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
Congress Makes Progress on Appropriations as Fiscal Year Comes to a Close
Fiscal year (FY) 2019 is coming quickly to an end on September 30, and while Congress has made more progress on appropriations than in recent years, much of the government is likely to be funded under a continuing resolution (CR) after October 1. At the time of this writing, 6 bills have been passed by the full House of Representatives and 9 bills have been passed by the Senate. The 9 Senate-passed bills are now in the process of having differences resolved in conference committees with the House. Notably, neither chamber has passed the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill,…
Senate Committee Seeks Answers from USDA on ERS/NIFA Plans
On September 7, the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue with a list of questions about the Departmentâs plans to move the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) out of the Washington, DC area and to realign ERS with the Office of the Chief Economist (see COSSAâs previous coverage). In the letter, Committee Chair Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) cite stakeholdersâ concerns that the moves will lead to a âsharp loss of knowledgeable…
Social Science Research Council Issues Final âTo Secure Knowledgeâ Report
The Social Science Research Council (a COSSA member) convened the To Secure Knowledge task force in 2017 to consider optimal conditions for social science in this moment, including the infrastructure of social research, standards of inquiry, and the role of rigorous understanding in public affairs. The task force released its final report at a livestreamed event on September 17. The report includes recommendations and describes how present and future scholarship can be secured through partnerships between the academy, government, philanthropy, and the private sector. The reportâs key recommendations include: New funding partnerships should be created to facilitate coordination between government,…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 37 Issue 17
Featured News USDA Announces Plans to Move NIFA and ERS out of DC, Realign ERS with Chief Economist COSSA in Action New from âWhy Social Science?â: Misinformation and âBan-the-Boxâ Policies Letters & Statements Congressional News State of Play: FY 2019 Appropriations for Social Science Research Senate Committee Considers Droegemeier Confirmation Senate HELP Committee Hears Update on NIH Cures Implementation Federal Agency & Administration News NIH Releases RFI, Delays Enforcement of New Clinical Trials Policy White House Seeks Input on New Government Effectiveness Research Center NSF Launches 2026 Idea Machine White House to Appoint J. Scott Angle to Lead NIFA NSF…
USDA Announces Plans to Move NIFA and ERS out of DC, Realign ERS with Chief Economist
In August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it plans to move two science agencies, the Economic Research Service (ERS) (one of USDAâs two principal statistical agencies) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (USDAâs main extramural research agency), out of the Washington, D.C. region. USDA cited high attrition rates at these agencies as justification for moving them out of the region, although no data was provided. The Department also plans to administratively realign ERS from its current place within the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area to the Office of the Chief Economist, citing…
State of Play: FY 2019 Appropriations for Social Science Research
Both chambers of Congress are back in Washington after the Labor Day holiday and have only a few weeks to make progress on the fiscal year (FY) 2019 appropriations bills before adjourning again for the November midterm elections. At the time of this writing, 6 bills have been passed by the full House of Representatives and 9 by the Senate. None have been sent to the President for his signature. FY 2019 begins on October 1, 2018. Upon returning to work in September, Congress faces a full plate of must-pass spending legislation, not to mention a Supreme Court nomination and…
Senate Committee Considers Droegemeier Confirmation
On August 23, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing to consider the nomination of Kelvin Droegemeier to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Both Senators from Droegemeierâs home state of Oklahoma took the opportunity to introduce the nominee, highlighting his public and community service, as well as his dedication to separating politics and science. Senators from both parties, including Committee Chair Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL), praised Droegemeierâs qualifications and reputation for impartiality in science. Senators questioned Droegemeier on research and development competition from China, sexual…
NIH Releases RFI, Delays Enforcement of New Clinical Trials Policy
On July 20, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a Guide Notice (NOT-OD-18-212) outlining its plans to delay enforcement of key clinical trials reporting requirements for projects traditionally considered basic research. The Notice, Delayed Enforcement and Short-Term Flexibilities for Some Requirements Affecting Prospective Basic Science Studies Involving Human Participants, follows months of feedback and pressure on NIH from the external research community, including COSSA and several COSSA members, to rescind or at least delay implementation of NIHâs clinical trials policy announced in 2016. As previously reported, in an effort to enhance its stewardship of and increase transparency over the…
White House Seeks Input on New Government Effectiveness Research Center
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently issued a request for information (RFI) to inform the establishment of a new Government Effectiveness and Advanced Research (GEAR) Center. The GEAR Center was proposed in the White Houseâs plan to reorganize the federal government, Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century, released in June (see COSSAâs analysis for details). The Center was described as a public-private partnership that would âengage researchers, academics, non-profits, and private industry from disciplines ranging from behavioral economics, to computer science, to design thinking to use creative, data-driven, and interdisciplinary approaches to re-imagine and realize…
NSF Launches 2026 Idea Machine
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has launched the NSF 2026 Idea Machine. As COSSA has reported, the Idea Machine is a competition to help set the agenda for fundamental research in U.S. science and engineering for the next decade, including the next set of Big Ideas. According to the agency, the NSF 2026 Idea Machine is an opportunity to contribute to NSFâs mission, spur research that will cross traditional scientific boundaries, and address significant societal and scientific questions. Details about eligibility, timeline, and the judging process are available on the NSF website. Submissions of âBig Ideasâ for the 2026 Idea…
White House to Appoint J. Scott Angle to Lead NIFA
On August 31, the White House announced that it intends to appoint Dr. J. Scott Angle to be Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Department of Agricultureâs main extramural research agency. Dr. Angle is a soil microbiologist who most recently was the President and CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center and has held administrative positions at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia and University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Dr. Angle would serve a six-year term, succeeding Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy, whose term ended in May….
NSF Taps Karen Marrongelle to Lead Education and Human Resources Directorate
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on August 21 that it has chosen Dr. Karen Marrongelle to lead the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate. Dr. Marrongelle has served as a professor of mathematics and statistics at Portland State University since 2001 and as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Science since 2014. Dr. Marrongelle holds a bachelorâs degree in mathematics and philosophy, a masterâs degree in mathematics, and a doctorate in mathematics education. Dr. Marrongelle will arrive at EHR with experience in the directorate, having worked as program director in the Division on Research and Learning…
OHRP Releases Information on Clinical Trial Consent Form Posting, GDPR Guidance
As part of the revisions to the Common Rule (the set of regulations that govern research involving human participants) going into full effect in January 2019 (see COSSAâs coverage for more details), clinical trials covered by these regulations must publicly post copies of the consent forms used to enroll participants. The Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) has announced that these consent forms must be posted either on clinicaltrials.gov or to a docket folder on regulations.gov (docket ID: HHS-OPHS-2018-0021). OHRP has also made available guidance related to the European General Data Protection Directive (GDPR) to assist stakeholders conducting human subjects…
Senate HELP Committee Hears Update on NIH Cures Implementation
On August 23, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held an oversight hearing featuring leadership from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The hearing, Prioritizing Cures: Science and Stewardship at the National Institutes of Health, was chaired by HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and included testimony from NIH Director Francis Collins. Dr. Collins was joined by Diana Bianchi, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD); Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); Richard Hodes, National Institute on Aging (NIA); and Norman Sharpless, National Cancer Institute (NCI). A similar…
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 37 Issue 16
Featured News Kelvin Droegemeier Nominated to Lead OSTP COSSA in Action COSSA and 25 Science Organizations Call for Removal of Census Citizenship Question The Lab @ DC Answers âWhy Social Science?â Congressional News House Holds Hearing on Cures Implementation Federal Agency & Administration News White House Outlines FY 2020 R&D Budget Priorities Census Bureau Seeks Input on 2020 Data Products NSF Prepares to Launch the 2026 Idea Machine Nomination Opportunities Funding Opportunities Notices & Requests for Comment Fellowships & Professional Development Community News & Reports Event Highlights State Evidence-Based Policymaking Nomination Opportunities Recent Reports Fellowships & Professional Development COSSA Member…
Kelvin Droegemeier Nominated to Lead OSTP
On August 1, President Trump nominated Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier to serve as the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The OSTP director has traditionally, but not always, held the title of Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, otherwise known as the presidentâs science advisor, but it is not clear if Droegemeier would fill this role as well. Dr. Droegemeier holds a Ph.D. in atmospheric science and has served on the faculty of the University of Oklahoma in Norman for 33 years and as the universityâs vice president for research since 2009….
COSSA and 25 Science Organizations Call for Removal of Census Citizenship Question
In a joint comment to the Department of Commerce, COSSA and 25 other science and research organizations urged the Department to remove the citizenship question from the 2020 Census. The letter, which was submitted in response to a federal request for input on data collection activities related to the 2020 Census, focuses on the science and research implications of the citizenship question, arguing that âthe inclusion of a question on citizenship in the 2020 Census will increase the burden on respondents, add unnecessary costs to the operation, and negatively impact the accuracy and integrity of one of the most valuable…