ARL Advocates for Social Sciences, Library Funding on Capitol Hill

Last Updated on April 3, 2025, 11:30 am ET

Advocates from 17 US states met with members of Congress during the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) annual Social Science Advocacy Day on March 25. Foregrounding how social and behavioral sciences are informing policy and improving lives, participants called for robust funding for grantmaking federal agencies in the FY 2026 appropriations process. We also voiced concern about the disruptive effects of grant freezes and efforts to dismantle whole agencies that underpin the research enterprise.

Left to right: Lacey Hilliard, Suffolk University; Rep. James McGovern (D-MA); Marcel LaFlamme, ARL; Izzy Aaron, Society for Research in Child Development

I joined social science faculty from Boston University and Suffolk University, as well as colleagues from scholarly societies, for meetings with the Massachusetts congressional delegation. In our discussions, I emphasized the role of competitive grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in fostering innovation and creating a foundation for evidence-based practice in research libraries. I highlighted the Realities of Academic Data Sharing (RADS) Initiative, funded by IMLS, as an example of applied social science research informing how institutions can efficiently resource support for data management and sharing, ensuring that taxpayers gain the maximum benefit from federal investment in social science.

ARL’s member libraries were also represented by Ameet Doshi, head of the Donald E. Stokes Library at Princeton University. “I was honored to participate in the annual Social Science Advocacy Day event,” said Doshi. “My goal in participating was to discuss the interests and perspectives of the social scientist community at Princeton. I was joined by Aaron McClendon from Princeton’s Office of Government Affairs as we met with legislative staff from New Jersey’s House and Senate delegations.”

Doshi continued, “During our meetings we highlighted the importance of supporting social science research funded by the NSF, NIH, and federal statistical agencies. Using everyday examples from my work as a librarian, I shared firsthand accounts about the critical need for social science data to support student projects, doctoral dissertations, and faculty research programs. We also communicated the benefits that accrue to the broader public when fields such as AI, healthcare, defense, and education are informed by social science research.”

Ameet Doshi, Princeton University, with the US Capitol and cherry blossoms in view

ARL is a proud member of COSSA, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to promote and advance the social and behavioral sciences in federal policymaking in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, DC, COSSA serves as a united voice for organizations, institutions, communities, and stakeholders who care about a successful and vibrant social science research enterprise. COSSA’s policy experts work with a broad network of advocates to ensure sustainable federal funding for social and behavioral science research and the widespread use of this research in policymaking.

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