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
COSSA Washington Update, Volume 35, Issue 17
Featured News Congress Returns with Much Left Undone COSSA in Action COSSA Releases Second Issue of âSetting the Record Straight on âWasteful Researchââ Congressional News Congressional Briefing on Violence Prevention Federal Agency & Administration News NSF Seeks Input into Next Strategic Plan NIH Center for Scientific Review Seeks Director for Division of AIDS, Behavioral, and Population Sciences Diana Bianchi Named director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NIH Seeks Input on Metrics to Assess Value of Biomedical Digital Repositories NIOSH Requests Input on Motor Vehicle Safety Research Priorities Candidates Sought for CDC Health Disparities Advisory Subcommittee…
Congress Returns with Much Left Undone
Congress returns to work this week for one more stretch before the November elections. This will be the final work period before the current fiscal year (FY 2016) expires on September 30. That means some type of action is needed in the coming weeks to keep the federal government funded and operating come October 1. See COSSAâs analysis of the state of play of FY 2017 Appropriations bills for full details. In addition to action on the annual spending bills (which will undoubtedly result in a continuing resolution punting final action to after the election), Congress will be looking to…
COSSA Releases Second Issue of âSetting the Record Straight on âWasteful Researchââ
COSSA has released the second issue of Setting the Record Straight on “Wasteful Research” (PDF available here). This series features interviews with researchers whose work has been called out in Congressional wastebooks or other attacks. We are hoping to give these scientists the chance to set the record straight about the value and potential of their work– and confront misconceptions about social science research funded by the federal government. This edition features Lisa Neff (University of Texas, Austin), whose National Science Foundation-funded study on relationships among older adults was ridiculed in James Lankford’s “Federal Fumbles” wastebook. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Congressional Briefing on Violence Prevention
The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy and WestEdâs Justice and Prevention Research Center are hosting a Congressional Briefing on Tuesday, September 27 on violence and violence prevention. Topics covered will include strategies for violence prevention, patterns of violence, as well as the influences and costs of violence. Nancy Rodriguez, the Director of the National Institute of Justice, will introduce a diverse panel of experts from the public, academic, and non-profit sectors, including COSSA board member and Director of the Urban Instituteâs Justice Policy Center Nancy La Vigne. Register to attend the briefing here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NSF Seeks Input into Next Strategic Plan
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is in the beginning stages of updating its strategic plan, which it does every four years. Its current strategic plan, Investing in Science, Engineering, and Education for the Nationâs Future, was released in 2014 and runs through 2018. As an initial step, NSF is soliciting comment on the âVision, Core Values, Strategic Goals, and Strategic Objectivesâ included in the current plan (2014-2018). Public input can be provided on the NSF website by September 27. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NIH Center for Scientific Review Seeks Director for Division of AIDS, Behavioral, and Population Sciences
The National Institute of Healthâs (NIH) Center for Scientific Review (CSR) is seeking a Director for its Division of AIDS, Behavioral, and Population Sciences (DABP). The Director of DABP is a member of CSRâs senior management, advises the Director of CSR and other NIH officials on scientific issues relevant to the Division and its mission, and represents CSR within and outside of NIH. DABPâs director will âprovide scientific leadership for the Division, which handles reviews covering the broad fields of AIDS and AIDS related research, biobehavioral and behavioral processes, epidemiology and population sciences, healthcare delivery and methodologies, and risk, prevention…
Diana Bianchi Named director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
On August 25, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins announced the selection of Diana Bianchi as director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). She is expected to begin her NIH tenure on October 31, 2016. Bianchi joins the NIH from the Floating Hospital for Children and Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and is the fou nding director of the Mother Infant Research Institute and vice chair for pediatric research. A medical geneticist with special expertise in reproductive genetics, Bianchiâs research focuses on prenatal genomics. Read more about Bianchi and NICHD…
NIH Seeks Input on Metrics to Assess Value of Biomedical Digital Repositories
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting the input of the scientific community regarding âmetrics to assess the value and impact of biomedical digital data repositories that may provide a basis for technical and science policy actions required to supportâ repositoriesâ long-term sustainability. NIH notes that its goal for data management and sharing âis to make publicly-funded data broadly accessible to support reuse, reproducibility and discovery while simultaneously balancing the costs and the benefits.â Accordingly, the agency has issued a request for information (RFI), (NOT-OD-16-133), seeking information on qualitative and quantitative metrics that describe utilization at multiple levels; quality…
NIOSH Requests Input on Motor Vehicle Safety Research Priorities
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is looking for input from the scientific community on the direction of its motor vehicle safety research efforts (see its Center for Motor Vehicle Safety strategic plan). Specifically, the Institute is seeking feedback on its research priorities, communications and outreach efforts, and how its products are used by stakeholders. Comments may be submitted in writing by October 14, 2016 or during a public web meeting on September 14, 2016. More information is available in the Federal Register. Back to this issue’s table…
Candidates Sought for CDC Health Disparities Advisory Subcommittee
The Health Disparities Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACD, CDC) is seeking nominations for new members. The Subcommittee provides expert advice to the CDC Director and Health and Human Services leadership on ways to reduce health disparities, including through research, program and policy analysis, and other CDC activities. Candidates should have expertise in âhealth policy, public health, global health, preparedness, preventive medicine, the faith-based and community-based sector, and allied fields.â More information is available in the Federal Register notice. Nominations are due by September 30, 2016. Back to this…
Webinar on NIJ Fellowships
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) will host a webinar on Monday, September 19 at 3:00-4:00pm to provide an overview of research fellowship opportunities with NIJ. NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation division of the Department of Justice and provides fellowship opportunities for both early career researchers and experienced researchers in the social and behavioral sciences and other STEM fields. NIJâs fellowship programs include the Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the W.E.B. DuBois Fellowship, the Visiting Fellows Program, the New Investigator/Early Career Program, and the Research Assistantship Program. The webinar is free and open to the public. Registration can be…
New Social Science-Extreme Weather Research Alliance Being Formed, Input Sought
A new public-private research partnership is taking shape, looking specifically at the interdisciplinary and highly complex challenges associated with extreme weather events. The Alliance for Social-Behavioral Systems and Extreme Environmental Events (The Alliance) is the product of several years of community workshops, reports and other discussions on ways in which to bring the social, behavioral, and economic sciences to bear on helping society better âunderstand, prepare for, mitigate, and respond and adapt to extreme environmental events.â The most recent workshop, held in May 2015, served as an impetus for The Alliance as it is now conceptualized. It will be formally…
2016 Golden Goose Award Ceremony
The 2016 Golden Goose Award Ceremony will be held at 5:30pm on Thursday, September 22 in the Coolidge Auditorium in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. The Golden Goose Award celebrates federally-funded research that may seem obscure but has led to major scientific breakthroughs. This yearâs honorees include researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, including the team who conducted the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Attendance at the award ceremony and reception is free and open to the public. Registration can be found here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
National Academies Seeks Comments on Indicators for Undergrad STEM Education
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicineâs (NAS) Board on Science Education (BSE) seeks comments on its draft report, Developing Indicators for Undergraduate STEM Education. An expert panel, the Committee on Developing Indicators for Undergraduate STEM Education, was convened to develop national indicators for monitoring the quality of undergraduate STEM. The Committee proposes âa conceptual framework of goals and objectives for improving the quality of undergraduate STEM.â A two-phase study, the Committee now seeks input as it prepares to develop indicators. A series of questions for consideration can be accessed on BSEâs website. In addition, a one-day public meeting…
2017 National Academies Workshop on Current and Future Training Needs in Social and Behavioral Sciences
In an August 31 blog post, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) Director William Riley announced the convening of a 2017 National Academies workshop that is being sponsored by OBSSR and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate. The workshop will address the current and future training needs in the behavioral and social sciences and responds to the various reports in recent years that âindicate that a majority of behavioral and social sciences doctors are entering research careers in areas outside of the traditional academic research track; and…
Academies National Security Study Committee Seeks Nominations
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is conducting a decadal survey to identify opportunities from the social and behavioral sciences that can assist the intelligence community in its analytic responsibilities and contribute to national security. The project, which sponsored by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will be launched at a summit in early October. The Academies is seeking nominations for members to serve on the study committee for the survey, particularly those with expertise in the social and behavioral sciences, national security, intelligence analysis, related professional disciplines, and interdisciplinary approaches to science. More information is…
Academies Releases Report on Science Literacy
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released findings and conclusions from the Board on Science Educationâs review of science literacy in the U.S. The Board on Science Education analyzed science literacy at the societal, community, and individual level. They found that adults in the U.S. have comparable levels of science literacy to adults in other economically developed countries and that there is a small, positive relationship between science literacy and support for science. Additionally, the Board found that an individualâs support of science in general does not predict his or her support or attitude for a specific scientific…
Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) Program to Hold Technical Assistant Webinar
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) Common Fund Program recently announced a pre-application technical assistance webinar for a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for administrative supplements to active NIH-funded clinical research. The SOBC Program âseeks to accelerate investigations of common mechanisms of behavior change applicable across a broad range of health behaviors, including medical regimen adherence.â The webinar specifically addresses the Science of Behavior Change: Use-inspired Basic Research to Optimize Behavior Change Interventions and Outcomes FOA (PA-16-334), and is scheduled for Thursday, September 8 at 2:00 pm ET. Registration is required to participate. Back to this…
International Panel on Social Progress Releases Draft Report for Comment
The International Panel on Social Progress (IPSP) is an organization comprised of scholars in the social sciences and humanities from around the world with the goal of synthesizing the current scientific evidence on social change. The Panel has released 14 of 22 chapters of its draft report for public comment. The chapters cover topics such as âSocial Justice, Well-Being and Economic Organization,â âInequality as a Challenge to Democracy,â âReligions and Social Progress: Critical Assessments and Creative Partnerships,â and âHow Can Education Promote Social Progress?â Feedback may be submitted on IPSPâs commenting platform. The Panel plans to collect comments through the…
Funding Opportunity Announcements
NIFA: Army Family Advocacy Program: Research and Prevention (USDA-NIFA-EXCA-006025) NIH: Global Noncommunicable Diseases and Injury Across the Lifespan: Exploratory Research (R21) (PAR-16-052) [FIC] NIH: International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) (K01) (PAR-15-291) [FIC] NIH: Health Services Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01) (PAR-16-221), (R21) (PAR-16-222)[NIMHD, NIAAA, NIDA] NIH: Information Resource Grants to Reduce Health Disparities (G08) (RFA-LM-17-002) [NLM] Back to this issue’s table of contents.