PAA Government Affairs Update Webinar | On July 29 PAA/APC Government Affairs Director Mary Jo Mitchell gave us an update on legislative and administrative actions to date, especially regarding the FY 2026 appropriations process as relevant to federal data and research funding. She also provided some tips on best ways to engage with your representatives and senators when they are in your districts during the August recess.
See further announcements and opportunities below.
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EVENTS
From Longevity to Vitality: Applying the Science of Aging.
Tuesday, August 12, 2:00—3:30 pm ET.
The U.S. is aging—fast. Are we ready? Join us for the kickoff of a compelling three-part webinar series that applies insights from the social and behavioral sciences to one of the most urgent challenges of our time: supporting healthier, more connected lives as we age. Sponsored by the Hauser Policy Impact Fund, these webinars work to connect social science analysis and synthesis to help guide evidence-based policy decisions. In this opening webinar, we explore:
- How we learn and adapt as we grow older
- Strategies to boost cognitive health and healthy aging across the lifespan
- The profound public health impacts of loneliness and isolation
- What policymakers at all levels can do today to support aging populations
Drawing on past work, including Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America, Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Social Isolation and Loneliness, and How People Learn II, this session will connect science with practical, actionable insights for communities and governments.
Panelists include:
- Margaret Beier, Rice University
- Thomas Cudjoe, Johns Hopkins University
- Mark Hayward, University of Texas
- Anna Heard, National Governors Association
- David Parkes, AARP
- Kristine Yaffe, University of California, San Francisco
18th NIH Matilda White Riley Distinguished Lecturer: The Life Course, Aging, and Health Disparities: Preliminary Insights from Wave VI of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health
August 28, 3:00–4:00 pm ET
Virtual
Presenter: Robert Hummer, Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
This presentation will focus on the history, theoretical and substantive motivations, and empirical contributions of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), as well as innovations in recent data collection methods and preliminary findings from Wave VI.
Add Health is one of the most innovative and widely referenced nationally representative longitudinal studies of Americans ever undertaken. It provides data used by thousands of researchers around the world to more fully understand the multilevel (biological, survey, contextual) life course factors that contribute to health and health disparities among U.S. adolescents and adults. Learn more and register here.
Unlocking the Future of Health Behavior Theory: Toward Innovations in Understanding and Practice.
September 8, 12:00–4:30 pm ET
The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) is hosting a virtual conference entitled “Unlocking the Future of Health Behavior Theory: Toward Innovations in Understanding and Practice.” See agenda and register here.
ECHO Symposium: Translating Science to Action.
September 15, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm ET
Join colleagues for the NIH ECHO Symposium: Translating Science in-person or online A broad range of influences during sensitive developmental windows from preconception to early childhood can have long-lasting effects on the health of our children. This includes everything from exposure to chemicals and microplastics to the neighborhoods and communities we live in, as well as social factors like media use and stress. The ECHO Translating Science to Action Symposium brings together researchers, policymakers, health professionals, and advocates to translate child health research into impactful solutions. Read more and register.
FUNDING
NOT-OD-24-078: Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Supporting the Exploration of Cloud in NIH-supported Research. Multiple receipt dates through June 19, 2026.
OPPORTUNITIES
John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science Call for Nominations. The National Academy of Sciences is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for the 2026 John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science. The Award recognizes noteworthy and distinguished accomplishments in the social sciences (excluding economics). The award is presented with a medal and a $25,000 prize. All nominations must be submitted online by Monday, October 6. See details.
2026 Moynihan Prize Call for Nominations. The American Academy of Political and Social Science is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize. The deadline for nominations is November 1, but there is no time like the present and making a nomination is pretty easy. Research and evidence about society and the effectiveness of public policy make our nation stronger. The Moynihan Prize honors social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders who advance the public good through informed judgment and the application of social science research to policy and practice. The winner will deliver the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture on Social Science and Public Policy in Washington, DC, next fall. Nominate someone you think is an exemplar of the values that Moynihan himself embodied:
- evidence from social science is useful to public policymaking
- civil discourse is enhanced when reasoned judgement based on facts is its centerpiece,
- public service, at its best, is an intellectually curious and joyful endeavor.