NIH grants have been under political scrutiny since early 2025. But what does the screening process actually look like? What is being flagged? I spent a month digging into leaked docs and emails. We've published the 235-word list that are being flagged by an internal AI tool. And so much more. 🧵

Thousands of biomedical studies are stuck in limbo as NIH drags out renewals months after annual budgets expire. Since 2025, the rate of overdue renewals has TRIPLED. This leaves scientists unable to plan, keep staff employed, or maintain long-term research. grant-witness.us/posts/2026-0... #NIH 🧪

Yesterday, I met Jay Bhattacharya briefly for the first time. I don’t think he’s a fan. 😬🤷‍♀️😇 He spoke yesterday at an NIH workshop on Health Disparities. I want to reflect on his talk, as well as the brief interaction that followed. Here goes… 🧵1/???

🚨 You need to read this thread, it’s the most important thread of the day If you think the actions taken by Bhattacharya, Vought, RFK Jr, and Trump to politicize & dismantle science & “cure science of woke DEI” were bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet This would effectively be the end of science 👇👇👇👇

Quick Rant : Global health loves to celebrate “local expertise” until it’s time for local experts to travel. Our young Cameroonian physician research coordinator was supposed to present malaria research from Cameroon at a meeting in Panama.

🚨 #Uganda MOH has confirmed 2 additional #Ebola cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Uganda to 7. Particularly concerning is that these new cases are healthcare workers in Kampala and unclear if they cared for or had exposure to any of the other known cases. .

More on the destruction of US science. www.chronicle.com/article/they...

#Ebola scoop: The Trump administration has imposed a travel ban on people who've been in DRC, South Sudan or Uganda in the past 21 days. The order does not apply to Americans. www.statnews.com/2026/05/18/c...

Scoop: There has been a massive shakeup at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Eight of the top ten officials have now been pushed out since President Donald Trump took office. In @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...

NEW: A serious staffing shortage — of the Trump admin's own making — is delaying the agency's ability to send billions to universities around the country, leaving labs reeling in the meantime. “I thought we were at rock bottom”, a senior NIH official said. “We are below rock bottom now.”

@pennldi.bsky.social @pennmehp.bsky.social and others are sponsoring this important #NIH funding seminar. May 19, 11 AM ET. Spread the word. #sciencesky #medsky #publichealthsky #episky #statsky

When the NIH abruptly terminated thousands of research grants last year, the fallout wasn’t distributed equitably. A new analysis suggests the cuts disproportionately hit women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ investigators. My latest for @nature.com

Sharing this screen grab from a friend at NIH (with permission). This is a checklist program officers have to complete before a grant can be awarded. The first question: "Is this grant All Clean/Clear in the NIH Text analysis Tool?" 🧵1/3

I first reported on H.I.V. in Zambia in 2002, when no one had treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. I saw hospitals where gaunt, dying patients packed the corridors. But Zambia — bolstered by international donors and the U.S. PEPFAR program — turned the tide www.nytimes.com/2026/04/25/h...

Bhattacharya, Letai & other politicals at NIH keep trying to to say all at NIH is fine, because they spent the full budget last year. This well researched article from @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social explains exactly why many scientists are still struggling. www.washingtonpost.com/science/2026...

Have you ever heard of breast ironing? This week, while taking part in a 4-day free cancer screening initiative in Cameroon's South West region, I was reminded of the horrors it causes and why we need to talk about it. 🧵 A thread.

🚀 PLOS Global Public Health Is Recruiting Academic Editors! Join Us! PLOS Global Public Health is growing, and we’re excited to announce that we are now seeking passionate, mission‑driven Academic Editors to join our diverse, global Editorial Board!

@statnews.com conducted a national survey of NIH-funded researchers and found that, a year after Trump's return, many scientists are reeling, with some closing labs entirely. ‘This is like the Titanic,' one respondent told me. For full details, see our special report www.statnews.com/2026/03/19/n...

BREAKING: @delauro.house.gov announces at a House Oversight hearing with NIH director Jay Bhattacharya that OMB approved the agency's apportionment last night. That means the agency should have access to its appropriated funds — 42 days after its spending bill passed.

A case of travel-related cladeI mpox has been reported in New York City. Mpox continues to circulate globally. Thankfully there are vaccines which confer protection and reduce disease severity. Get vaccinated if you have an increased risk of exposure. www.nydailynews.com/2026/03/14/s...

IMPORTANT---IMPORTANT---IMPORTANT NIH is seeking input for the NIH-wide Strategic Plan. Open to everyone but Registration is Required! Your chance to listen and get your 2 or more cents in. grants.nih.gov/news-events/...

The new controversial health funding aid packages which are replacing USAID to align with America first agenda of the current administration are reportedly linked to granting US greater access to mineral resources and harvesting sensitive health data of Africans w little reciprocity or protections

More changes at #NIH. Any foreign (even a non-HS) component needs a PF5. US-based institutions who gave sub-awards in olden times should now use the PF5. It looks to be structured like a P01.

🚨If you are committed to advancing implementation science, we'd love to hear from you! Implementation Science Communications is recruiting additional Editors to join our Editorial Board. Apply here 👉 link.springer.com/journal/4305... #ImpSci #ImpSciComms

Bhattacharya testified that he's taking this issue seriously, but I just spoke with a researcher who had completed all the screening and was disinvited from NIAID's council *today*. NIAID's council is set to run out of voting members in October. No grants can be funded without Council.

Still digging through this thorough report from @sanders.senate.gov. I want to flag this screenshot of what program staff receive when studies include "terms potentially associated with misalignment with agency priorities" (Newspeak for 'banned words')

Because I had to... Another email to Director Bhattacharya [about his retweeting misinformation about the response to AIDS] 1/5

I'm at the Willard Hotel where I've been denied entry and kicked out of the Reclaiming Science event with NIH director Bhattacharya & other top agency leaders. @jocelynkaiser.bsky.social and I registered for the event months ago yet were told capacity was full, even as they let in dozens of others.

So #HIV/AIDS date change notice just went up on #NIH grants site...

Our continuing resolution is in its final week. Stay tuned and stay connected with the #NIH. We are here in our personal capacities. Our posts aren't necessarily the views held by NIH, HHS, or the Federal Government.

🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year. That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027. A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications. A short 🧵

OMFG, what utterly grotesque racism from RFK Jr’s HSS

The end of FY 2025 is coming, and #OMB appears perfectly content to use us as targets. We are not their chess pieces. We serve our PIs. We are here in our personal capacities. Follow the #NIH.

🥳

The Eagles announced Tuesday Kevin Patullo had been removed as offensive coordinator two days after they were knocked from the NFL playoffs in a 23-19 home defeat to the San Francisco 49ers.

New research by authors from @weillcornell.bsky.social et al: Tuberculosis screening and care delivery in pregnant and postpartum persons living with HIV in Botswana journals.plos.org/globalpublic...

We've removed the paywall from this guide so everyone can access it. 👇 Stay safe.

A quick collaboration with the wonderful Rachel Bender Ignacio, Jade Pagkas-Bather and Sara Gianella. "Why Americans are Dying Younger? NIH Is Not the Problem. Our Broken Healthcare Delivery Is." academic.oup.com/jid/article/...

"She said that lenacapavir has become a kind of diplomatic carrot — and stick. Friendly, compliant governments, like Eswatini, have received early shipments, whereas South Africa or Nigeria — countries that have fallen out of favor with Trump — seem to have received the short end of the stick."

About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in. Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...

JUST IN: Mamdani, a democratic socialist and state assemblymember, will make history as the first Muslim and South Asian person — as well as the youngest in over a century — to serve as New York City mayor.

I know this is supposed to be some fear mongering threat … but personally I am super excited about this. Don’t change your mind now, you million worst-people-in-NYC! 👋🏽

RIFed: Office of Science (OS) - MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) MMWR is crucial to quickly disseminate info about infectious disease. Like the famous MMWR in 1981 about an outbreak of pneumocystis pneumonia among gay men in LA. That was the first mention of what is now known as AIDS

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

FYI there are a ton of DHS vehicles in Old City right now, be careful out there Philly

My husband was detained by ICE today Juan Muñoz, an American citizen, father of 2, and local government official, was peacefully protesting w. other elected officials. He was assaulted and taken away I have had zero contact or updates since #SOS @duckworth.senate.gov @durbin.senate.gov

~40% of Hepatitis B infections are caught in childhood. It is contagious enough that it can be spread just from sharing common household objects. The chance of chronic infection (ie does not clear, and is associated with high rates of liver failure and cancer) ranges from 50%-90% in this age group.