Lindsey Burbank
@lindseyburbank.bsky.social
Agriculture, plants, and microbiology in California
Calling all Scientists! Research Administrators! Deans! Fans of Science! No one is coming to save us. Here is your assignment. I have written a step by step, easy to understand "how-to" document to help you comment on the proposed OMB rule. elizabethginexi.substack.com/p/what-we-ne...
What We Need to do NEXT: OMB’s Proposed Federal Financial Assistance Rule (OMB 2026-10817)
What OMB’s Proposed Federal Financial Assistance Rule Means in Practice
elizabethginexi.substack.com
USDA has been doing a version of this for months.
We are hiring plant breeders at over 20 USDA research locations. These positions are a priority as we try to rebuild after losing significant numbers of scientists and staff over the past year. Many different locations and crops to choose from. www.usajobs.gov/job/868877900
Research Geneticist (Plants)
Many Research Geneticist (Plants) positions will be filled at different locations within the Agricultural Research Service. Research projects focus on plant improvements, which may include agronomic q...
usajobs.gov
NEW from @lisalsong.bsky.social and me: The Trump administration is now asking USDA workers to check the backgrounds of foreign nationals collaborating with the department’s scientists for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.” www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Trump Administration Orders USDA Employees to Investigate Foreign Researchers They Work With
The new directive asks workers to check the backgrounds of foreign nationals collaborating with the department’s scientists for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.” Their names are being sen...
propublica.org
I know many of you know Joe James (of Binning Singletons) Joe and his family had a terrible tragedy occur on Christmas. If you can give, this is a good family to help out gofund.me/5cbfe22fe
Donate to Honoring Sarah James Through Education, organized by Joe James
Honoring Sarah James & Supporting Her Children’s Future On Christmas, our com… Joe James needs your support for Honoring Sarah James Through Education
gofund.me
Please repost: Undergraduates (globally) can receive free membership in the professional scientific society for plant pathogens, the American Phytopathological Society (APS). This society provides excellent professional development. www.apsnet.org/members/comm...
Borlaug’s Army: an undergraduate membership initiative of the American Phytopathology
Borlaug’s Army: an undergraduate membership initiative of APS....Welcome to Borlaug’s Army —a recruitment, engagement, and outreach initiative of the American Phytopathological Society. Free membersh...
apsnet.org
On scientific "style" for @undark.org: "[Style] is a positive feature of science that facilitates different routes to solving problems.....We can embrace differences in our approaches while still promoting rigor and clarity." undark.org/2025/12/04/o...
Science Needs to Embrace the Idea of Style
How do individual scientists approach their work? These stylistic differences can influence the process of discovery.
undark.org
If anyone wants some plant pathogens in fun colors let me know 🌈🧫 #Xylella #Pseudomonas #Pantoea Shoutout to @atinygreencell.bsky.social for inspiration and high quality source material www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Chromoprotein-modified plant pathogenic bacteria: tools for experimental tracking and visualization
Microbiology research often requires tracking of specific bacterial strains within a host infection system or in the environment, as well as differentiation of strains in a co-infection or microbe-mic...
biorxiv.org
NSURP is looking for mentors for this summer! We had over 200 applications for about 10 spots. Please sign up if you are interested in being a mentor this year or in the future as it is helpful to show interest. Please share this! uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com
Dr. Michael D. L. Johnson@copperbae.bsky.social · 2y agoAlthough we are not federally funded for this summer, WE WILL STILL RUN The National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP) in 2025. We remain committed to the work that needs to be done and will continue to meet people where they are. 1/4 nsurp.org
Plant tissue culture can help endangered species survive and adapt to climate change. Amateur plant biologist Jasmine Neal’s community lab could make this tech more accessible. 📷: Jasmine Neal buff.ly/8VZqZMb #plantscience #openscience
Jasmine Neal Wants to Bring Plant Science to Everyone
Plant tissue culture can help endangered species adapt to climate change. Jasmine Neal’s community lab could make this tech more accessible.
kneedeeptimes.org
The overwhelming sentiment of the past few weeks is that the US Government is no longer a good faith employer. In a global marketplace with competition from both private companies and state actors, this is going to prove much more costly to the US taxpayer than any savings, which they will never see
I know funding is very uncertain right now, but if anyone at UC Merced wants to hire an excellent undergraduate with several years experience in microbiology/molecular biology let me know!
The idea that government credit cards are a free for all of inappropriate spending is complete insanity for anyone who has dealt with the many layers of approval, documentation, and oversight that comes with a gov credit card. Nothing is easier to track than then credit card records…
Dave Levitan@davelevitan.bsky.social · 2y agoFollows on my reporting that the $1 credit card cap hit EPA and DOI the last couple days, including staff in the field
Although we are not federally funded for this summer, WE WILL STILL RUN The National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP) in 2025. We remain committed to the work that needs to be done and will continue to meet people where they are. 1/4 nsurp.org
NSURP.org
National Summer Undergraduate Research Project
nsurp.org
www.ypradio.org/npr-news/202...
A military vet and a scientist were securing America's food system. Trump fired them
More than 10,000 federal employees who had yet to complete their probationary periods have been fired by the Trump administration, including those who work to protect American agriculture.
ypradio.org
“Like all federal employees in the US, I took an oath to the Constitution, not to a president or political party” www.bmj.com/content/388/...
Anger, despair, and defiance from a voice within the US federal research system
People around the world are watching with disbelief as the new US government closes down its aid programme, withdraws from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris agreement on climate change...
bmj.com
To probationary federal employees who have been terminated: Democracy Forward has filed a first-of-its-kind class-wide complaint with the Office of Special Counsel. If civil servants want to join in the complaint, you can email info@civilservicestrong.org
Civil Service Strong: Resources for Civil Servants
Effective. Impartial. Resilient. The civil service comprises dedicated, nonpartisan federal employees who work tirelessly across the country and around the world to ensure the effective delivery of go...
civilservicestrong.org
Many people from the #USDA were terminated yesterday/today. A place where agricultural research is done to support agricultural production. Scientists, research assistants, custodians. This is unacceptable. #PlantPathology #PlantScience #USDA-ARS #AttackOnScience
Federal employee terminations will cause widespread economic damage even beyond the hardships for specific employees How many federal workers live in your state or county or congressional district? I made an little interactive site to tell you economic.github.io/federal_work...
ASM stands firm in its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as such efforts are critical to advancing the microbial sciences for everyone. Read our statement: asm.org/Press-Releas...
ASM’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The American Society for Microbiology stands firm in its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as such efforts are critical to advancing the microbial sciences for everyone.
asm.org
AGU was clearly not paying attention to what happened with ASM if they think this will end well for them……
Celeste Labedz@celestelabedz.bsky.social · 2y agoThe main DEI page from @agu.org has been modified to take diversity out of the title. Glad to see it's not deleted entirely, but hey AGU, we're watching what you do and remembering the big game you once talked about supporting your diverse membership. Today vs. January
ATTN FEDERAL WORKERS: I’ll say this again: download all your SF-50s, performance evals, and your eOPF. Now. Print hard copies. And make sure you file an informal grievance with your supervisor within 15 days of any adverse action. Here is a template: www.muellershewrote.com/p/informal-g...
Informal Grievance Template for Adverse Personnel Actions
There is a limited amount of time to oppose personnel actions. Time is short.
muellershewrote.com
Mass firing a generation of new scientists is lazy, stupid, & counterproductive. I've been a fed. researcher. Sure, there's 'waste' in these systems. Some programs should be sunsetted. But figuring out what should go takes smart and energetic management. Not this. www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/f...
Trump administration to fire thousands at health agencies
The Trump administration is set to eliminate thousands of federal health care jobs Friday, targeting employees across agencies who were hired in the past one to two years.
statnews.com
The #BloodyThursday attempted firings are illegal. No reporters should be describing them in any other way than "attempted." 🥄🥄🥄
For those working in federal public service, today was dark. We serve in many capacities and for many reasons, but what we have in common is working every day for the public of the United States. And this is what we get.
Brad Johnson@climatebrad.hillheat.com · 2y ago#BloodyThursday reports: “Employees were given no notice, no due process, and no opportunity to defend themselves in a blatant violation of the principles of fairness and merit that are supposed to govern federal employment." - Everett Kelley, AFGE President
There's a lot of organizations declaring "we're doing this based on legal advice about EOs" going around. As an administrator I always knew that advice is not a mandate. It takes a leader's directive to convert advice to action. Leaders need to be prepared to own that directive AND its consequences.
mandate.it
