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.
AAPOR To Host Pre-Election Polling Webinar on November 19
On November 19, the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), a COSSA governing member, will host the next installment of their analysis of general election polls during presidential elections, Performance of Pre-Election Polling in 2024. The webinar will examine AAPOR’s newly released report, Pre-Election Polling Task Force Report, which evaluates the accuracy of general election polls during the 2024 election cycle. Registration for the webinar can be found here. This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Anne Tighe.
Nominations Open for NASEM Planning Committee on New Scientific Integrity Workshop
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is seeking nominations for a planning committee that would be tasked with organizing a new workshop, Enhancing Scientific Integrity: Progress and Opportunities in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. The workshop seeks to address common questions and concerns, including: NASEM is looking for experts in a broad range of areas, including journal editors and publishers; behavioral and social science researchers; professional association leaders; legal/criminology expertise; AI expertise; and ethics. Nominations are due November 7 and can be submitted here.
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinar on October 30
On October 30, join COSSA for the next installment in the 2025 Headlines Webinar series. The COSSA team will be joined by special guest Dr. Erica Groshen to discuss the ongoing challenges facing the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the broader federal statistical system (read recent COSSA coverage). The COSSA team will also discuss other timely developments. Register now and join the conversation. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
New Action Alert: Write to Congress TODAY about the Need to Reopen the Federal Government
Funding for most government activities expired at midnight on September 30. Since Congress has failed to reach an agreement to keep the government open, all federal agencies are now shut down. The shutdown and lack of clarity on FY 2026 funding damages the ability of federal science agencies like the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Institute of Education Sciences, and federal statistical agencies to meet their missions. Those harms are passed on to researchers who rely on support from the federal government. Federal science and statistical agencies have already experienced destructive effects this year as a result of…
Introducing a New COSSA Resource
COSSA is excited to announce its latest resource, COSSA 101: A Crash Course on the Federal Government. Through this series COSSA provides easy-to-understand information about the inner workings of the federal government and how they affect social and behavioral science research. The series begins with a brief on “What is a Government Shutdown?” Additional topics will be added in the days and weeks ahead including: “What is Appropriations?”, “What is an Executive Order?”, and “What is a Continuing Resolution?” Do you have a federal government topic you would like explained by COSSA 101? Send us your ideas.
As Shutdown Continues, Federal Employees Face RIFs and Pay Uncertainty
Congress remains at a standstill as the government shutdown continues, with little progress having been made since our previous reporting. As the holiday season rapidly approaches, so too does the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) deadline of November 21, which has failed to pass several times in the Senate. Recent rumors suggest that the Republican-majority may seek to extend the deadline in their version of the bill past the holidays, or as proposed by House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO), into December 2026 after the midterm elections. If that were to occur, the federal government would keep FY 2024…
ICYMI: Research Community Responds to SAFE Research Act
In August, House Republicans passed their National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2026 along party lines. In an amendment, the House attached the SAFE Research Act, which would create extensive national security barriers to how the Department of Defense can fund research at universities. Among the bills’ provisions is a requirement for funding to be terminated for higher institutions and researchers that partner with “hostile foreign entities,” requiring these connections to be severed for at least five years before they become eligible for federal funding. A list of “hostile foreign entities” would be kept by the Department of…
Latest from the White House (October 28)
Universities Reject Trump’s Higher Education Compact As previously reported, nine of the nation’s leading research universities received letters from the White House earlier this month urging that they agree to the Administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. The Compact lays out several conditions that align with the President’s agenda and ideology. In exchange, universities that sign on would perceive preferential treatment for federal funding, including research grants. The original nine universities were given until October 20 to respond with feedback. Since then, MIT was the first university to officially reject the offer, stating “In our view, America’s leadership in science and innovation…
ICYMI: Changes Made to NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Last month, the National Science Foundation released the latest solicitation for its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), which is typically made available in July. The solicitation states that it still intends to announce awards in April, consistent with previous years, despite the delay in releasing the opportunity. The deadline for social, behavioral and economic sciences, STEM education and learning, and psychology is November 12. The GRFP has seen its share of challenges over the years, most recently being the major reduction in awards in 2025 and greater emphasis on computer science among the awardees. Several concerns have been expressed by the research community in response to this…
Nominations Open for 2026 Sage-CASBS Award
The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University and Sage are now accepting nominations for the 2026 Sage-CASBS Award. Both CASBS and Sage are members of COSSA. Established in 2013, this award recognizes exceptional contributions in the behavioral and social sciences that advance our understanding of pressing social challenges. In addition to a cash prize, the winner will deliver a public lecture at CASBS in the spring of 2026. The deadline for nominations is December 19, 2025. More information can be found here. This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Anne Tighe.
AERA Holds Its 22nd Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research
On October 23, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), a COSSA governing member, hosted James A. Banks, professor and founder of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, as its 2025 annual Brown lecturer. The Brown Lecture aims to continue the legacy of the Brown v. Board decision by highlighting the role of research in advancing educational equality. In his lecture, Rethinking Brown When Diversity and Equity Are Imperiled and Democracy Is Fragile, Banks discussed the recent attacks the Trump Administration has made on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and drew upon existing studies to offer…
Defend Social Science and Support COSSA Today
As the voice for social and behavioral science research in Washington, COSSA serves as a conduit between the research community and federal policymakers, both in times of opportunity and challenge. Like any cause, there is no single voice, strategy, or tactic that will compel our elected officials to appreciate and, more importantly, act to ensure robust and sustained funding for our sciences. Instead, it demands ongoing outreach and consistent engagement.COSSA is committed to the fight for social and behavioral science research. But we can’t do it alone. Your tax-deductible contribution makes it possible for COSSA to continue its advocacy work,…
No End in Sight for Government Shutdown as Congress Clashes Over Expiring ACA Subsidies
On October 1, federal funding lapsed in the absence of a budget for fiscal year (FY) 2026, shutting down the federal government for the first time since the historic thirty-five-day shutdown under President Trump’s first term. As previously reported by COSSA, Senate Democrats clashed with the Republican majority over a House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that did not address Democrats’ concerns over extending the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, reversing some of the Medicaid cuts enacted in the “big, beautiful bill,” and including language to prohibit funding cuts and pocket recissions. While both parties are generally supportive of extending the ACA subsidies, so far Democrats…
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…