“At NSF, the net reduction of 205 STEM Ph.D.s between 1 January and 30 November constituted 40% of its total pre-Trump Ph.D. workforce of 517, by far the largest percentage at any agency. STEM Ph.D.s also make up a larger percentage of the total workforce at NSF than at any other agency…”.

The National Science Foundation sign on our Eisenhower Av building is now gone. The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets. We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.

News to me: “The National Science Foundation will be breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado," Russ Vought, … said in a statement to USA TODAY. "This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country.”

NSF - Forced reorg - POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements) - Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …) I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing. “Details matter” 🙃

One bright light of 2025 - Cyrus, our new addition. He joins Asa, my beloved golden who was diagnosed with cancer in June. Isn’t he a cutie?

All federal employees took an oath to the constitution. I’ve worked with many leaders across multiple agencies, including the military. It’s our duty and an honor to defend the constitution. We believe in America and the principles that made this country special. The oath demands we protect it.

NSF is open again! A few comments: *Please be patient. During a shutdown NSF employees cannot open computers or respond to emails. *Merit review will continue. However panels won’t resume until after Dec 8th. *POs remain excited and committed to advancing science and the scientific workforce.

As one of those federal employees, I couldn’t agree more. “Preventing authoritarian consolidation is the most harm-reducing move.”

Way to go, Virginia! Spanberger wins!

“So basically, we swear we’re going to follow Trump’s policies, which is ridiculous,” the HHS employee, who was granted anonymity, told the outlet.

Old Town Alexandria

NSF’s doors will be closed at 1:30 pm today. While you may be able to submit things, there will be no staff to process anything. In fact it is illegal for us to even open our work computers or email during a shutdown. A very few rotators may be able to communicate, so check out of office responses.

New from #SCIMaP - analysis of the White House’s Proposed FY 2026 National Science Foundation Budget. Take-home: Slashing NSF by >50% will lead to ~$11 billion in economic loss and extensive job loss and reduced training opportunities in communities nationwide. Report: osf.io/e8rnc a 🧵

My quote of the day

If there’s one thing that I have learned from engaging with primary sources, it is that people in the past weren’t smarter or more principled than we are today they just weren’t drowned in omnipresent propaganda and/or prosperous enough to be detached from material conditions

“This Executive Order is nothing short of obscene," said Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). "In what world does Donald Trump think that Americans want political appointees – who, need I remind the President, are unelected bureaucrats – making decisions on what science gets funded?”

“Federal workers can hold prayer circles with members of the public and tell colleagues to rethink their religious beliefs, according to new guidance the Trump administration released...” 🤯 Well as long as I can tell people to rethink their religious beliefs, I’m good. Thanks for the reminder.

NSF’s Union President epitomizes moral leadership. I’m proud to have him as a colleague and friend.

The best week of my summers is spent doing this grant workshop, sometimes in VA and sometimes in CO. It’s always filled with amazing people, and I am inspired by you!

Letter to Representative Lofgren - Appeal to Defend Civil Service Protections and the Mission of the NSF

“More than 140 employees of the National Science Foundation have signed a letter denouncing what they described as efforts to undermine one of the country’s main science funding agencies. … Out of fear of retaliation, all but one of the employees’ signatures are redacted.”

Today!

Started the day by reading the Declaration of Independence. Happy 4th - the original No Kings Day 🇺🇸

Another day testing the limits of resilience. The Alexandria NSF building was designed for the NSF merit review process (gold standard), complete with a floor devoted to panels. Now we aren’t allowed to have in person panels. The loss of US science leadership will haunt this country for decades.

HUD has been touring the building for months. NSF says nothing…”nothing to see here”. I’m quite sick of gaslighting, bullying, and lack of respect for science and academia. It’s getting harder and harder to take.

Join NSF-DOE Vera C.Rubin Observatory team at 11 am EST to see first images from world’s most powerful survey telescope! youtube.com/live/Zv22_Am...

“The humiliation and censorship of the world's leading scientists and doctors, destroying research grants on a completely arbitrary collection of buzzwords linked to an imagined ‘woke mind virus,’ is a pathetically childish temper tantrum with utterly criminal impacts on the nation ...”.

It sickens me that the Trump administration is using antisemitism as a pretext for so much destructive behavior. This is cynical and disingenuous. Don't fall for it. /fin

Old Town Alexandria, VA No Kings!

“…we need federal leadership that supports, not dismantles, the U.S. science enterprise and whose actions follow a bold positive vision for the future of science. …we must defend scientific integrity not just as a professional obligation, but as a cornerstone of democracy…” (STAT - 3 free articles)

👏🏻👏🏻

In case it wasn't clear: this administration is not interested in cutting costs & deficits, just dismantling knowledge and resistance

In our most recent episode we talk with Bill Zamer and Sam Scheiner, two former BIO program officers at the NSF, about the recently proposed 56% budget cut to the NSF. 🎙️Listen now: bigbiology.substack.com/p/savensf-ep... #scicomm #science #sciencecommunication #SaveNSF #NSF

You have 2 days left to comment (by May 23 at 11:59 pm)! Go to the link if you don’t want your NSF or NIH program officers who took an oath to the constitution (not a political party) to instead be subject to the whims of a president and fired if they don’t “conform”.

🧪😲☝️ New data insight: A DOGE-fueled National Science Foundation has now terminated at least dozens of awards for **especially** bogus reasons. Who this applies to: Terminated NSF grants first awarded BEFORE Nov 12, 2020. This gets a bit wonky, but this is important, so let me explain. 🧵

“The entire landscape of American science, research, and engineering are under heavy attack,” the employee says. “It’s really critical that we all speak against it and be unified in our opposition.”

Back from a glorious few days in TCI. Didn’t take my phone. Now back to DC and its mind-melting delirium. Bet I missed some things at work.

Join us in the evolution tri-societies Week of Action for NSF! Call/write congress, engage with colleagues, friends and family about the importance of NSF funding! Scan the QR code on the attached image for instructions and scripts. We must make noise! Pls RT!!!! #WithoutNSF #SaveNSF #SupportNSF

SaveNSF is a coalition of concerned scientists and allies who are working to save funding for scientific grants through the NSF. The mission is to support and advocate for the continuation of vital research and innovation. Join: www.savensf.com

The plan is to break the parks, claim they must be privatized, take them from the American people and give them to their friends.

“Show me your budget and I’ll tell you what you value.” … www.whitehouse.gov/omb/informat...

About NSF’s new(est) bulletin - 15% indirect cost rates will kill universities. Apparently that’s the point. I am sick.

Why is the U.S. National Science Foundation important? Please share your stories! Use the hashtags #WithoutNSF or #WithoutScience

NSF Director stepping down. Email to staff on a Thursday. This doesn’t bode well for the typical Friday news dump.

“Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”

I've been making a series of videos called "What the FUNDING" that highlight all the incredible science that federal funding supports. If DOGE just fcked up your NSF grant and you wanna collaborate on a video, lmk? I'm @science_irl on insta & TT #scicomm 🧪 #nsf

This is bad. Read the updates. www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...

A good 🧵.

Letter from Zoe Lofgren, Ranking member of Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. democrats-science.house.gov/imo/media/do...

UPDATE: It happened. In an 11:15 meeting, employees were told that the office has been eliminated and their positions will be terminated.