It’s the part of the semester again where I consider never assigning coursework again.

Thrilled to be at an OpEd writing workshop today, made possible by @scholars.org! Academics and researchers- check them out!

Yes.

Jeremy Berg@jeremymberg.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Thoughtful and well-informed op-ed from @ianlmorgan.bsky.social Definitely worth a read! www.the-scientist.com/nih-leadersh... 1/2

Totem Inschrift, by Carl Heidenreich, 1963, 📸 by @GoslingPhoto

My wonderful colleague wrote a piece about Nevada’s attempt to end collective bargaining in higher ed and the impact it will have on our students- thenevadaindependent.com/article/opin...

OPINION: Killing collective bargaining in higher ed will hurt students and shatter morale - The Nevada Independent

OPINION: Killing collective bargaining in higher ed will hurt students and shatter morale. Read more from The Nevada Independent.

thenevadaindependent.com

There’s such a constant stream of bad that it almost gets normalized, but there are still things that stop you dead in your tracks.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 12mo ago

Trump announces he's placing the DC police department "under direct federal control" and deploying the National Guard in the city

Back in a wet lab today. Being able to fit some benchwork into human behavioral studies is a dream. Grateful 🥹

Outstanding presentation of the devastating cuts at NSF and their impact across multiple areas of scientific research and training. Angry at the impact now and in the long-term to US research. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades (Gift Article)

The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.

nytimes.com

I think in part the higher education funding crisis and the LLM-teaching crisis actually strike at the same problem, which is that education doesn't work without a broad, society-wide sense that the *actual content* of education - not the credential - is valuable.

"Women are PIs on 58% of the canceled grants, although they are PIs on only 34% of all active NSF grants. Similarly, Blacks are PIs on 17% of the terminated grants, although they make only 4% of the total pool. Hispanic PIs and those with disabilities were twice as likely to lose a grant."

David Malakoff@davidmalakoff.bsky.social · last yr.

Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3 www.science.org/content/arti...

They’re here!!! 😍😍😍 Thanks for working some magic @yahboireirei.bsky.social @ajawilson.bsky.social @mikedsykes.bsky.social

The National Institutes of Health, the largest funder of biomedical research in the world, has fired 1,300 employees and cancelled more than $2 billion in federal research grants. https://cbsn.ws/4daiCrv

How cuts at the National Institutes of Health could impact Americans' health

Cuts and layoffs to the National Institutes of Health threaten medical research around the U.S., agency insiders warn.

cbsn.ws

oh you mean like every other time they've tried this? everywhere else in the world?

CNN@cnn.com · last yr.

A German experiment has found that people are likely to continue working full-time even if they receive no-strings-attached universal basic income payments.

Jfc

Science Magazine@science.org · last yr.

Exclusive: Weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration ordered NIH to pull $250 million in biomedical research grants to Columbia University, the agency is freezing all remaining grant money owed to the university until further notice. scim.ag/4if5Rg1

This is really unfair to everyone who just voted for him for the racism.

AI was going to transform the world economy. Yesterday it did—not by doing anything useful, but when imbeciles used to it set tariff raters. AI was going to transforming education. Today it has— not by creating better learning platforms but instead by undermining ones have worked for centuries. 🧵

Dr. Damien P. Williams has to go the way his blood beats@wolven.blacksky.app · last yr.

So OpenAI is actively marketing ChatGPT to students during college finals season in the U.S. We've talked many (many) times before about the kinds of harm that can come from giving over too much epistemic and heuristic authority over to these systems, but additionally, there's been at least three…

Current me every day

Andrei Kamalov@yahboireirei.bsky.social · last yr.

Current middle class vibes

Over the past year and a half, I have been working with an incredible group of people to unionize the faculty at Nevada State. Today is the day we will win the vote! 🗳️🗳️🗳️

a group of people standing around a megaphone that says union power on it

Alt: a gif of a group of people standing around a megaphone with the text “union power is people power”

media.tenor.com

Umm what now

Liz Borkowski@lizborkowski.bsky.social · last yr.

NIH has rescinded its scientific integrity policy. Hard to see this as anything other than clearing the way for shoddy research on things like vaccines. Regardless of the rationale, it's bad news for public health. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

Got a notice of award today that will fun a major project in my lab!! Every possible body part is crossed that this funding will arrive, and is not delayed or pulled entirely 🤞🤞🤞

Perhaps it was the wrong time to jump into a novel that takes place in Nazi-occupied France

DOGE/SSA marked this person dead and *removed his savings from his bank account,* cancelled his social security and Medicare. #seattle https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/heres-a-dead-person-on-social-security-in-seattle-with-plenty-to-say/

I mentor an undergraduate research program that may not continue this year due to funding uncertainty of federal programs. I am saddened that my students will not have the same opportunities that I had when I was in school due to the political farce currently going on.

This morning my husband referred to ‘Bigfoot’ as ‘Longfoot’ and I think we should call it that from now on.

This week I have been thinking about Paul Lynch’s book Prophet Song, which depicts the rise of authoritarianism in a fictional Ireland. It’s told through the story of a family, and it’s an absolute masterpiece. It’s also one of the most upsetting books I have ever read. 1/2

My dad is so upset about the social security stuff that he woke up at 4am and wrote an oped. I hope I am like him when I am 74.

Today I am wondering how long it will be before I have to fly my family to another country for yearly vaccinations. Here’s a dog pic:

As a result of Trump’s slashes to research funding, dozens of graduate programs have announced reductions and cancellations of graduate admissions slots. If you are an impacted applicant, please fill out this survey: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... 🧪🧠🧬🔬🥼👩🏼‍🔬🧑‍🔬

Grad Admission Impacts Survey

It is grad admissions season and many postbacs are feeling the chilling impacts of the Trump administration's recent executive orders freezing and slashing extramural research funding. Dozens of gradu...

docs.google.com

A kick in the stomach, right here.

Dave Levitan@davelevitan.bsky.social · last yr.

Source tells me that in at least one state, universities that get INBRE (IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) money have been told not to expect any of those funds to come in “for at least six months.” That will basically lock out poorer students from grad/med school. INBRE states:

Here's a quick summary of happenings at NIH: fabbs.org/news/2025/02... And at NSF: fabbs.org/news/2025/02... I hope these are helpful to those communicating about these with their lawmakers and friends. #FABBS

What is Happening at NIH? – FABBS

Since taking office, President Trump has issued a number of executive orders (EOs), directives, and leadership appointments consequential to the National Instit

fabbs.org