"You aren't in a free country if you can't feel safe to express your views, whether they be far right or far left or in the middle or pro-Trump or anti-Trump." @timmiller.bsky.social and @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/were-in-a-...

We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.

Another great episode just released, this interview with Frank Turecek, who beyond the science also has an interesting life story. yotube: youtu.be/Dupb8fm11TU spotify: spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/ZQElhzgOaUb

Another great episode, this time with Daniel Conway about the importance of epithelial cells, how forces on them play a role and much more! Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/4wLB... YouTube: youtu.be/L03iYQ2Bcj8

Happy to announce, that after a brief break due to busy schedules of potential interviewees, Profiles in American Funded Research is back! New episode with Fatima Foflonker about gene clustering here: spotify: spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/iwMsAc7uNTb youtube: youtu.be/sg1LOba0Hos

A hot take for your Sunday: if your lab is funded by tax dollars you have some responsibility to inform the public how their dollars are spent. Here’s a super easy way to do that! www.standupforscience.net/summer-fight... #StandUpForScience #SummerFightForScience

Does anyone know approximately how many scientists the US federal government funds per year (across all agencies, including people supported by grants and fed workers)? Or where I could find this information?

There has been a natural break, which roughly coincides with end of semester busyness in my podcast interviews. The next release (if everything goes to plan) should be on Friday May 23rd. Thank you to everyone who has listened thus far and see you again in a week!

If you are a scientist with experience communicating science to the public, and you want to do one of these Stand Up For Science teach-ins, I can help you plan it. DMs open.

Reintroduction time! I'm Krystal, a science policy reporter at @cenmag.bsky.social. These days, I mostly report on the chaos happening at the NSF, but I also write about STEM education and equity issues within science. Any tips? Reach me on Signal at kvasquez.12 or via email at [email protected]

Oh and... ✅ NSF **removed** its previous question about "sunsetting" (i.e., ending) its Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES) division. That was in direct response to a broad temporary restraining order (TRO) from last Friday night (see link below). Connection to NSF: fedscoop.com/nsf-pauses-c...

5/8 🤔 Potentially mixed depending on viewpoint: "Project Outcomes Reports are waived for terminated awards" These appear publicly on the NSF award pages (normally). ✅ Minimizes reporting burden. ❌ Grantees can't say in their own words how the project ended (e.g., "was illegally terminated...").

4/8 Good news for minimizing reporting requirements: ✅ The 30-day report is ONLY for financial accounting. It's NOT the final annual report (which is due in 120 days). It's NOT an interim project report which has same structure as an annual report (there was prior mixed intel about that).

3/8 Good (?) news for "terminees": ✅ NSF publicly intends to follow through with final closeout payments. INCLUDING "closeout costs required to submit the final/annual report", as required by fed 2 CFR 200.472: www.ecfr.gov/current/titl... There was some question if that fed reg would be followed

2/8 ❌ Infuriating news: NSF publicly confirms it's returning proposals without review if they "do not align with the agency's priorities" (News outlets reported that last week, per internal leaks) A real big FU to proposers who poured countless hours into painstakingly preparing the proposals.

🧪 National Science Foundation update alert ⚠️⚠️ NSF just made a **lot** of updates to its "priorities" page. It's mixed news. Some good. Some bad. ❌ Not welcome: NSF is now also terminating "environmental justice" awards. The highlighted text here is new: www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p... 1/8... 🧵

The National Science Foundation marks its 75th anniversary this week. Rather than celebrate, it's time to save it. www.savensf.com/nsf-at-75-to...

I spoke with Science about scholars—myself included—self-censoring. In my case, my team and I feared losing our NSF funding for Expert Voices Together (expertvoicestogether.org), a program, ironically, built to support researchers and journalists under attack. www.science.org/content/arti...

That same employee also recommends that researchers check out www.savensf.com for resources on how to call attention to what's happening at NSF.

amen

The consolidation of review at NIH is really driven by the Trump/Republican desire to control NIH grantmaking from the top. Here’s an example of the chaos that’s happening now. It will get worse unless CSR and review are walled off from political interference.

From what I've seen tracking terminations, I think the NSF community circled its wagons quicker than the NIH folks and has been more press savvy. But honestly, all our communities--whether NIH, NSF, EPA, NOAA, NEH, NASA, CDC, SAMHSA, FDA or somewhere else--can do more to stand up for each other

Embrace it, but FIGHT BACK

NSF appears to be terminating hundreds of its grants to Harvard, per internal sources at NSF and at Harvard. At least one division has had all its grants cut.

My ongoing request: If your NSF or NIH grant was terminated--whether at Harvard or elsewhere--please report it here. NSF: grant-watch.us/submit-nsf.h... NIH: grant-watch.us/submit-nih.h... Our trackers are actively used in lawsuits and are often the only record that terminations ever occurred.

My episode with Lis Gallant, in which we discuss lava flows, the data collection, the importance of the NSF and more is now live! spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/06Iu... youtube: youtu.be/Oui0Y0HUQ7k

Update of my analysis of funding missing in FY2025 compared to FY2024. Bottom line: The missing amount is estimated to be $2.05 B from non-competitive renewals and $0.83 B from new and competitive renewals. Total: $2.88 B

We’ve been gearing up for a BIG fight. Tomorrow, it begins—see you then. #standupforscience

🧪 The head of NSF's computer science directorate, Greg Hager, just resigned. "My ability to carry out my vision, to provide a voice for computing research, and to provide authentic leadership to the community are diminished to the point that I can have more impact outside NSF than within it."

To my colleagues at Harvard with recently terminated NIH and NSF grants, please, please report them below. We’re told of at least 200 NSF grants and widespread NIH terminations. NIH: grant-watch.us/submit-nih.h... NSF: grant-watch.us/submit-nsf.h... And please spread the word 🙏

Unfortunately, federally funded climate adaptation science and services are being cut well ahead of the FY26 budget. We've been doing our best to speak up for what would be lost if the Climate Adaptation Science Centers are eliminated.

Appreciate the vital and helpful context in this NSF update from @jillbarshay.bsky.social! "Several congressionally mandated programs are housed within the eliminated equity division, including Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and the Eddie Bernice Johnson initiative."

New podcast episode! 👽🌍🎙🖖 Prof. Lisa Kaltenegger beams aboard to talk about her book, Alien Earths, the search for life in the cosmos, what exoplanets teach us about our home world, and her love for Star Trek.

Marc Andreesen received government funding from NSF to create Mosaic.

NSF is undergoing a massive shake-up: over 80 senior staff cut, remote work banned, the equity-in-STEM division eliminated, and hundreds of research grants scrapped. This isn’t budget efficiency—it’s a direct attack on U.S. science, education, and equity. www.eenews.net/articles/nsf...

RESIST for science.🧪 World’s Researchers Say They Will Resist Attacks on Science and Support Beleaguered U.S. Colleagues insideclimatenews.org/news/0605202...

As China increases it's investment in research by almost 10%, the US is dismantling research as fast and as disruptively as it can. Trying to see how this ends well for the US in any timeline 🧪

www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧪

🧪 Y'all, drop Amy—the last NSF historian—a follow, take her up on her generous offer and request!! 👏👏 "Like scientists, historians are empiricists." Offer: Reach out at [email protected] Request: Tell how NSF has affected *your* life, even if you're not directly NSF funded yourself.

THIS. The people I work with at NSF believe so much in the mission of NSF that even when the government decides they are no longer needed, they continue to fight to preserve our mission. Today is the 75th anniversary of NSF. Please watch this video.

I’ll be there Standing up, as a scientist, for all our futures

A big, warm, fabulous HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the NSF! Big fan of the internet 🔥

🧪 The union for NSF employees just called on Micah Cheatham, NSF's chief management officer, to resign: "Beyond his willingness to break the law, CMO Cheatham’s duplicitous cruelty and callous disregard for the people whose livelihoods are being jeopardized reveal a fundamental unfitness."

HAPPY 75th, NSF! We’re celebrating this milestone by highlighting some of NSF’s most transformative accomplishments—innovations that have shaped our world and continue to drive progress in health, technology, the environment, and beyond. Read on 🧵(1/11):

🚨 All staff for NSF’s Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES) have just been fired. In email to grantees: “the entire Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM has just been dissolved and the entire staff fired.” High time for scientists, public, Congress, YOU to take action to #SaveNSF

"There is nothing wasteful or elitist about public investment in science. On the contrary, it is one of the most reliable drivers of shared prosperity—benefiting not just institutions or industries, but society as a whole. Now is the time to expand that commitment, not withdraw from it."

Had a great interview with Charli Sakari about the importance of metal-poor stars, what they can tell us about the history of the Milky Way, and the universe as a whole and much more! Episode is now live. YouTube: youtu.be/gfMGYFvYLhk Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0kaq...

🚨 Breaking: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions 1️⃣ Removes/demotes division director leaders 2️⃣ Forced layoff notices to NSF staff going out tonight 3️⃣ More grant terminations expected tomorrow One glimmer of hope: the 8 directorates appear to be staying

This aside, however, I talked to a rotator this week and I want to convey that it's essential that you – the PI – keep doing your science; including writing and submitting proposals (whatever that looks like). This is a case where doing your job competently is actual resistance...

Here are the NSF funding data by state. Click on your state, peruse data, and then click on the Fact Sheet at the top to see annual spending. Then, please call your congressional reps. NSF money creates stable jobs for people at all career stages. tableau.external.nsf.gov/views/NSFbyN...