Upshot: 🟢 JB says scientist training is his #1 priority. 🔴 Yet, this fiscal year so far, training-related grants are down over 80% from expected levels. Guys, you can’t do science without scientists. JB gets an F (but not an F grant... ba-dum-tss) More funding curves at Grant Witness:

Several people with signs like this at the Boston Marathon today

The human circulatory system, before and after proper cable management.

Nice comprehensive science spending site from @jdworkin.bsky.social sciencespending.org#methods

Terri Sewell (D-Alabama) asking RFK Jr. about an interview he gave in 2024 where he said that black kids are put on psychiatric drugs and his solution would be to reparent them. RFK claims he never said that and asks to hear the audio. The audio has been attached to the end of this clip.

I am putting together a linktr.ee of public resignation letters from NIH staff. tr.ee/7IpKJ_GBId Please let me know what I've missed!

How do scientists best meet the current moment? Laying out the options, none are perfect. Our options seem to be: 1) remain "apolitical," 2) engage in politics in a bipartisan fashion, 3) engage in politics in a partisan fashion.

I know at least 5 peeps w/NIH grants that have scored 1-4% who are not being funded. My hopes are those who are funded are using their resources to help others, particularly junior faculty. Sharing resources, personnel, time, etc… If we don’t all pull together, science and the country suffers.

This is a handy little website if you want to keep track of how things are going with science funding. sciencespending.org#overview

"You're spending taxpayer dollars to drink milk shirtless in a hot tub with Kid Rock. Somehow you think that's a better public health message than informing the public about the benefits of vaccines. Really? -- Rep. Linda Sanchez to RFK Jr

After a 5 month long campaign advocating for the reauthorization of America’s seed funding programs, we are celebrating BIG 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 !!! HUGE thank you to our campaign team, especially our grantees who advocated through meetings with Congress, social media posts, and working with the press.

I can't begin to tell you the # of convos I've had with young folks in nutrition who have lost all faith in the ivory tower leadership in nutrition. Watching senior academics & advocates clamor to try to manipulate this admin to their own ends and fear calling out their BS looks honestly pathetic

"Both similarity and differences can come with imposed societal value and judgement, and the science of genomics can intentionally or inadvertently be used to amplify societal inequities..." New substack written by @jennifer-troyer.bsky.social substack.com/@27unihted/n...

Federal News Network: CDC eases telework restrictions for disabled employees, as HHS faces 9,000-request backlog by Jory Heckman @jheckman.bsky.social bit.ly/4cxZQLF

Excellent thread! If scientists don't engage in politics now, who will advocate for science? For the most part, universities and societies have been silent or compliant. Advocacy in the US does not diminish one's scientific bonafides, it leverages them for a better world.

The recent presidential budget request has a 40% increase in military spending and 10% cut to non-military spending, including a 25% cut to the NIH. It seems worth pointing out that NIH (and other R&D) boosts the economy by 250%, whereas military spending (except R&D) shrinks the economy by 10%.

Jay Bhattacharya, Matt Memoli and others in this admin have weaponized the term “DEI” in incoherent ways that deeply and fundamentally harm science. Was honored to work on this with Jennifer Troyer & Alice Popejoy. open.substack.com/pub/sciencea...

Vought is not alone. Some hold a grievance joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/grievance-... others have ideological opposition: joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/not-all-wa... and many view universities & civil servants as the enemy: www.propublica.org/article/vide... all of which comes w/consequences.

Here are a couple of examples. Lung cancer survival rates for EGFR+ mutated Lung cancer.

In case you need to know what the administration’s priorities are… space was only mentioned THREE times. #pbr #pbr2027 #nasaneedshelp @whitehouse-47.bsky.social

BREAKING: @whitehouse unveils 2027 PBR, including an encore ask for 23% cut to NASA overall and 50% cut to NASA science, plus zeroed out the Office of STEM. (Read in full on WhiteHouse.org, pages 73-75.) We fought and won this once, we will do it again. #nasaneedshelp #artemisii #PBR2027

Statement on end of NIH continuous submission policy We at 27 UNITED have been speaking with NIH peer review staff, who are devastated about the ending of continuous submission for study section members.

Quotes from NIH workers on the April 1 RIFs, collected by @27unihted.bsky.social “...the worst part was the utter senselessness—when they RIFed my colleagues, they sent the message... that they can bully all of us and hold everyone at the agency hostage...” — Anonymous www.27unihted.org/the-nih-rif

Today we honor and commemorate the thousands who were illegally RIFed a year ago today. Most are still unemployed. Many have suffered major mental health consequences. Some have died by suicide. We see you. We value you. We remember.

Full speech is linked below for those interested in watching! Thanks again @27unihted.bsky.social for inviting me! youtu.be/htC3tGSunoE?...

Jeanne Marrazzo spoke at our 3/28 No Kings Day Rally and Food drive. Her entire speech was incredibly powerful. Here is a small clip of something really amazing. To watch the whole thing and others find us on YouTube youtube.com/shorts/vb3DN...

“You must persevere,” said Bill Bien, a lymphoma survivor. “It means so much to so many people you’ll never meet. It will save their lives.” My report on No Kings: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Anna Culbertson, co-founder of @27unihted.bsky.social, led the crowd in the oath of office: “I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” The crowd, repeating after her, shouted the last two words. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Much respect and appreciation to @nihvigils.bsky.social, @27unihted.bsky.social, @allstrike.bsky.social and all the speakers and volunteers for putting on a terrific event.

🧵(1) Great morning at @nihvigils.bsky.social with @allstrike.bsky.social @evanmglass.bsky.social @michaeldgreen.phd @27unihted.bsky.social and other proud civil servants.

Powerful speeches this morning from @michaeldgreen.phd and many others at today's #nokings edition of #nihvigils. Shoutout to @27unihted.bsky.social, @nihvigils.bsky.social, and all the great organizers who made the event possible.

Thanks to @27unihted.bsky.social for organizing this! Overall a great event and makes me feel more hopeful about the future of science (despite obvious obstacles).

Amazing turnout at our #NoKings outside NIH. We heard energizing and impactful words from @michaeldgreen.phd, @lauramatalopez.bsky.social, former NIAID Director Jeanne Marrazzo, amazing folks from @27unihted.bsky.social & @savehealthresearch.bsky.social Recharged and ready to keep up the fight!

📆Saturday March 28th, 10am, 📍Medical Center Metro / NIH Visitor’s Entrance 💌RSVP below! Speaker announcement: Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH former NIAID Director and CEO of @idsainfo.bsky.social Bill Bien, patient advocate and lymphoma survivor actionnetwork.org/events/no-sh...

Come early to drop off food for our food drive, led by NIH and FEMA workers to support the TSA community.

Come hear from @lauramatalopez.bsky.social @michaeldgreen.phd And other great speakers during our No (Shadow) Kings NIH Vigil! ❌👑 Also rock out to @allstrike.bsky.social 📆Saturday March 28th, 10am 📍Medical Center Metro/Outside NIH Welcome Center 💌 RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/no-sh...

Highly recommend watching open.substack.com/live-stream/... if you are interested in a scientific discussion of the origin of COVID-19 and some of the politics about pushing particular narratives.

Great new piece by @melodyschreiber.com in The Guardian about NIH/CDC Director Bhattacharya . In it, I talk about asking Bhattacharya in January about a recent issue affecting the affordability of healthcare for thousands of early career researchers on the NIH campuses.

Pass this on, please

Bloomberg names 2 potential candidates for CDC Director, Ernie Fletcher, a physician and former KY governor, and Joseph Marine, a Johns Hopkins cardiologist. 1/4

We are deeply grateful to our partners at @saveamericamvmt.bsky.social, @standupforscience.bsky.social, and @27unihted.bsky.social for helping us to get this message out ❤️🇺🇸

To watch this event either live or later, tune into open.substack.com/live-stream/... with @angierasmussen.bsky.social and others previewing the Ridley lecture, providing live fact checking, and discussing it afterwards. 3/3

@saveamericamvmt.bsky.social @standupforscience.bsky.social and @27unihted.bsky.social are co-sponsoring an event covering this lecture with the first NIH Freedom From Science lecture with scientists who have actually worked to find evidence and unravel the origin of COVID-19 #NIHFFS 2/3

Tomorrow, Director Bhattacharya is hosting the inaugural "Scientific Freedom" Lecture with Matt Ridley sharing his perspectives on the search for the origin of Covid-19 (and hawking his book on the subject published in 2022). 1/3

Help NIH staff give OMB Director & Project 2025 author Russell Vought the birthday he deserves. actionnetwork.org/forms/civil-...

Nature: NIH pivots away from agency-directed science by Max Kozlov @nature.com @maxkozlov.bsky.social go.nature.com/3Nu1q7M

"As of March 3, the agency had doled out 74% fewer competitive, or new, awards than the average for the same period in the 2021-2024 fiscal years, according to an analysis by researchers at Johns Hopkins." www.statnews.com/2026/03/17/n...

Follow @rebelfema.altgov.info and @roguefema.altgov.info for tomorrow's birthday greetings to Russell Vought! #ImpeachVought

I'm attending 27 UNIHTED's event, “NO SHADOW KINGS NIH Vigil - Defend Medical Research & Food Drive” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/27unihted/ev...