Director Featured in âWhen Science Speaksâ Podcast
Wendy Naus, COSSA Executive Director, was featured on a recent episode of the When Science Speaks podcast on âHow to Engage in Effective Science Advocacy.â Her conversation with host Mark Bayer of Bayer Strategic Consulting focused on ways to successfully convey the importance of science to policymakers and what effective science advocacy entails. More information about the âWhen Science Speaksâ podcast can be found on its website. Back to this issueâs table of contents.
Still Time to Register for Juneâs Headlines Webchat
COSSA members are invited to sign up for the monthly Headlines webchat on June 13, in which COSSA staff will recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month, including successes in this year’s appropriations season so far, new opportunities to weigh in on the government’s Federal Data Strategy, and more, and answer your questions. Individuals employed by or affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university can register for the webchat here. Back to this issueâs table of contents.