Why should federal science agencies launch metascience units? In this article, Jenn Gustetic, Matt Esche, and I describe the problems we think metascience units are well poised to tackle - and how they go about addressing them: www.macroscience.org/p/science-ag...

We've been checking with contacts inside the NSF and they are saying it is **not true** that X-labs is responsible for this. X-labs is not anywhere close to big enough to make up this hole. As far as I have heard, this program is coming out of TIP funding.

Jeffrey Mervis@policyhound.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Been wondering why NSF isn't spending most of its FY26 appropriation? A $1.5B tech initiative may be the reason. And big cuts to hundreds of research programs could be just the beginning of the bad news. www.science.org/content/arti...

"Different science reformers have distinct core hypotheses about what has gone wrong and what is most tractable to fix." By @calebwatney.bsky.social and Jenn Gustetic

The Six Camps of Metascience

A field guide for policymakers (and everyone who cares about American science).

open.substack.com

1. It’s 1%, not 10% 2. We’re talking about diversifying a portfolio where ~70% of funding at NSF/NIH goes to small, project-based grants. Nonprofit labs like the Arc Institute haven’t undermined higher ed and I’m glad NSF wants to fund labs like that, while maintaining the bulk of funding at unis.

Colette Delawalla, PhD@cdelawalla.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Well, would ya look at that! NSF is going to send >10% of its current budget to industry (read: tech start ups) instead of universities…it’s as if the admin is trying to dismantle our basic science mechanism and use it as a start up fund for private companies 💁🏻‍♀️ www.nsf.gov/tip/updates/...

In 2025, the National Academies produced a report with 53 ideas for simplifying federal science regulations. I picked out a few favorites for Macroscience (and explained why many reforms would require hiring more staff) www.macroscience.org/p/five-presc...

Five Prescriptions for Simplifying Science Policy

Some thoughts on a National Academies’ report on reforming federal science.

macroscience.org

Macroscience mostly focuses on metascience, so it was fun when @dan-turner-evans.bsky.social did some science science. Learn about brains here: www.macroscience.org/p/how-close-...

How Close Are We to Connecting Our Brains to the Matrix?

Some thoughts on biological intelligence

macroscience.org

How much do Americans want to spend on R&D? New data suggests that when Americans know what the government spends on R&D, 80% want more spending; the median respondent wants to double it. www.macroscience.org/p/americans-...

Americans Want More Science Funding

So why aren’t agencies spending the money they have?

macroscience.org

Excited that @mattsclancy.bsky.social‬ will be permanently leading Open Phil's Abundance and Growth Fund. Matt has been leading the program on an interim basis since we announced it in February, and I can't wait to see what he accomplishes going forward. bsky.app/profile/alb...

Huge congratulations to @justsand.bsky.social and to Open Philanthropy. The perfect person for a historic challenge

Introducing the new leader of our Economic Growth in LMICs program | Open Philanthropy

In October 2024, we shared our plans to launch a new program in partnership with the Livelihood Impact Fund to help stimulate economic growth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with at least...

openphilanthropy.org