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June 28, 2010                                                                              Volume 29- Issue 12
In This Issue
Senate Finally Confirms Laub for NIJ and Lynch for BJS
NIJ Holds Annual Conference: AAG Announces OJP Scientific Advisory Board; Celebrates VAWA; Hears From Tribe
SBE Asks for Research Proposals Related to the Gulf Oil Spill
NIFA Provides Synopsis of 2009 Competitive Research Grants
Agricultural Statistics Agency Seeks Nominees to Advisory Committee
NSF Seeks to Reward Junior Scientist Faculty
Sebelius Announces New $250 Million Investment to Lay Foundation for Prevention and Public Health
AHRQ Health Services Research Projects Grant
 

Senate Finally Confirms Laub for NIJ and Lynch for BJS

 

On June 22, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reached an agreement that led to the confirmation of 60 Obama Administration nominees, a large number of whom had been lingering on the Senate's Executive Calendar for many months.  Among those the Senate confirmed were John Laub, who will now become the director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and James Lynch, who will now become the director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).

 

Laub is the Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, College Park and an Affiliate Faculty Member in the Department of Sociology at Maryland and a Visiting Scholar in the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard. He is a former President of the American Society of Criminology.  Laub replaces David Hagy, who left NIJ at the end of the Bush Administration. Kristina Rose has been Acting NIJ Director since January 2009.  (For more on Laub's background see Update, October 12, 2009.)

 

President Obama announced his intention to nominate Laub on October 2, 2009.  His formal nomination was sent to the Senate on October 5, 2009.  The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination on November 18, 2009 and sent his nomination to the Senate floor on December 3, 2009, where it remained on the Executive Calendar until June 22.

 

Lynch is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at John Jay College, City University of New York, and a former member of the COSSA Board of Directors.  He served on the National Academies' panel that produced two reports reviewing the BJS and its major activity, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) (see Update, July, 13, 2009).  He replaces Jeff Sedgwick, who left at the end of the Bush Administration.  Michael Sinclair has served as BJS's Acting Director since then.  (For more on Lynch's background, see Update, November 9, 2009).

 

President Obama announced his intention to nominate Lynch on October 29, 2009.  The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination on January 20, 2010 and reported his nomination to the Senate floor on February 11, 2010.

 

Both new directors face formidable challenges.  BJS received a significant increase in its FY 2010 budget to implement the Academies' recommendations on revitalizing the NCVS.  However, finding sufficient funds to support the rest of BJS' varied agenda and the other recommendations for improvement in the Academies' report remain formidable.

 

For NIJ, which just held another successful annual conference (see other story), the release of the long-awaited National Academies' report reviewing its structure and operations is imminent.  There is a significant increase in funding for FY 2011 in the President's request, but the granting of that increase by the Congress could become problematic in the face of funding constraints under the rubric of deficit reduction.

 

The proposal by Laurie Robinson, head of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), where NIJ and BJS are both housed, to set-aside three percent of program funds for research and statistics, may offer the two agencies a significant boost to their funding difficulties.

 

In addition, Robinson's proposal (see other story) to establish a Scientific Advisory Board for OJP would provide Laub and Lynch formal opportunities to improve collaboration with their former colleagues in the researcher and practitioner communities.

 

Orszag to Leave OMB

 

All Administrations have churning in personnel.  As some finally join, others after a year and a half take their leave.  Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget, has told his staff that he will leave his post, probably in mid-July after the issuance of the mid-year economic report. 

 

Orszag, who led the Congressional Budget Office prior to joining the Obama Administration, has been a strong supporter of enhancing the budgets of the federal statistical agencies.  His support for the social and behavioral sciences and data collection, analysis, and dissemination was most forcefully given at a symposium held by the Committee on National Statistics in May 2009 (see Update, May 18, 2009).
 

NIJ Holds Annual Conference:  AAG Announces OJP Scientific Advisory Board; Celebrates VAWA; Hears From Tribe


On June 14, 15 and 16 more than 1,500 criminal justice researchers and practitioners gathered in Arlington, VA for the annual National Institute of Justice (NIJ) conference.  Kristina Rose, who did not expect that she would be hosting the conference as the Acting NIJ Director for the second year, (see confirmation story elsewhere in this issue), opened the event by relating the Institute's role as the key supporter and translator of criminal justice research.  She noted the renewal of a visiting fellowship program at NIJ and the inauguration of a seminar speaker series called "Research for the Real World."  She explained that in an era of tight budgets, NIJ  has reached out  to partner with the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security and other agencies. 

Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), announced that the Attorney General would soon establish a Scientific Advisory Board for her agency.  Although the Federal Advisory Committee process suggests it will take some time for the Board to become operative, Robinson indicated it will have members from both the academic and practitioner communities. 

At one of the plenary sessions, the attendees heard from television personality Paula Zahn.  The former ABC and CNN news anchor, who now has her own program on the Investigation Discovery network joined in the 15th Anniversary celebration of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  Zahn described the difficulties many abused women, some of whom have appeared on her new program, still face and the important help VAWA has provided by "fundamentally shifting the conversation."  She expressed concern about the impact of the recession on the potential for abuse and the continuing issues of date violence and stalking.  

Appearing on a panel following Zahn's address, Lynn Rosenthal
, White House Adviser on Violence Against Women in the Office of Vice President Joe Biden, noted the continuing budget growth for the programs supported under VAWA, with a huge increase proposed for FY 2011.  She assured the audience that the Vice President who was a major leader in this arena during his Senate career and the driving force behind VAWA, maintains his strong interest in the issue. 

Kris Rose pointed out that the Office of Violence Against Women (OVAW) has provided over $4 billion in grants during the past fifteen years and that since 1995 NIJ has conducted 270 studies related to the issue.  Catherine Pierce, who served in the OVAW since the act was passed before recently moving to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, noted that VAWA and its passionate advocacy community has moved the law enforcement community to change its attitudes in dealing with domestic violence cases.  Michael Paymar of the Minnesota House of Representatives asked whether it was now time to focus on prevention by working with the abusers - the men.  Karen Carroll of the Bronx Sexual Assault Team described her personal story that illustrated how female nurses have taken charge of treating victims of abuse.
 


Tribe Discusses Access to Justice 

 
The conference also heard a luncheon address from former Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe who has joined the Department of Justice as a Senior Counselor to lead an Access to Justice program.  
 
Tribe recalled how he began life as a mathematician, receiving a National Science Foundation fellowship and working in the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.  He noted that he never finished his dissertation and he turned his life to the law.  While at Harvard, Tribe told the audience, he hired a young law student, Barack Obama, as his assistant and the two of them once co-authored an article:  "What Lawyers Can Learn from Physics." 

Tribe praised NIJ for its renewed commitment to the scientific method and supporting research to "discovering verifiable patterns in crime and justice."  Citing Ben Franklin stories related in Walter Isaacson's biography of the Founding Father, Tribe congratulated NIJ for following in Franklin's footsteps in
sharing the knowledge it gains to make better public policy.  He declared that Americans have always had faith in "knowledge harnessed to progress." 

In discussing his new position, Tribe suggested America has a large "access to justice problem."  He cited data indicating the enormous
workloads in our public defender system.  He suggested one result of such overwork is that there have been 254 exonerations, including 17 on death row, of wrongly convicted prisoners. 

He suggested the criminal justice system is in crisis and that more research is one answer.  We need expanded studies on diversion programs such as drug courts and more emphasis on prevention, he declared.  He cited as one example, Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) program, which identifies probationers at high risk of violating the conditions of their community supervision, and deters them from using drugs and committing crimes with frequent and random drug tests backed up by swift, certain and short jail stays. New NIJ-supported research shows that HOPE probationers were significantly less likely to be arrested for a new crime, to use drugs and to have their probation revoked. 

"Be smart, not just tough," Tribe admonished the criminal justice folks.  He closed by citing Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes dissent in Abrams, in which he proclaimed that "all life is an experiment."  Tribe acknowledged that this experiment often proceeds with imperfect knowledge, but we must do our best to overcome that.
  


Execution of an Innocent Man?
 
The meeting also featured a discussion of the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in 2004 for setting his home on fire, resulting in the deaths of his three children.  In a September 7, 2009 article in the New Yorker David Grann raised questions about Willingham's guilt given the contradictions and controversies surrounding the case, including the mistakes made in the forensic investigation.  Grann concluded that the state of Texas executed an innocent man.  John Lantini, President of Scientific Fire Analysis, described the errors in the arson analyses, while Itiel Dror, a cognitive neuroscientist at University College in London, explained that his research on expert error and faulty eyewitness identifications also suggest that the case against Willingham had flaws.  The controversy surrounding the case has led the Dallas County District Attorney's office (not where the Willingham case occurred) to hire Michael Ware to lead a "conviction integrity" unit that has helped exonerate 20 wrongly imprisoned people.  Mary Lou Leary, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for OJP, noted the Willingham case indicates the importance of revisiting old cases to ensure that justice is always served, although it is a little late for Willingham.

Other highlights of the conference included some preliminary results from the Policing Platform research conducted by Dennis Rosenbaum of the University of Illinois, Chicago and Gary Cordner of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.  Their surveys of police recruits are providing an evidence base for police administration and operations. They are also examining the life course of police organizations.  Rick Tanksley, Chief of the Oak Park Police Department in Illiniois, which is participating in the project, endorsed the study as quite useful to his recruiting and personnel operations.

In a session on "Gang Membership Prevention", James 'Buddy' Howell, from the National Youth Gang Center, reviewed the results of the National Youth Gang Surveys begun in 1996.  Gang membership has decreased from its peak in 1996 when 40 percent of youth said they belonged to a gang to 23 percent in 2001, the low point, with some slight increases in recent years.  He also indicated that of those who do join a gang, most drop out within a year. Gangs form in schools, and in public places where groups of adolescents gather.  In major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago the presence of multi-generation gangs remains a problem.  Howell reported that the consequences for gang membership over a person's life course are enormous.  Since gang members inevitably wind up in a violence situation, detention, dropping out of school, unemployment, and other social difficulties are likely to occur.  For more information go to:
www.nationalgangcenter.gov.

Examining "Crime Across Metropolitan Areas," Eric Baumer of Florida State University reported on his research regarding mortgage fraud, foreclosures, and crime rates.  After investigating U.S. counties, his project will look at 75 large U.S. cities to determine what impact the housing crisis has had on crime rates.  John Hipp of the University of California, Irvine researched economic resources, race and ethnicity groups within and across neighborhoods and its impact on crime rates across time.  Angela Browne of the Vera Institute reported data on intercity variation on youth homicide rates from 1984-2006.  The research suggested that the presence of gangs and disadvantaged neighborhoods led to increases in violence.
  
 
 

SBE Asks for Research Proposals Related to the Gulf Oil Spill  

 

In a Dear Colleague Letter the National Science Foundation's (NSF)Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate "encourages scholars to consider how the Gulf oil spill and other disasters may provide an opportunity to pursue research that will produce fundamental, theory-enhancing contributions to the social, behavioral, and economic sciences."

 

SBE is particularly interested in projects that would build on existing data sets (including data sets not traditionally used by social and behavioral scientists) or that would identify high priority enhanced or new data sets to improve capacity to study issues in adaptation, resilience and vulnerability.    Interdisciplinary work may be particularly appropriate.  While SBE has not specifically set aside funds for such research, the topic has strong connections with the wider NSF investment in Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SES) as described in the FY 2011 Budget Request (see Update, March 8, 2010).

 

NSF asserts that "the consequences of the Gulf oil spill seem likely to be broad and long-lasting. There are local, state, regional, national, and international aspects to the situation, and an unusual confluence of biological, geological, and human elements. This Gulf oil spill is the latest in a series of disasters that provide opportunities to examine the ways in which people and organizations anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and emerge from disasters.  Such explorations can contribute to the development of theory and tools underlying future policies aimed at maintaining or improving well being and long-term sustainability in the face of disasters. Events like these offer special opportunities to examine broad issues like resilience, adaptation, and vulnerability while conducting scientifically sound research that provides fundamental new knowledge."

 

Scholars with research proposals for learning from the disasters should submit proposals to the most relevant standing programs of the SBE Directorate for the fall 2010 or spring 2011 competitions. The SBE division web sites provide information about these programs: http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=SES and http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=BCS. 

 

For the fall competition, most of these programs have submission due dates in July or August. Successful research proposals will have scientifically sound research plans that are rooted in relevant theory and literature. SBE programs will evaluate these proposals in competition with other proposals submitted for these competitions.

 

If a research problem involves ephemeral data so that data collection absolutely cannot wait to begin until December, then the PI should consider submitting a RAPID proposal.  SBE expects the research conducted under RAPID awards to be of the same high quality as for other awards, with scientifically sound research plans that are rooted in relevant theory and literature. The principal investigator must contact a program officer in the program to which the scientific contribution is strongest before submitting. Some programs will provide RAPID funding only for activities directly associated with the collection of ephemeral data. It is best to initiate contact with a brief (1-2 page) e-mail to the appropriate program officer, describing the proposed research question, the theory on which you are building, methods to be employed, and justification for a RAPID rather than a regular research proposal. 

 

Complete guidance on submitting a RAPID proposal is contained in Part I of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide:

 

NIFA Provides Synopsis of 2009 Competitive Research Grants

 

The National Institute on Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has produced summary data regarding its FY 2009 funding of competitive research grants under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). 

 

The program awarded $176.4 million in 470 grants for research solicited by 40 programs addressing the areas of:  Plant Health and Production and Plant Products; Animal Health and Production and Animal Products; Food Safety; Nutrition and Health; Renewable Energy; Natural Resources and Environment; Agriculture Systems and Technology; and Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities.  Omitted from the FY 2009 competition were grants under the topic of Rural Development.

 

There were 2,424 projects that requested funds totaling $1.095 billion.  Peer reviewers, of whom there were 517, recommended 835 projects for funding totaling $704.3 million.  Budgetary constraints led to only supporting about one-half of those recommended.  The success rate, according to NIFA, was approximately 18 percent, if you exclude funding for conferences, supplements and continuing increments to the same grant.  About 75 percent of the funds went to researchers in the land-grant university system.

 

The mean award size was $398,096 with a mean duration of 2.8 years, excluding Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement Grants and Conference Grants.   NIFA awarded sixty percent of the funds for "fundamental research" and 40 percent for "mission-linked applied research."  Almost 70 percent of the funding went to multidisciplinary projects.  Thirty percent of funds went to "integrated awards" that combined at least two of the three components of research, education or extension.  The average award for integrated projects was $608,730 for three years.  AFRI provided funds totaling $407,500 for 37 Conference Grants.  

 

Within the topics:  Human Nutrition and Obesity received $11 million for 11 grants.  Agribusiness Markets and Trade funded 16 grants worth $4.6 million and Agricultural Prosperity for Small and Medium-size Farms awarded $4.8 million for 13 grants.

 

In addition, AFRI supported 1,059 undergraduate and graduate students and post-docs in FY 2009.  Of these 45 were in the Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities category. 

 

For information about the AFRI FY 2010 competitions see Update, May 31, 2010.

 

 

 

Agricultural Statistics Agency Seeks Nominees to Advisory Committee


The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued of notice of invitation to suggest nominees to serve on its Advisory Committee.  The deadline for submission is July 9, 2010.

According to NASS, the Committee draws on the experience and expertise of its members to form a collective judgment concerning agriculture data collected and the statistics issued by the agency. This input is vital to keep current with shifting data needs in the rapidly changing agricultural environment and keeps NASS informed of emerging issues in the agriculture community that can affect agriculture statistics activities.

The Committee, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, consists of 20 members representing a broad range of disciplines and interests, including, but not limited to, producers, representatives of national farm organizations, agricultural economists, rural sociologists, farm policy analysts, educators, State agriculture representatives, and agriculture-related business and marketing experts.

Members serve staggered 2-year terms, with terms for half of the Committee members expiring in any given year.  NASS is seeking nominations for 20 open Committee seats. Members can serve up to three terms for a total of six consecutive years. The Members elect the Chairperson of the Committee to serve a one-year term.

Nominations should be mailed to Joe Reilly, Associate Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 5041A South Building, Washington, DC 20250-2000 or electronically to
[email protected]  or faxed to (202) 720-9013.

For further information contact: Joe Reilly, Associate Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, (202) 720-4333.

 
 

NSF Seeks to Reward Junior Scientist Faculty 

 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) seeks proposals from junior faculty for its CAREER program.   The full proposal deadline for those applying to the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) directorate is July 22.  For those applying to the Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorate, the deadline is July 20.

 

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program embodies NSF's commitment to encourage faculty and academic institutions to value and support the integration of research and education. According to NSF, successful Principal Investigators (PIs) will propose creative, integrative and effective research and education plans, developed within the context of the mission, goals and resources of their organizations, and which will build a firm foundation for a lifetime of contributions to research, education and their integration.

All proposals must have an integrated research and education plan at their core. These plans should reflect the proposer's own disciplinary and educational interests and goals, as well as the needs of his or her organization. Because there may be different expectations within different disciplinary fields and/or different organizations, a wide range of research and education activities may be appropriate for the CAREER program.  NSF encourages scientists to communicate with the CAREER contact or Program Officer in the division closest to their area of research to discuss appropriate expectations and approaches (see list below).

NSF hopes, but does not require, that CAREER PIs would include international dimensions where appropriate (e.g., collaboration with foreign research partners and international research experiences for students).  The proposal must clearly state how the research will be enhanced by international collaborations and/or how the educational activities will benefit participants.

Furthermore, the proposed education and research activities may include collaborations with partners from other sectors (for example, partnerships with industry, national laboratories, or schools and school districts).  In all cases, partners or collaborators may not be listed as co-principal investigators on the cover page or as senior personnel in the budget. Proposals submitted with co-principal investigators will be returned without review.

NSF expects to make an estimated 425 awards with anticipated funding of $80 million. The minimum CAREER award, including indirect costs, will total $400,000 for the 5-year duration.

In addition, each year NSF selects nominees for the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from among the most meritorious new CAREER awardees. Selection for this award is based on two important criteria:  1) innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology that is relevant to the mission of the sponsoring organization or agency, and 2) community service demonstrated through scientific leadership, education or community outreach. These awards foster innovative developments in science and technology, increase awareness of careers in science and engineering, give recognition to the scientific missions of the participating agencies, enhance connections between fundamental research and national goals, and highlight the importance of science and technology for the Nation's future. Individuals cannot apply for PECASE. These awards are initiated by the participating federal agencies. At NSF, up to twenty nominees for this award are selected each year from among the PECASE-eligible CAREER awardees who are most likely to become the leaders of academic research and education in the twenty-first century. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy makes the final selection and announcement of the awardees.

For further information regarding proposals to SBE contact: Fahmida Chowdhury: 703-292-4672, Amy Sussman: 703-292-7307 for Behavioral and Cognitive Science division disciplines and Brian Humes: 703-292-7284, for Social and Economic Science division disciplines.

For further information regarding proposals to EHR contact:  Elizabeth VanderPutten: 703-292-5147; Julio Lopez-Ferrao: 703-292-5183 for proposals related to the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL); Mark Leddy: 703-292-4655 or Jolene Jesse: 703-292-7303 for proposals related to the Division of Human Resource Development (HRD).

 

 

Sebelius Announces New $250 Million Investment to Lay Foundation for Prevention and Public Health

U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $250 million in new Affordable Care Act investments to support prevention activities and develop the nation's public health infrastructure.
 

Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes, are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths each year among Americans, and account for 75 percent of the nation's health spending. Many Americans engage in behaviors such as tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol abuse, which harm their health.

"Investing in prevention and public health builds the foundation for improving the health and well-being of Americans, and for lowering costs in the health care system," said Secretary Sebelius.  "Investing in proven preventive services will help patients get the care they need early, avoiding costly and unnecessary care later.  This prevention-focused approach is better for doctors, patients, and our national balance sheet."

The investments in prevention and public health are the second allocation for fiscal year 2010 from the new $500 million Prevention and Public Health fund created by the Affordable Care Act. 

The $250 million investment in prevention and public health will go to:

  • Community and Clinical Prevention:  $126 million will support federal, state and community prevention initiatives; the integration of primary care services into publicly funded community-based behavioral health settings; obesity prevention and fitness; and tobacco cessation.
  • Public Health Infrastructure: $70 million will support state, local, and tribal public health infrastructure and build state and local capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. 
  • Research and Tracking: $31 million for data collection and analysis; to strengthen CDC's Community Guide by supporting the Task Force on Community Preventive Services; and to improve transparency and public involvement in the Clinical Preventive Services Task Force.
  • Public Health Training: $23 million to expand CDC's public health workforce programs and public health training centers.

"With these investments, we are tackling the underlying causes of chronic diseases as well as strengthening our ability to meet the public health challenges of the 21st century," said Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin.  "This moves America in the direction of becoming a fit and healthy nation."

Secretary Sebelius also announced the allocation of the first half of the Prevention and Public Health fund to increase the number of clinicians and strengthen the primary care workforce.  Building on the earlier investments made by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Affordable Care Act, particularly for the National Health Service Corps, the investments will support the training and development of more than 16,000 new primary care providers over the next five years.

 

 

AHRQ Health Services Research Projects Grant

AHRQ seeks to support research to develop, disseminate, and translate rigorous evidence that can be
used by public and private policymakers, by health system and community leaders, and by managers of healthcare organizations who want to reduce unnecessary healthcare costs (waste) while maintaining or improving healthcare quality, i.e., who want to increase value and efficiency in the organization, delivery, and financing of health care for all Americans.
 
In addition to applications of systematic quantitative research methods, qualitative and mixed-methods research are also encouraged. Research priorities include:
 
  • Developing, assessing, testing, and disseminating methods, measures, data and tools needed by decision makers to track, report and improve cost and efficiency as well as quality -- to include special emphases on such issues within and across sites of care.
  • Understanding and projecting effects of policy, payment, insurance,  organizational and market conditions and changes on provider and other healthcare sector participants' behavior and on healthcare value, efficiency and quality - including methodological advances in risk adjustment for payment purposes, organizational, delivery system, and community-wide strategies to improve value and efficiency.
  • Providing evidence of effects of Federal and State regulatory and legal changes on the organization, financing, accessibility, delivery, quality and cost of health care, to include the effects of Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP benefit provisions.
  • Assessing effects of consumer incentives on consumer behavior, to include methods of increasing prevention and wellness behaviors, factors consumers consider when choosing health plans, and the effects of public reporting strategies and diverse purchaser strategies to improve value.
  • Assessing (from multiple stakeholders' points-of-view) the organizational and societal costs and the rates of return for direct investments required to achieve more value in health care.
  • Providing analyses on organizational redesign activities likely to reduce waste and improve quality - particularly process redesign, and evidence on what it would take to create a business case for this.
  • Developing, testing, analyzing, and diffusing successful health care management strategies to improve value, including building, synthesizing and implementing the evidence for evidence-based management and policy-making.
  • Generating policy-relevant evidence about the effects of leadership, management, organizational culture, cultural competence and health literacy interventions on improving organizational performance, efficiency and outcomes, including outcomes for diverse population groups.
  • Addressing related and similar issues in the context of safety net institutions and AHRQ's priority populations
 
Consortium of Social Science Associations
 
Members 

GOVERNING MEMBERS
American Association for Public Opinion Research
American Economic Association
American Educational Research Association
American Historical Association
American Political Science Association
American Psychological Association
American Society of Criminology
American Sociological Association
American Statistical Association
Association of American Geographers
Association of American Law Schools
Law and Society Association
Linguistic Society of America
Midwest Political Science Association
National Communication Association
Population Association of America
Rural Sociological Society
Society for Research in Child Development
 
  
MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
American Association for Agricultural Education
Association for Asian Studies
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations
Association of Research Libraries
American Psychosomatic Society
Council on Social Work Education
Eastern Sociological Society
International Communication Association
Justice Research and Statistics Association
Midwest Sociological Society
National Association of Social Workers
North American Regional Science Council
North Central Sociological Association
Social Science History Association
Society for Behavioral Medicine
Society for Research on Adolescence
Society for Social Work and Research
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Southern Political Science Association
Southern Sociological Society
Southwestern Social Science Association
 

CENTERS AND INSTITUTES 
American Academy of Political and Social Sciences
American Council of Learned Societies
American Institutes for Research
Brookings Institution
Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
Institute for Women's Policy Research
National Bureau of Economic Research
National Opinion Research Center
Population Reference Bureau
Social Science Research Council

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Arizona State University
Brown University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Barbara
Carnegie-Mellon University
University of Connecticut
University of Chicago
Clark University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Georgetown University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Harvard University
Howard University
University of Illinois
Indiana University
University of Iowa
Iowa State University
Johns Hopkins University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
Kansas State University
University of Maryland
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse
University of Michigan
Michigan State University
University of Minnesota
Mississippi State University
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
New York University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
University of Oklahoma
University of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
University of South Carolina
Stanford University
State University of New York, Stony Brook
University of Texas, Austin
University of Texas, Brownsville
Texas A & M University
Tulane University
Vanderbilt University
University of Virginia
University of Washington
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Yale University

COSSA 

Address all inquiries to COSSA at [email protected]