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The Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) is an advocacy organization that promotes attention to and Federal funding for the social and behavioral sciences. It serves as a bridge between the academic research community and the Washington policymaking community. Its members consist of more than 100 professional associations, scientific societies, universities, and research centers and institutes. In its many activities, COSSA:

  • Represents the needs and interests of social and behavioral scientists;
  • Educates federal officials about social and behavioral science;
  • Informs the science community about relevant federal policies;
  • and Cooperates with other science and education groups in pursuit of common goals.

COSSA works with federal agencies and with the relevant congressional committees and offices to explain the importance of social and behavioral sciences toAmerica’s economic and national security.Many advocacy activities are conducted through coalitions. COSSA has not only participated actively in these groups, but, has and continues to, serve in leadership positions. Its Executive Director has served as the chair of the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) and its Deputy Director co-chairs the Coalition to Promote Research (CPR) and the Coalition for the Advancement for Health Through Behavioral and Social Science Research (CAHT-BSSR). COSSA also leads the Collaborative for Enhancing Diversity in Science (CEDS).

Click here to learn more about why and how to join COSSA!

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COSSA Washington UpdateCOSSA Washington Update

January 23, 2012 - Volume 31, Issue 2

  • NSB Releases Science and Engineering Indicators 2012
  • NSB Examines NSF's Merit Review Criteria
  • Grant Reform and Transparency Act Raises Concerns in Science and University Community
  • NIMH Holds 230th Meeting of National Advisory Mental Health Council
  • OJP Scientific Advisory Board Meets; Lauds Robinson
  • Reorganization of the Commerce Department May Involve Census, BEA, BLS and NOAA
  • APA Releases Report on Stress in America
  • Politics and Economics of Energy and Water Focus of Briefing
  • Census Bureau Seeks Scientific Advisory Board Nominations
  • Request for Information: NIH Director Working Group on Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce
  • Request for Information: NIH Director Working Group on Data and Informatics
  • Biodemography of Aging: Applications Wanted
  • New COSSA Member

Archived Update

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'Science in the Age of Austerity'

COSSA Executive Director Speaks at University of Texas

Howard J. Silver, COSSA's Executive Director, at the invitation of the University of Texas' Population Research Center, directed by Mark Hayward, spoke at the University of Texas at Austin on October 14. His topic "Science in the Age of Austerity," reflected the difficulties the emphasis on federal budget deficits has placed on funding for research today and possibly into the future.

He had earlier given similar talks to the American Education Research Association on September 11 focusing primarily on the National Science Foundation and to the Association of Public Data Users on September 23 focusing on the agencies of the federal statistical system.

The slides from the Texas presentation are available here.

 

COSSA's 2011 Annual Meeting and Celebration

COSSA's 2011 Annual Meeting

November 2 and 3, 2011

Washington, DC

Summary - A Colloquium Celebrating COSSA's 30 Years of Advocacy

  • The Changing Political Landscape: 1981-2011 - Thomas Mann
  • Economic Well-Being - Charles Schulze
  • Race and Ethnicity - James Jackson
  • Crime Reduction - Al Blumstein
  • Human Behavior and Environmental Change - Roberta Balstad
  • Health and Behavior - Norman Anderson
  • Cora Marrett
  • The SBE Sciences in STEM Education
    • Felice Levine
    • Steve Breckler
    • Robert Hauser
    • Shirley Malcom
  • Changing Demographics and Immigration Policy
    • Richard Alba
    • William Frey
    • Michael Olivas
    • Linda Jacobsen
  • Looking Ahead: New Tools, New Areas for Research
    • Robert Groves
    • Myron Gutmann
    • Robert Kaplan
  • Subra Suresh
  • Challenges for Social/Behavioral Science in the Deficit Driven Federal Budget Climate
    • David Price
    • John Laub
    • Ruth Lee
    • Wendy Baldwin
    • Michael McPerson
    • Kenneth Prewitt
(Speakers' Presentations)

2012 Meeting -- November 8-9; Washington, DC

COSSA Led Coalitions

Coalition to Promote Research

Coalition for the Advancemen of Health Through Behavioral and Social Sciences Resarch

Collaborative for Enhancing Diversity in Science

 

COSSA's 2010 Annual Report

COSSA 2010 Annual ReportCOSSA 2010 Annual ReportCOSSA 2010 Annual Report

Download Report (PDF 3.6 MB)

 

 

COSSA Members' Annual Meetings

2012

Association of American Law Schools

January 4 - 8; Washington, DC

American Historical Association

January 5 - 8; Chicago, IL

Linguistic Society of America

January 5 - 8; Portland, OR

American Economic Association

January 6 -8; Chicago, IL

Association of American Geographers

February 24 -28; New York City, NY

Midwest Political Science Association

April 12 -15; Chicago, IL

Population Association of America

May 3 -5; San Francisco, CA

American Educational Research Association

April 13 -17; Vancouver, Canada

American Association for Public Opinion Research

May 17 -20; Orlando, FL

Law and Society Association

June 5 -8, Honolulu, HI

Rural Sociological Society

July 25-29; Chicago, IL

American Statistical Association

July 28 - August 2; San Diego, CA

 

 

Social Science

Human Subjects Protection

Social and Behavioral Science White Paper on Advanced Notice for Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM)

COSSA and 21 research associations representing more than 350,000 members provided the following social and behavioral science (SBS) white paper in response to the ANPRM requesting comments regarding current regulations for the protecting human subjects in research, as set forth in 45CFR46, Subpart A (the “Common Rule”).  

Download Paper (PDF)

Protecting the SBE Sciences at NSF

"Social Science, Spared Again"

Kenneth Prewitt

SCIENCE Magazine Editoral by COSSA's President, Kenneth Prewitt

The Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) at the National Science Foundation face potential threats from those in Congress who do not appreciate their contributions to American science and public policy.   COSSA has organized and mobilized responses to that threat.  We hope you can join us.  The following are resources for your contribution to the effort.

SST NSF Hearing

House Subcommittee on Research and Science Education Holds Hearing: Social, Behavioral and Economic Science Research:  Oversight of the Need for Federal Investments and Priorities for Funding. (more)

Rebuilding the Mosaic:

Fostering Research in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Next Decade

Mosaics - NSF report from the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 

A new report from NSF’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate presents a vision and research agenda for the next decade of research in these sciences.

Download report

 

Sign the Petition to Congress:
Protect NIH Funding
!

NIH logo

The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, 300 patient and voluntary health groups, medical and scientific societies, academic and research organizations, and industry, has posted an on-line petition opposing the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) funding cut. COSSA is a member of the Ad Hoc Group's Steering Committee.

Sign it today to express your support to Congress for the NIH and to protect its funding.

The petition is available at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/preservenihfunding/

 

COSSA Briefings: Presenting Social and Behavioral Research to Congress

U.S. Capitol

 

One of COSSA’s roles is to serve as a bridge between the academic research community and the Washington policymaking community. To accomplish this, from the beginning COSSA has presented the results of social and behavioral science research to policy makers through a series of briefings or seminars held on Capitol Hill. The audiences for these sessions have consisted of congressional staff, executive branch agency staff, public interest group representatives, and sometimes Members of Congress.

Recent Briefing Topics

Advancing Discovery: The Role of National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research in Fighting Diabetes - (co-sponsors)

Better Data, Better Decisions

Marijuana Use Disorders

Crime and Imprisonment: How to Reduce Both

Better Living Through Economics: How Fundamental Economic Research Improves People's Lives

More