The 2026 plant science conference travel award program is open! Awards are given to student/mentor pairs. At lease one of the pair must be a member of SACNAS or MANRRS or AISES. Please share, applications due by Dec 5, 2025. @sacnas.bsky.social rootandshoot.org/2026-root-sh...

We're wrapping up another year of the ROOT & SHOOT Research Coordination Network! It's been a busy year: See "Highlights of Year Four" rootandshoot.org/highlights-o.... We've done a lot but the icing on the cake was publishing our first big project in eLIFE elifesciences.org/articles/106... 🎉

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Making conferences in the plant sciences more inclusive through community recommendations

The ROOT & SHOOT project in the plant sciences has produced guidelines to help scientific societies organize conferences that are more inclusive and offer more supportive environments to all attendees...

elifesciences.org

The new #NSF #GRFP application now excludes 1000’s of students, including those who were told they could apply this year, or who planned to apply next year. We have a new specific petition urging #NSFGRFP undo this harmful action. If you are impacted sign here: laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/

Jason “Obstacle to Progress” Williams@jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment. The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

Already 300+ signatures in one afternoon. Read & consider signing + sharing a petition to reverse eligibility restrictions and ensure applicants (including 2nd year PhD students) have a fair chance at this year's GRFP. laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/

Joshua Weitz@joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 10mo ago

There is time to urge a change to the current #GRFP solicitation ( #NSF 25-547 ): reverse the eligibility restrictions and ensure applicants (including 2nd year PhD students) have a fair chance in the competition. Feel free to sign and share this open petition: laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/

Rethinking Researcher Assessment and Incentives at U.S. Academic Institutions: Online Workshop Oct 28-29. events.nationalacademies.org/45044_10-202... This workshop will explore new approaches to expand the assessment criteria beyond traditional outputs such as grants, publications, & citations.

Rethinking Researcher Assessment and Incentives at U.S. Academic Institutions: A Workshop

Register for this event from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

events.nationalacademies.org

Great advice here that AAB will be embracing into the future...

ROOT-SHOOT RCN@root-shoot.bsky.social · 12mo ago

We are incredibly excited & proud: our first publication is out in eLIFE! "Making conferences in the plant sciences more inclusive through community recommendations" elifesciences.org/articles/106... This project was a team effort involving contributors from seven professional societies. #PlantSci

this year's applicants - now limited to 1st YEAR GRAD STUDENTS- “will have just over 6 weeks—& that’s only after earlier this week the agency extended the posted deadlines by about 2 weeks, from late October to early November, with no announcement or explanation.” www.science.org/content/arti...

‘Completely shattered.’ Changes to NSF’s graduate student fellowship spur outcry

The announcement comes months later than usual, leaving many would-be applicants stranded

science.org

We are incredibly excited & proud: our first publication is out in eLIFE! "Making conferences in the plant sciences more inclusive through community recommendations" elifesciences.org/articles/106... This project was a team effort involving contributors from seven professional societies. #PlantSci

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Making conferences in the plant sciences more inclusive through community recommendations

The ROOT & SHOOT project in the plant sciences has produced guidelines to help scientific societies organize conferences that are more inclusive and offer more supportive environments to all attendees...

elifesciences.org

If you are attending #PlantBiology2025 in person, you can also attend the online events. We encourage you to attend "Fostering Inclusion in Plant Biology," Aug. 13 at 11 AM Eastern time (and recorded). You can also buy a ticket for just the online event. plantbiology.aspb.org/plant-biolog...

Join us Thursday July 3 at 10am PDT (1pm EDT, 6pm in the UK) for a fascinating webinar presented by Dr. Guadalupe Maldonado Andrade from Cal Poly Pomona, speaking on "What Grows in the Margins: Plants, People, and the Politics of Care". Free to join, register here rootandshoot.org/webinar-plan...

Mary Williams, PI of the ROOT & SHOOT (R&S) initiative (led by @aspbofficial.bsky.social) talks to #ICAR2025 about the mentor development activity underway with the R&S plant society consortium @plantteaching.bsky.social @root-shoot.bsky.social

#icar2025 @plantteaching.bsky.social @root-shoot.bsky.social

Please join @kateycooper.bsky.social and @ascbiology.bsky.social for a webinar about LGBTQ+ experiences in biological sciences! June 18th, 2025 at 2pm EST. #pride #pridemonth #outinstem #LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #queerinstem #cellbio #cellbiology #ascb

There's another workshop scheduled to support this initiative, June 6th, 12pm ET, led by Dr. Katherine Xue, assistant professor at UC Irvine who has written for The New Yorker, Harvard Magazine, and The Conversation. blogs.cornell.edu/asap/events-...

FASEB@faseborg.bsky.social · last yr.

In an ‪@forbes.com‬ article, FASEB’s Jennifer Zeitzer expresses how “Members of Congress need to hear personal stories about how their constituents are affected by what happens in Washington.” The McClintock Letters campaign is a powerful way to amplify local voices on Capitol Hill. 🔗

Join us in making a video that advocates for science using the hashtag #RootingForScience! We're releasing them en masse the week of June 23rd. To get you started, here’s a workshop I gave with @root-shoot.bsky.social about how to make videos for science advocacy: tinyurl.com/rootingforscience

Did you miss last week's workshop? No fears, we recorded it for you! Please join us by making a video that roots for science and sharing it using "RootingForScience. We'll be releasing and amplifying the videos the week of June 23. Learn more at rootandshoot.org/make-a-video...

We've got another training session scheduled for May 30, it's a great way to prepare yourself to react constructively if you see harmful behavior. Free registration, all are welcome! rootandshoot.org/bystandertra...

ROOT-SHOOT RCN@root-shoot.bsky.social · last yr.

Join us for free, online, Bystander Intervention Training Workshops for plant scientists, presented by ADVANCEGeo Partnership. These interactive workshops help you recognize when & how to step in when you see problematic behavior. All welcome but space is limited. rootandshoot.org/2025-bystand...

Join this upcoming workshop with @science-irl.bsky.social- Molly Edwards! Molly received a NAASC award in 2024 for her efforts to disseminate plant biology knowledge! (And…you can view that award talk here ➡️ youtu.be/Lyu_Kgifstc)

From basics to broader impacts: Lessons learned from years of YouTubing

YouTube video by NAASC

youtu.be

ROOT-SHOOT RCN@root-shoot.bsky.social · last yr.

Join us for an exciting Student Symposium workshop featuring Molly Edwards, PhD @science-irl.bsky.social. It's an interactive workshop on science communication, focused on short-form video production. May 13th 11am EDT. More information & registration link here rootandshoot.org/planting-the...

Inclusive Science Education Is Not Zero-Sum, by David Asai. "As scientists and educators, we must insist that inclusion remains at our core. We know that inclusion and excellence are not mutually exclusive, and that an equitable future for all of us is possible." 👍 issues.org/inclusive-sc...

Inclusive Science Education Is Not Zero-Sum

Including everyone in science education improves the scientific enterprise and is essential for the democratization of personal agency.

issues.org

Happening tomorrow (Wed 7 May) at 4 PM EDT. Join this free online workshop with New York Times reporter Clay Risen to learn how to write an Opinion article for your newspaper. All are welcome! cornell.campusgroups.com/ASAP/rsvp_bo...

McClintock Letters Op-Ed Writing Workshop with NYT Reporter Clay Risen (zoom link below) - Cornell Advancing Science and Policy Club

Learn from New York Times reporter Clay Risen about how to write an op-ed piece, to help you write your piece for the McClintock Letters Initiative!

cornell.campusgroups.com

Join us for free, online, Bystander Intervention Training Workshops for plant scientists, presented by ADVANCEGeo Partnership. These interactive workshops help you recognize when & how to step in when you see problematic behavior. All welcome but space is limited. rootandshoot.org/2025-bystand...

Don't miss this free virtual workshop featuring #BSAmember, Molly Edwards! Learn about short-form video production and science communication. Tuesday May 13th from 8-9am PDT, 11am – noon EDT. For more information, and to register, visit: rootandshoot.org/planting-the...

ROOT-SHOOT RCN@root-shoot.bsky.social · last yr.

Join us for an exciting Student Symposium workshop featuring Molly Edwards, PhD @science-irl.bsky.social. It's an interactive workshop on science communication, focused on short-form video production. May 13th 11am EDT. More information & registration link here rootandshoot.org/planting-the...

Join us for an exciting Student Symposium workshop featuring Molly Edwards, PhD @science-irl.bsky.social. It's an interactive workshop on science communication, focused on short-form video production. May 13th 11am EDT. More information & registration link here rootandshoot.org/planting-the...

Ranking Member Lofgren Urges NSF to Ignore Inflammatory Cruz Report, Releases Democratic Staff Report in Rebuttal democrats-science.house.gov/news/press-r...

Ranking Member Lofgren Urges NSF to Ignore Inflammatory Cruz Report, Releases Democratic Staff Report in Rebuttal | House Committee on Science, Space and Technology

The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology

democrats-science.house.gov

The UNESCO Action Group for Women in Science is hosting open discussions on three themes: Dismantling stereotypes through increased representation; Innovative educational strategies; & Policies that promote DEI in the work environment. Follow the link to participate rootandshoot.org/unesco-actio...

March 31 is international Trans Day of Visibility. Follow the link for resources from GLAAD and other organizations, including a free webinar, that can be used to support and raise awareness about transgender people. glaad.org/tdov/

Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) | GLAAD

Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people.

glaad.org

Join us March 25th at 8am Pacific daylight time, 11am Eastern, for an online teach-in for #PlantSci entists organising for political impact. Learn how you can play a role in today's political landscape! Free registration at rootandshoot.org/a-teach-in-f...

February 25th, 11AM EST. Join us for a panel discussion on "Perspectives from Black Professionals in the Plant Sciences" featuring Dr. Margaret Young, Dr. Stephon Fitzpatrick, & Dr. Jason B. Thomas. rootandshoot.org/root-shoot-w... Open to all, come be a part of it! #BlackHistoryMonth

We are assembling resources for early career scientists to help them navigate a sometimes hostile work environment. Here is a powerful video with a positive outcome, although painful to watch at times. youtu.be/n4FV1ADErDo?...

The Scientists Versus Dartmouth: Inside a Sexual Harassment Scandal That Shook Science to Its Core

YouTube video by Scientific American

youtu.be