February 2021 Washington InfO

Capitol Hill has divided its priorities this month between considering the impeachment of former President Trump, deliberating over a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, and considering President Biden’s cabinet nominees. Seven cabinet level officials have been confirmed as of this writing while 16, including Labor Secretary nominee Marty Walsh, have yet to receive a vote in the Senate. Of interest to some SIOP members, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan will remain as he is in the first full year of a six-year term. The House meanwhile has been busy crafting a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package largely along the lines of a proposal sent by the President. Of note, the new package would provide $600 million for the National Science Foundation’s Research and Related Activities Account, nearly $40 billion in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF), and another $7.25 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Lawmakers are aiming to secure the approval of both chambers before federal unemployment benefits expire in mid-March. In the months ahead, Congress is likely to consider new policy avenues, including policing reform and workforce development legislation.

OSTP Elevated to Cabinet. Biden Chooses Social Scientist as Number Two

President Biden has made a number of moves to elevate science within the Administration including promoting the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to the Cabinet level. Along with nominating geneticist Dr. Eric Lander to head up OSTP, President Biden has named Dr. Alondra Nelson, a social scientist and expert on social and racial inequity in STEM, to serve in a newly created deputy director position. Dr. Nelson, a distinguished scholar has been called an “inspired choice” by Nature, garnering praise from scientists and politicos alike. Her nomination signals a step towards the president’s pledge to tackle racism in America and is a huge win for the social science community.

House Oversight Committee Focuses Attention on Federal Workforce & SIOP is Ready to Support

This year, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform is expected to host a series of hearings on the federal workforce. Anticipated topics include improving morale and ways to support the federal workforce after the upheaval many agencies experienced during the previous Administration. The Committee plans to get more proactive throughout the year, including consideration of the skills future federal employees will need to succeed in their roles, as well as long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the federal workforce like lasting telework policies. This spring, SIOP plans to host a virtual congressional briefing on I-O topics related to federal workforce reform, including telework policy, diversity and inclusion, and education and training to complement these committee actions. SIOP has also met with congressional staff and is on the ground floor to serve as a direct resource as they consider changes relevant to I-O and federal workforce policy.

Army Research Institute Releases Basic Research BAA with Several I-O Topics

The Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) released its Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for basic scientific research in behavioral science for fiscal years (FY) 2021-2022. The BAA is seeking novel and multidisciplinary approaches in areas of behavioral and social sciences to improve Army personnel readiness. Proposals should address one or more of the following basic research topics of interest: Personnel Testing and Performance; Learning in Formal and Informal Environments; Organizational Effectiveness; and Leader Processes and Measurement.

ARI will accept two types of BAA proposals: basic research proposals, with average awards of $840,785 for a two to three year period, and early career proposals, for individuals who have never received ARI funding as a Principal Investigator, with an expected one year of funding with the option for additional funding for one to two years. Basic research proposals are strongly encouraged to include multidisciplinary approaches, and ARI will not support proposals that are primarily applied research projects. All institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, and commercial entities are eligible to apply.

White papers, which are strongly encouraged, must be submitted via email to Dr. Alexander Wind, alexander.p.wind.civ@mail.mil, no later than May 15, 2022 at 5:00 PM (ET). Full proposals must be submitted no later than August 4, 2022 at 5:00 PM (ET). The full BAA can be found on https://grants.gov under solicitation number “W911NF-21-S-0007” or here.