Navigating Unprecedented Change: Federal Science Policy, Funding, and the Future of Developmental Science Webinar - Part 1: Understanding the Federal Policy Landscape
Developmental scientists are confronting one of the most consequential periods for federally funded research in recent memory. Proposed and enacted changes to federal science funding, agency priorities, research infrastructure, and policymaking processes are creating uncertainty across the research enterprise, with potentially far-reaching implications for the production and use of knowledge about children, youth, families, and communities.
From restructuring within key agencies to new policies that could fundamentally alter how federally funded research is prioritized and conducted, the landscape is changing rapidly.
Part 1: Understanding the Federal Policy Landscape
What is the current state of play, what is changing, and why does it matter?
This briefing, co-sponsored by SRCD’s Policy Committee will provide an overview of the current state of play in federal science policy and major developments affecting federal research funding, including updates from a key federal agency office and insights from other leaders across the scientific community.
To help SRCD members understand these changes, assess their implications, and engage with colleagues and policymakers, SRCD is hosting a two-part webinar series.
Meet the Presenters
Wendy Naus - Executive Director, Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA)
Wendy Naus became the fourth Executive Director of COSSA in 2014 following a decade of lobbying for the federal research and policy interests of scientific societies and U.S. universities. Over her career, she has worked to shape legislation, programs, and regulations important to the research community and has advocated for increased research funding across federal agencies.
In her role at COSSA, Wendy serves as the lead advocate for federal funding and policy that positively impact social and behavioral science research across the federal government, representing the breadth of the social science research enterprise. She is also responsible for the day-to-day operations of COSSA and member engagement. A native of Buffalo, New York, Wendy holds a B.A. in political science and urban studies from Canisius College, graduating magna cum laude from the All-College Honors Program.
Dr. Jane Simoni - Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Jane M. Simoni, Ph.D., is the Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research.
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Simoni’s research has focused on health disparities and resilience. Her research on behavioral interventions for chronic illness used mixed methods and clinical trials to evaluate strategies such as peer support, medical record alerts, provider training and counseling, and mobile health technologies to promote treatment engagement and improve health outcomes. Her work used cutting-edge behavioral and social science methods and theories to help create and implement health promotion and disease prevention programs.
A clinical psychologist, Dr. Simoni joined NIH in July 2023 from the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, WA, where she was a professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology. She was the founding Director of the UW Behavioral Research Center for HIV and co-directed the UW/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research.
Dr. Simoni has led more than 24 research projects and two of her strategies to promote medication adherence–peer support and electronic reminders–are included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Compendium of Evidence-Based Interventions and Best Practices for HIV Prevention. She has collaborated on research and training awards on HIV, mental health, substance use, trauma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and pediatric overweight treatment.
Dr. Simoni earned her undergraduate degree at Princeton and her Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles. She also completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Southern California and Columbia University.
