The ASA urged the Department of Education to explicitly recognize statistics as a foundational element of AI literacy.
Science Policy
Budgets See Cuts, Flat Funding for Research, Federal Statistical Agencies
Finalized in March, the federal government fiscal year 2024 budget generally delivered cuts for research funding and statistical agencies. President Joe Biden’s FY25 budget request was also more modest than in past years, largely requesting flat funding.
NSF Q&A: Statistics and the Division of Environmental Biology
To strengthen the connection between the statistical community and National Science Foundation, we asked NSF program officer Samuel Scheiner about the Division of Environmental Biology. NSF also funded an initiative by Ali Rahnavard and Keith Crandall to study SARS-CoV-2’s evolution. Here, they discuss what their research will accomplish and offer advice about applying for NSF funding.
ASA Connects Policymakers, Congressional Staffers
As part of its science policy work, the ASA organized a congressional briefing in January to highlight the role of statistics and research in informing criminal justice policymaking. Moderated by Greg Ridgeway, the virtual event featured Nancy La Vigne, director of the National Institute of Justice, and Kevin Scott, acting director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Getting to Know Col. Nicholas Clark of West Point
In keeping with our tradition of interviewing leaders from the federal government, we spoke with a West Point professor, Col. Nicholas Clark, who specializes in teaching statistics to military personnel.
State of the Education Data Infrastructure: What Three Experts Have to Say About the National Center for Education Statistics
For the state of the data infrastructure series, the ASA Count on Stats team spoke with three experts on the National Center for Education Statistics: James L. Woodworth, Jack Buckley, and Felice J. Levine.
Applications Sought for ASA Science Policy Fellowship
A one- to two-year position, the fellow will be based at the ASA headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia; however, they will spend much of their time in Washington, DC, advocating for statistics and experiencing first-hand how federal science policy is formed.
Advocating for the Profession: The ASA Wants Your Recommendations
Advocacy for the ASA means supporting the profession of statistics, encouraging the engagement of statisticians, providing the perspectives of the ASA as it relates to issues on which we have expertise, or urging a particular course as it relates to the ASA perspective.
Twelve Years of ASA Science Policy: Highlighting the Scope and Breadth
The ASA’s science policy activity has covered a variety of topics since the creation of the ASA’s science policy staff position 12 years ago. The responsibilities of the position are to raise the profile of statistics and statisticians in policymaking and to advocate for the interests of statisticians.
Staff Spotlight: New Science Policy Fellow Daniel Elchert
Elchert will work to amplify the ASA’s science policy efforts to raise the profile of statisticians in policymaking and advocate on behalf of the statistics community.