Two veteran leaders in federal statistics, Nancy Potok and Connie Citro, discuss with the “Practical Significance” hosts the urgent challenges facing US statistical agencies and their work with the ASA on assessing agency health and advancing modernization of the federal statistical system.
federal agencies
Protecting Privacy and Preserving the Value of Federal Statistics for Research and Evidence-Building
As federal agencies update and combine their data systems, the ASA urges a careful balance between protecting people’s privacy and keeping data useful for research and decision-making, calling for more education, better communication, new methods, and strong funding support.
NSF Corner: New Series Explores ASA-NSF Connection
Kathy Ensor, 2022 ASA president, established a working group with representation from the ASA Caucus of Academic Representatives and Committee on Funded Research to strengthen the connection between the statistical community and National Science Foundation. In NSF Corner, working group members seek to support NSF’s work to advance statistics and data science research and work with the ASA community to identify and communicate ASA priorities to NSF.
The United States Needs to Fill the Gaps in Its Crime Statistics
Janet L. Lauritsen says the US lacks sufficient data for many types of crime of great concern to society, and this is particularly the case for crimes falling under federal jurisdiction.
What Is COSSA Doing for You?
The Consortium of Social Science Associations serves as a bridge between research and government and lobbies Congress directly to translate scientific information and findings into sound policy and increased funding.
Infrastructure Series: Challenges Loom for Chief Statistician of the US
For this installment of the Count on Stats State of the Data Infrastructure Series, we hear from former Chief Statisticians of the United States Hermann Habermann, Katherine Wallman, and Nancy Potok.
How (In)Visible Is Science in ASA?
John Gardenier says an April Amstat News article needed more information about the FY20 budget for the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.
FY17 Requests for NIH, NSF, Federal Statistical Agencies Largely Positive
President Barack Obama’s requested budget for Fiscal Year 2017 maintains his record of proposing generally healthy increases for the NIH, NSF, and many federal statistical agencies, but realizing increases of any amount will be challenging.
Congress Finalizes FY13 Budgets
Weeks before President Obama released his FY14 budget request and six months into the fiscal year, Congress finalized the FY13 budget. For the most part, the budgets for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and federal statistical agencies are their FY12 budgets reduced by the sequestration cut of 5.1%. The cuts will mean fewer and smaller grants for NIH and NSF and program cuts, hiring freezes, and reduced travel for the federal statistical agencies.