URGENT ACTION NEEDED

Dear U.S. members and friends of the Law and Society Association:

National Science Foundation (NSF) research funding for the social sciences is threatened with a cut of at least 45% in a bill that will be debated on the House floor during the week of May 18.  I urge you to write to your member of Congress THIS WEEK before that debate.

You can do this easily right now. Go to the COSSA Action Center to sign up and take action by asking your representative to oppose the America COMPETES Act of 2015 (H.R. 1806). The site provides talking points and identifies your representative in Congress from your address.

On April 15, House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) introduced the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 (H.R. 1806), the authorization bill for the National Science Foundation (NSF). This bill breaks with normal procedure and sets funding levels for NSF’s individual research directorates.  The Directorate of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) is singled out for a massive 45% cut.

As one of the smaller units within SBE, the Law and Social Sciences Program could be in serious jeopardy. Grant funding for research through sociology, political science, social psychology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, geography and the other programs in the SBE Directorate would likely also see cuts.

A full analysis of the bill by the Consortium of Social Science Associations appears here.

Unfortunately, many public officials do not believe that basic social science research is a critical public good.  But hearing from their constituents can make a difference!  That’s why I urge you to contact your representatives. 

In addition, please contact your university officials to ensure they are focusing on this threat to basic social science research and are letting members of Congress know the potential harm to U.S. universities.

Many thanks for supporting this effort,
Carroll Seron, President

Law and Society Association