[Air-L] FW: Call for Action: Restore NSF's Social Science Research Funds

[Earl, Jennifer Suzanne - (jenniferearl)]

Please consider taking action—this is a serious issue facing the social sciences.

From: ASA Public Affairs [mailto:public.affairs at asanet.org]
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2014 1:15 PM
To: Earl, Jennifer Suzanne - (jenniferearl)
Subject: Call for Action: Restore NSF's Social Science Research Funds


Members of the American Sociological Association:

I am writing to encourage you to write<http://cqrcengage.com/cossa/home> your U.S. Representative immediately and ask them to oppose the FIRST Act (H.R. 4186), which serves as reauthorization legislation for the National Science Foundation (NSF).

For the first time ASA is making it very easy for you to do this through a new online system!

There are a number of potentially very damaging provisions in this bill for sociologists.  Of particular concern to the social and behavioral science community is the proposal to cut NSF’s Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences Directorate by more than $50 million—over 22 percent.

The bill also seeks to micromanage the grant application process and limits the number of awards that can be made to principal investigators, undermining the merit review process that successfully determines the very best science worthy of taxpayer support.

It would also place a greater burden on NSF regarding its already-gold standard merit review process and require additional, potentially duplicative, public disclosure of research grants.

Your input to Congress is needed now. The bill will soon be considered by the full House Science Committee. Join others in our social science community who are taking action by visiting the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) Action Center<http://cqrcengage.com/cossa/home>.  It provides up-to-date information and an easy way to contact your House member now and ask that he or she oppose the FIRST Act. The COSSA Action Center provides ASA members and other COSSA member social scientists a way to understand and act on important federal science policy concerns.

We can no longer sit on the sidelines as issues vital to sustaining social science research are being debated. We must become vocal, convincing public officials that social science research is a critical public good. If you have not done so already, I urge you to go to the COSSA Action Center to sign up and take action<http://cqrcengage.com/cossa/home>.

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Sally T. Hillsman, PhD
Executive Officer

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