Follow the Status of Funding for Social Sciences
As PS heads to press, political science research funding is under direct threat in the US Congress, which is considering appropriations for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for FY 2013 as part of FY 2013 Commerce, Justices, Science Appropriations Bill. In early May, the House of Representatives passed the Flake Amendment to prohibit the use of any NSF funds “to carry out the functions of the political science program” by a vote of 218 to 208.
Action then turned to the US Senate where the NSF appropriations bill (S2323) came to the floor. APSA sent an action alert to our membership when the timing and shape of Senate action became clear. We provided a direct link to senators and a suggested message. An online petition circulated. APSA prepared an online toolkit of background information for our members and others.
For background and followup on this action, and to track more on funding issues visit the see the APSA Advocacy web page at www.apsanet.org.advocacy.
Stay Informed
In addition to APSA, we note other active consortiums.
Consortium of Social Science Associations
The Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) is an advocacy organization that promotes attention to and federal funding for the social and behavioral sciences. It serves as a bridge between the academic research community and the Washington policy-making community. Its members consist of more than 100 professional associations, scientific societies, universities, and research centers and institutes. In its many activities, COSSA:
• Represents the needs and interests of social and behavioral scientists;
• Educates federal officials about social and behavioral science;
• Informs the science community about relevant federal policies; and
• Cooperates with other science and education groups in pursuit of common goals.
COSSA works with federal agencies and with the relevant congressional committees and offices to explain the importance of social and behavioral sciences to America's economic and national security. The COSSA Washington Update, is an informative bi-weekly electronic newsletter. Visit www.cossa.org.
National Humanities Alliance
The National Humanities Alliance (NHA) is an advocacy coalition dedicated to the advancement of humanities education, research, preservation, and public programs. NHA is supported by nearly 100 national, state and local member organizations and institutions, including: scholarly and professional associations; higher education associations; organizations of museums, libraries, historical societies and state humanities councils; university-based and independent humanities research centers; and colleges and universities.
The mission of the National Humanities Alliance is to advance the cause of the humanities by promoting the common interests of its members with regard to national policy, programs, and legislation that impact work in the humanities. NHA works to achieve its objectives by:
• educating and informing constituents regularly throughout the year on funding, legislation and other issues
• providing a forum for the discussion of policy issues among constituents
• representing constituents at the national and federal levels
• mobilizing constituents for grassroots advocacy.
For more detail, visit www.nhalliance.org.
NEH Announces Grant Opportunity: Summer Stipends
The application period opened in early May 2012 for National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipends. The receipt deadline for applications is September 27, 2012, for projects beginning May 2013. Summer stipends are awarded to individuals pursuing research of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. They support full-time work on a project for two months. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources. Applicants should refer directly to the agency website to verify all information, including deadlines and available grants.
Summer Stipends support projects at any stage of development. Summer Stipends are awarded to individual scholars. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Program Statistics
In the last five competitions the Summer Stipends program received an average of 953 applications per year. The program made an average of 74 awards per year, for a funding ratio of 8 percent.
The number of applications to an NEH grant program can vary widely from year to year, as can the funding ratio. Information about the average number of applications and awards in recent competitions is meant only to provide historical context for the current competition. Information on the number of applications and awards in individual competitions is available from stipend@neh.gov
Additional information is available at www.neh.gov/grants/research/summer-stipends.
