From the Consortium of Social Science Associations:

Congressional appropriators are currently considering fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills that would decimate funding for federal science and statistical agencies. It is critical that we raise our voices in support of robust investment in social and behavioral science research.

For our members in Maryland and Virginia in particular, now is the time to write to your members of Congress to urge their support for social science research funding in FY 2024.

Take action via COSSA: https://cossa.org/action-center/take-action/#/

The Public Sociology Association (PSA) at George Mason University is hosting the 8th annual PSA Conference September 14-15, 2023. This conference will take place remotely with potential opportunities for in-person networking within the DC area. 

This year's topic is "Institutional Change in the Face of COVID-19." We are open to submissions from undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professors and other professionals interested in the topic. The submission deadline is July 31. Participants need no more than an abstract to submit. Please click here for more details or to access the submission link.  

The PSA is a student-led organization committed to building community among and advancing the scholarship of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as scholars and practitioners engaged in public sociology. The PSA will host traditional paper presentations, poster presentations, organized panels, and workshops at this year’s conference.

The University of California Washington Program (UCDC) is seeking qualified candidates for its adjunct instructor pool. UCDC is an academic program of the U. of California that provides courses and internship opportunities for junior and senior undergraduates. Students take at least one class and intern in organizations and institutions that include the federal government, advocacy groups, international organizations, media, science agencies, museums and the arts, and more.

UCDC requires that all instructors be able to teach basic social science, history, or policy research skills and include in their syllabi expository writing assignments. They offer 10-week quarter and 14-week semester courses. Appointments are usually for a single quarter or semester term.

For more information, contact Dr. Jennifer Diascro, Associate Director Academics, at jennifer.diascro@ucdc.edu.

From the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) with a deadline of July 13, 2023.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking public input into the development of a roadmap for the newly created Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). The roadmap will guide the TIP Directorate’s activities and directions for the next three years, and COSSA needs your input to help ensure that insights from social and behavioral science research are included—if not prioritized—in efforts to shape the future of U.S. technology development and deployment.

COSSA will be submitting comments to NSF on behalf of the research community before the deadline. We want to hear from you. Comments and ideas for the roadmap should be sent to COSSA by July 13 in order to be considered as part of our submission. We welcome any and all contributions that you think help tell the story of why social and behavioral science must be part of TIP activities. Read on to find out the questions posed by NSF and how you can contribute.

https://cossa.org/2023/06/22/request-for-input-shaping-nsfs-tip-directorate/

Following yesterday's SCOTUS decision on affirmative action, the ASA released this statement.

We are currently accepting nominations for our four DCSS awards. The nomination deadline is April 3, 2023 for all awards. We expect to present all awards in-person at the Annual Awards Dinner in May (date TBA soon). 

The Stuart A. Rice Merit Award for Career Achievements is presented to a distinguished senior member of the Society who has made a significant contribution to the discipline. 

Irene B. Taeuber Graduate Student Paper Award. Graduate students are invited to submit papers for consideration for this award, open to all graduate students enrolled in Virginia, Maryland, and District of Columbia area colleges and universities. The winning authors each receive a $200 cash award and will be recognized at the May awards banquet.

The Morris Rosenberg Award is presented for outstanding sociological achievement during the past three years by any member of DCSS.

The Anna Julia Cooper Award for Public Sociology by a Community Organization is given to a community group using the methods and insights of sociology in its work to improve life in the DCSS service area. 

For more details including nomination procedures and past award winners, see the Awards page.

You may notice that the DCSS website has a totally new look. More than just a change of colors and layout, the new website is part of an integrated association management software platform that will enable us to do a much better job of communicating with member and non-member sociologists in the DMV. The new website combines membership processing, events, and communication in a single platform. Look for more information on these new functions coming soon!

DCSS begins 2022-2023 with newly-elected officers and a new executive committee. We are in the process of planning events for the coming year and welcome input from all!

Gay Young of American University is the new President of DCSS and Alexandra Rodriguez of Howard University is the new Secretary. John W. Curtis continues as Treasurer and Jill Brantley continues as Editor of The Sociologist. The new executive committee members include Yoku Shaw-Taylor (Immediate Past President), Sally Hillsman (past ASA Executive Officer), Jason Smith (George Mason University and Kaiser Permanente), Michelle Newton (American University), Evita Bynum (Catholic University of America), and Denae Bradley (Howard University).