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May 2024 Headlines: Recent Developments at the U.S. Census Bureau
The 2024 Headlines series continues with a discussion about recent developments and research activities within the U.S. Census Bureau. Presenter Director Robert L. Santos, the U.S. Census Bureau. Robert L. Santos is the 26th director of the U.S. Census Bureau. He was sworn in on January 5, 2022. His career spans more than 40 years in survey research, statistical design and analysis and executive-level management. Before coming to the Census Bureau, he spent 15 years as vice president and chief methodologist at the Urban Institute and directed its Statistical Methods Group â and served as executive vice president and partner…
Social and Behavioral Scientists Take to Capitol Hill for COSSA’s Annual Social Science Advocacy Day
On April 8-9, COSSA held its 10th annual Social Science Advocacy Day events in Washington, DC. Over 60 social and behavioral science researchers, students, and advocates from 18 different states headed to Capitol Hill to meet with more than 60 offices in the House of Representatives and Senate, all carrying a message about the need to prioritize funding for social and behavioral science research. COSSA is especially grateful to the sponsors of this year’s event. Thank you to all involved for making this such an impactful experience!
NEW ACTION ALERTS: Urge Congress to Prioritize Funding Social and Behavioral Science Research in FY 2025!
Congressional appropriators are preparing legislation that will determine funding for federal science and statistical agencies for the next year. With strict discretionary budget caps currently in place (learn more), it is essential that we fight for the prioritization of social and behavioral science research funding in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Now is the time to write to your Members of Congress to urge their support for research funding in FY 2025! COSSA has created a menu of resources for you to use in your outreach to lawmakers. Visit our ACTION CENTER page to send a letter to your Senators and Representative and…
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinars continue April 23
COSSA’s 2024 Headlines Webinar series will continue to feature discussions with leaders of federal science agencies, providing opportunities for the social and behavioral science community to learn about agency research programs, funding opportunities, and priorities. Upcoming Webinars: Did you miss March’s webinar? You can watch the recording now to catch up on our discussion about the research and education programs and priorities of the STEM Education Directorate at the National Science Foundation with Dr. James L. Moore III. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations.
Congress Begins FY 2025 Budget Process with newly elected House Appropriations Full Committee Chair, Rep. Tom Cole
With the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget finalized (previously reported by COSSA), Congress is looking ahead to FY 2025. The process has begun for FY 2025 with the Presidential Budget Request (see COSSAâs in-depth analysis), which had a delayed release of March 11. The Appropriations subcommittees in both chambers have also begun scheduling oversight budget hearings with the heads of Federal Agencies in preparation of drafting their respective bills for the FY 2025 budget. As a reminder, the fiscal year for 2025 will begin October 1, 2024, requiring Congress to have finalized the budget by this date unless a continuing…
OSTP Seeks Input for Safe STEM Environments
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is inviting feedback to help the Interagency Working Group on Safe and Inclusive STEM Environments (IWG-SISE) develop policies aimed at reducing sex-based and sexual harassment in federally funded STEM research. This initiative, in response to the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (see previous COSSA coverage), focuses on improving safety for principal investigators, research staff, and students. The OSTP and IWG-SISE are looking for contributions from students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, researchers, and administratorsâanyone impacted by harassment in STEM spaces. The aim is to inform guidelines that address and mitigate harassment issues effectively….
Analyzing the Cost of Open Access for Federally Funded Research
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is facing demands from Congress to provide a detailed cost estimate for its open access plan for federally funded research. Initiated by OSTP in August 2022, the plan requires that research funded by science agencies be freely accessible to the public upon publication. It mandates OSTP to complete a thorough financial analysis by June. Failure to meet this deadline will require OSTP to delay its plans until the report is submitted to Congress. OSTP has already explored the financial aspects of open access in two reports. The first report, released in…
SBE Releases Dear Colleague Letter Encouraging EPSCoR Submissions
The Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) housed within the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Dear Colleague Letter encouraging submissions to already established NSF funding opportunities from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). EPSCoR was developed to target specific areas in the U.S. with increased opportunity to study and join the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce to improve geographic and institutional diversity. As directed by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, NSF is in the process of dedicating more funding towards the EPSCoR jurisdictions. The letter reaffirms SBEâs commitment to support research in the social and…
Upcoming AAPSS Webinar: “Media Policy for an Informed Citizenry”
On April 17, The American Academy of Political & Social Science (AAPSS) will be hosting an open webinar titled âMedia Policy for an Informed Citizenry: Revisiting the Information Needs of Communities for Democracy in Crisisâ. AAPSS is a COSSA member institution. The topic of this webinar is based on the May 2023 edition of The Annals, a scholarly periodical produced by AAPSS. The webinar will discuss how people obtain news and information and how changes in technology have influenced the availability and reliability of such information. The webinar will be moderated by Molly Laas of the Social Science Research Council and will feature experts from…
COSSA’s Analysis of the President’s FY 2025 Budget Request for Social and Behavioral Science
On March 11, the Biden Administration transmitted its fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request to Congress. The FY 2025 budget was released while Congress was still working to finalize its annual appropriations bills for FY 2024 (the fiscal year that began October 1, 2023). The FY 2024 appropriations process was completed on March 22 with the passage of a second omnibus package (see related article). The first package was passed on March 8. As COSSA has been reporting over the last several months, the FY 2024 appropriations bills were bound by strict budget caps that were agreed to in January (although the same deal was floated much earlier…
Advocacy Day Spotlight: Last Chance to Register!
Next week is COSSAâs tenth annual Social Science Advocacy Day! This is your last chance to register before we close the form. Register here! Social Science Advocacy Day will be taking place April 8-9, 2024 in Washington, DC and is open to anyone affiliated with a COSSA member organization or university. Not a member? Learn how here. Visit the COSSA website for the latest information on Social Science Advocacy Day.
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinars continue April 23
COSSA’s 2024 Headlines Webinar series will continue to feature discussions with leaders of federal science agencies, providing opportunities for the social and behavioral science community to learn about agency research programs, funding opportunities, and priorities. Upcoming Webinars: Did you miss March’s webinar? You can watch the recording now to catch up on our discussion about the research and education programs and priorities of the STEM Education Directorate at the National Science Foundation with Dr. James L. Moore III. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations.
President Biden Signs Final Round of FY 2024 Appropriations Bills
With little time to spare, Congressional appropriators came to final agreement on fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding for the remaining six appropriations bills. As recently reported, Congress passed and President Biden signed into law a package containing six of twelve annual appropriations bills, including the bill that funds the National Science Foundation, Census Bureau, National Institute of Justice, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, among other agencies and departments. The latest package was announced this week and contains the following FY 2024 bills: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education; Defense; Financial Services; Legislative Branch; Homeland Security; and State and Foreign Operations. Of…
Rep. Granger Stepping Down Early from Appropriations Chair
Earlier this year, Representative Kay Granger (R-TX) announced that she would not be seeking reelection in November for the House of Representatives. Representative Granger was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and was elected to her leadership role on the Appropriations Committee in 2018 (see previous COSSA coverage). On March 22, Representative Granger announced her intent to step down as Chair of the House Appropriations committee early and requested the GOP, the current majority in the House, elect a new Chair to finish out the 118th Congress. With the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024 completed (see COSSAâs analysis…
President Biden Issues Executive Order to Advance Womenâs Health Research
On March 18, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order, titled âAdvancing Womenâs Health Research and Innovation.â This order directs specific advancements and improvements for research on womenâs health, largely through the White House Initiative on Womenâs Health Research, established by the Presidential Memorandum of November 13, 2023. The Initiative draws on interdisciplinary backgrounds to advance research on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, or differently. This order now names the following topics of interest: womenâs midlife health, addressing current gaps in research, and integrating womenâs health research into federal research programs. These directions align with…
New JASON Report Advocates for Project-by-Project Approach to Sensitive Research Security
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has commissioned a new report from JASON, an independent scientific advisory group, on the implications of imposing broad controls on sensitive research security. The report reaffirms a longstanding policy that fundamental research should remain largely unrestricted unless specific sensitivities require classification. JASON suggests the need for updated research security measures in ways that do not stifle innovation and openness. The report evaluates international collaborations, especially highlighting concerns with the Chinese government’s approach to fundamental research for military needs and restrictions on information flow. The report recommends a nuanced method where the NSF collaborates with Principal Investigators and…