We are collecting information on terminated SAMHSA grants at Grant Witness: grant-witness.us/submit-samhs... If you worked on one of these programs, please let us know at the link! And please share with your colleagues. We need a comprehensive record of these terminations to fight back!

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Last night with no warning, RFK Jr. cancelled up to $2 billion in funding for mental health and substance abuse research and programs administered through SAMHSA. He and his minions did so because “they no longer believe the defunded programs align with the Trump administration's priorities”.

Deep dive into the forced leave of Dr. Jenna Norton from her position has a Program Director at NIH. Why this matters, and what you can do: theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com/p/deeper-div...

This week's news digest for extramural investigators theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com/p/the-princi...

The Principled Investigator - November 21, 2025

Weekly digest

theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com

Great discussion RE changes to student loan eligibility www.facebook.com/share/v/1BeY...

Update on a significant development NIH grant terms. On 10/1, a change to grant making regs went into effect that gives NIH more power to terminate grants for policy reasons. But to use this power, new grant terms must include specific language. See @aniloza.bsky.social w/ the story from July. 1/

HHS devises legal playbook for future grant terminations, internal memo shows

Exclusive: HHS devises a legal playbook for future research grant terminations, an internal memo shows.

statnews.com

"Don’t make my life and the lives of so many other cancer patients, along with the research programs we depend on, collateral damage." www.seattletimes.com/opinion/stop...

Stop holding cancer patients hostage in campus controversies | Op-Ed

The Trump administration's withholding of federal funding for universities it disagrees is hurting vital, lifesaving research.

seattletimes.com

This is a travesty, eliminating #PublicHealth loans for PT, OT, MPH, DrPH and many other degrees. They are trying to kill us.

Timothy McBride@mcbridetd.bsky.social · 9mo ago

the Department of Education’s Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee reached preliminary consensus on a proposed definition of “professional degree programs” under Big Bill ASPPH is deeply concerned that the proposal excludes public health programs aspph.org/department-o...

Make some noise, people. Share this. Comment on it. Tell others today, right now. Family, friends, colleagues, social media, news outlets, the legislature, make the noise. This is our task: to ensure the American public understands how far down authoritarian rule we’ve actually gotten

Rachael Sirianni, PhD@docsirianni.bsky.social · 9mo ago

“An HHS official [] described Dr. Norton as a radical leftist and said she was put on leave because she was criticizing the administration when she was supposed to be working” So, the fed govt openly eliminates ppl for their personal beliefs, got it www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...

“An HHS official [] described Dr. Norton as a radical leftist and said she was put on leave because she was criticizing the administration when she was supposed to be working” So, the fed govt openly eliminates ppl for their personal beliefs, got it www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...

N.I.H. Worker Who Criticized Trump Health Policies Says She Is on Administrative Leave

nytimes.com

teams that could have made revisions to build fundable applications will never get the chance to be mentored and grow because this administration hates knowledge this is how we never end cancer this is how we never end HIV this is how we never end any fucking thing except ourselves 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Jason Shepherd@jasonsynaptic.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Just got an email from my SRO for the study section that was missed in October. Good news is that they are trying to reschedule ASAP (Dec/Jan). The bad news is that CSR is mandating that only the the top third (not half) of applications will get discussed for the next 2 rounds.

Holy crap. They're triaging 2 out of 3 applications that are submitted. 2 out of every 3 applications will not even have a chance for discussion.

Jason Shepherd@jasonsynaptic.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Just got an email from my SRO for the study section that was missed in October. Good news is that they are trying to reschedule ASAP (Dec/Jan). The bad news is that CSR is mandating that only the the top third (not half) of applications will get discussed for the next 2 rounds.

Make this go far

Dr. Rabbithole@drrabbithole.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Jenna stood up for science, for truth, for justice, and humanity. She represents everything this administration lacks.

I can further confirm that @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social is experiencing retaliation by “Free speech” Jay and the Trump administration. @standupforscience.bsky.social stands with her and will continue to support public servants who speak out against the harms of this administration.

Max Kozlov@maxkozlov.bsky.social · 9mo ago

NIH program officer @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social has been placed on admin leave, sources say. Norton has been outspoken about the Trump administration's dismantling of science, and she signed the Bethesda Declaration. Bhattacharya has said that "science is dead without free speech".

This is an important explainer about one of the many ways that this administration is destroying NIH. Meritocracy? We are watching it go away. And what’s being done at NIH is just one example of the ongoing, lawless destruction of American democracy

Mark Histed@markhisted.org · 9mo ago

A bad thing is unfolding at NIH this week: It looks like the Trump administration is trying to replace key civil servant scientific leaders, the Institute Directors, with political hires. These directors control the NIH budget, tens of billions. A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪

Who is Jenna Norton? Jenna is a friend + program officer who chose to speak, in her personal capacity, about the destruction going on at NIH. She was just placed on administrative leave; no reason was provided. Free speech? Not in this country anymore www.instagram.com/reel/DRA3e8-...

Unreal, the impact this is having on scientists. I spent over 700 hrs writing 4 grants submitted Apr-Sept that *might* have been funded next Apr; 2 abt to be 3 apps missed review bc of shutdown. In normal times takes 9-24 mo to get a grant funded. No hope for labs like mine. Literally no hope.

Dr. Rabbithole@drrabbithole.bsky.social · 9mo ago

While the government was shut down, 379 NIH study section meetings (containing 24,380 grant applications) were postponed. NIH is committed to getting these reviewed, but please be patient and understanding with staff, as this is a complex and heavy lift.

Donald Trump just said he'll ask the Supreme Court to freeze SNAP payments AGAIN. His message to the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP? Eat dirt.

Have to read it to believe it. "The opening sentence asserts that 'the district court's order threatens significant and irreparable harm to the government which outweighs any claimed injury to plaintiffs' " abcnews.go.com/US/snap-appe...

In SNAP appeal, Trump administration says it faces more harm than people who can't buy food: ANALYSIS

The Trump administration is appealing a federal judge's requirement that it make full November SNAP payments.

abcnews.go.com

Sigh. NIH normally sends several hundred scientists to the SFN annual meeting to learn, exchange info, come up with new ideas, and advance science. (The exchange of ideas is the very core of the scientific enterprise.) This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.

Society for Neuroscience@sfn.org · 9mo ago

Enjoy a broad range of lectures and network with experts in the field at #SfN25! 🧠 Gain valuable insights and tools to enhance your research and career. Browse through to lectures and build your itinerary in the 2025 Neuroscience Meeting Planner 🔗 vist.ly/4de72 #neurosky #neuroskyence

I can’t believe that these two headlines actually co-exist, that we now live in a country where the federal government MAKES PEOPLE GO HUNGRY to score partisan leverage

With a title from w-h dot gov that says “Democrats are to blame for airport chaos”, I guess we just don’t even pretend to care about the Hatch act??

This is a great substack to check out. It's a weekly digest summarizing faculty-relevant news RE continued attacks on higher education and federal funding agencies + the general chaos

The Principled Investigator@principledinvestig.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Here is The Principled Investigator post for this week. theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com/p/the-princi...

These substantial donations reveal a simple truth: billionaires and corporations have the financial means to support higher taxes.

What IS workforce development (WFD)? An example explains: from declaring premed to becoming a doctor can be anywhere from 8 to 20 yrs. WFD is not just abt medicine but abt all workforce: how do we ensure that there will be sufficiently trained ppl to support science + medicine in yrs to come?

Rachael Sirianni, PhD@docsirianni.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Just won an award 4 innovation in workforce development from NCATS RE engaging engineers with medicine. But grants that support these internship programs remain stuck in purgatory, 1 was to be reviewed 10/21! Nothing bc of shutdown. Attacks on our govt hurt everyone. Poster link tinyurl.com/36yh33t7

What is it like inside your head?

a man in a suit and tie is scratching his head while standing in front of a crowd .

ALT: a man in a suit and tie is scratching his head while standing in front of a crowd .

media.tenor.com

Ian Kikuchi@curatorian.bsky.social · 9mo ago

What is it like inside your head?

“It’s bizarre when people arguing for viewpoint diversity declare any statement by an employee…must be the official position of an institution. You can’t have viewpoint diversity unless you…reject the belief that every writer speaks for the…college or org” www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

No, the AAUP Is Not Opposing Reform

We need to recognize a broad range of views opposing government censorship, even if we think they have pursued the wrong strategy.

insidehighered.com

Just won an award 4 innovation in workforce development from NCATS RE engaging engineers with medicine. But grants that support these internship programs remain stuck in purgatory, 1 was to be reviewed 10/21! Nothing bc of shutdown. Attacks on our govt hurt everyone. Poster link tinyurl.com/36yh33t7

Want to stay informed on the continued demolition of NIH and ongoing attacks on academia? Check out this new resource, a weekly digest of current events and action items for scientists. Subscribe to the substack and share broadly! theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com/p/the-princi...

The Principled Investigator - October 24, 2025

Weekly digest

theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com