FEDERAL ADVOCACY UPDATEWeek of April 27ACTION ALERT: Oppose FY2027 Budget Cuts to NSF Congress is being urged to reject the administration's FY2027 budget proposal, which calls for the complete elimination of the National Science Foundation's Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate and a 54% overall cut to NSF funding. These proposed cuts are compounded by the unprecedented firing of the entire National Science Board. This would be a devastating blow to behavioral and social science research. Please take action NOW using this link. APA Testimony on Behavioral Health Workforce APA Services submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education this week. The testimony urged continued bipartisan investment in addressing the mental and behavioral health workforce shortage, expanding equitable public education, and advancing scientific research. NIH Clinical Trial Application Form: Raising Concerns About Bias APA and its Committee on Human Research submitted formal feedback to the NIH on a proposed Clinical Trial-Specific Application Form. The feedback raised concerns about potential implicit bias in how the form is designed and implemented, particularly that certain instructions and technical design elements could disadvantage behavioral science research relative to biomedical research. Capitol Hill Advocacy: NSF Director Confirmation APA joined behavioral and social science partners in meetings with members of the Senate HELP Committee to advocate for an open confirmation hearing for NSF Director nominee Jim O'Neill. Advocates highlighted the critical role of social and behavioral sciences in addressing national challenges and raised serious concerns about the proposed budget cuts and planned elimination of the SBE Directorate. The NSF has been without a permanent Senate-confirmed director since April 2025. |
