"We are so very late that many students will not be able to apply this year." My latest story—about frustration over delays for NSF's graduate research fellowship program. #NSFGRFP #GradSchool @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...

All NSF fields are ostensibly included; probably best to proceed with 2024's solicitation in mind. A critical missing piece is the letter deadline: 2024's was a week before applic deadlines, but apparently the portal had be re-opened due to many late letters. 2025 portal's still not open yet. Chaos.

I am leading a workshop tonight for students in my department on how to apply for the NSF GRFP, but have not received answers from NSF to my questions about whether they are still funding applications in neuroscience and cognitive science, etc. If anyone has info please let me know. (continued)

Graduate students who applied to #NSFGRFP last year: I'm collecting information for a petition. Please reply or send me a chat request about whether you (1) were able to access your application reviews, and (2) experienced any chaos around the letter writer deadlines last year.

I'm really hoping that #NSFGRFP letters of rec will be due the week AFTER the application deadline (as they have been for decades) rather than the week BEFORE, as they were last year. Did anyone experience any chaos last year due to late letters?

Curiouser and curiouser. Mon morning NSF GRFP announced deadlines of Oct. 27, 28, 29, 30 (49 days from today, rather than the 90 required by the Federal Register), but STILL no solicitation, just "Solicitation coming soon." Stranger still: est. # of awards is 1 to 3000 ! www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

Thousands who hope to apply this year to NSF GRFP are working on applications, but with no guidance from a solicitation. NSF's .org website no longer exists. Will the program continue? NSF needs to hear from you! PLEASE email concerns to [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected] #grfp

At the 7/10 Sen. Appropriations hearing on the Commerce/Justice/Science bill, Sen Tammy Baldwin managed to get CJS Chair Sen Jerry Moran to publicly agree to go over the 1,500 NSF grants to determine which ones should be restored!! Sen Susan Collins will join them! (~2:21:00 in) Be still, my heart!

Brought to you by the DEI for Billionaires and Oligarchs Program.

The U.S. Army swore in four Big Tech executives as Lieutenant Colonels: - Palantir’s CTO - Meta’s CTO - OpenAI’s Chief Product Officer - OpenAI’s former Chief Research Officer All of these people are surely connected to fascist Peter Thiel, as Zuckerberg (Meta) and Altman (OpenAI) are his protégés.

This is from 10 days ago, but still newsworthy.

Was your graduate education funded by an NSF grant or a GRFP award? If so, now is the time to contact the Appropriations Committee and your senators (especially Rs) and let them know how important NSF's educational mission is. #SaveNSF

NSF's slashed 2026 budget includes NO funds for any new NSF GRFP awards! PLEASE contact the Appropriations Cmte now: www.appropriations.senate.gov/about/members 1. Find contact info here: www.270towin.com/elected-offi... 2. Tell them how important NSF and GRFP are to you!! #SaveNSF

From XKCD:

Here is a letter that we (2 former NSF GRFP program officers) sent to the National Science Board Fri 5/9. The NSB is the Exec Branch's lawful governing board for NSF (as opposed to DOGE).

Applicants to the GRFP competition did not sign up for their personal information to be provided to companies. With no guardrails or data policies that would apply across public-private funders, we are concerned that HMs may be exploited and their independence compromised. (4/4)

The NSB’s 494th meeting (5/7/25) resurrected a proposal (from the National Defense Education Act of 1958) to solicit public-private partners to provide funds to HMs, “NDEA 2.0” The >3,000 GRFP HMs certainly deserve funding, but it would be far better to convert some of them to NSF GRFP awards. 3/4

Every year there are many more talented GRFP applicants than can be funded, who are recognized with Honorable Mention. In a typical year, GRFP has as about many HMs as awardees. Many of this year’s 3,000 HMs should have received awards with $37K stipends, but instead were left without funding. (2/4)

NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)has had enormous positive impacts on the U.S. STEM workforce (with over 75,000 awards since 1952, including to 50 students who went on to win Nobels decades later). In 2025, this national treasure was cut from a planned 2,300 awards to only 1,000. 1/4

www.dailykos.com/stories/2025... My heart goes out to my colleagues whose grants have been terminated, as well as to their students. I hope that they will appeal and then sue.

bsky.app/profile/davi... The National Science Board is the Executive Branch's governing board for the NSF (NOT DOGE!!). We need the NSB's leadership now more than ever - SAVE NSF.

These union members are heroes.

I am so heartened to this seriously AWESOME #SaveNSF website go up today!!!! Has a take action toolkit with: 1. Press outreach templates 2. Social media toolkit 3. Elected official outreach 4. Talking points Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come. www.savensf.com