blog.ucs.org/julian-reyes...

Trump’s Nominee to Run NSF is Unqualified, Conflicted, and a Threat to Science

If O’Neill is confirmed as NSF’s director, the Trump administration will further tighten its control over an agency created by Congress to be independent in its work to advance science.

blog.ucs.org

Nothing's more patriotic than a peaceful protest.

Just over 2 weeks ago, our petition in support of #NSFGRFP was submitted to NSF (now with nearly 1,200 signatures). Today Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Haley Stevens requested that eligibilty of 2nd year graduate students be restored: democrats-science.house.gov/news/press-r... PERSIST!!

Close to 1,000 signatures! bsky.app/profile/did:...

Lauren Kuehne@omfishient.bsky.social · 11mo ago

📣 🧪 Update: #GRFP petition went to #NSF and OSTP (w/ the growing* comments list) yesterday. We are now working to get these impacts in front of Congress, so PLEASE keep signing/sharing the petition! *nearly 900! @danielbolnick.bsky.social @joshuasweitz.bsky.social @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social

To the GRFP Community: Please join us! laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/

This is unfair to all who delayed applying as 1st-yr grad students in '24, or who withdrew due to missing letters (expecting eligibility this year), or who are 1st yr students now without sufficient time for a compelling application. Let me know if this is you. #NSFGRFP bsky.app/profile/alex...

Alex Wild@alexwild.bsky.social · 11mo ago

NSF GRFP is out, but they’ve unexpectedly made 2nd year students ineligible.

Letters of reference are due Fri Nov 7 5PM ET. If you are applying, contact your recommenders right away and let them know; begin your application on Research.gov asap so that they'll get the links (but note that the Application Portal may not be open yet). bsky.app/profile/susa...

Susan E. Brennan@susanelise.bsky.social · 11mo ago

The #NSFGRFP solicitation is out. Deadlines are pushed to Nov. 10, 12, 13, 14. However, 2ND-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE. This is unfair to those who delayed applying or who withdrew last year due to missing letters (please contact me if this is you). www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

The #NSFGRFP solicitation is out. Deadlines are pushed to Nov. 10, 12, 13, 14. However, 2ND-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE. This is unfair to those who delayed applying or who withdrew last year due to missing letters (please contact me if this is you). www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

nsf.gov

Excellent article last week by Jeff Mervis. www.sciencemagazinedigital.org

To all aspiring applicants to NSF GRFP, former applicants, fellows, honorable mention recipients, faculty advisors, researchers, deans, reviewers, advocates for STEM education: Please join us in this open letter! #NSFGRFP jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

"We are so very late that many students will not be able to apply this year." My latest story—about frustration over delays for NSF's graduate research fellowship program. #NSFGRFP #GradSchool @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...

Delays, uncertainty plague NSF fellowship for graduate students

After an unusual award process this year, applicants for next year are waiting for overdue guidelines

science.org

All NSF fields are ostensibly included; probably best to proceed with 2024's solicitation in mind. A critical missing piece is the letter deadline: 2024's was a week before applic deadlines, but apparently the portal had be re-opened due to many late letters. 2025 portal's still not open yet. Chaos.

I am leading a workshop tonight for students in my department on how to apply for the NSF GRFP, but have not received answers from NSF to my questions about whether they are still funding applications in neuroscience and cognitive science, etc. If anyone has info please let me know. (continued)

Graduate students who applied to #NSFGRFP last year: I'm collecting information for a petition. Please reply or send me a chat request about whether you (1) were able to access your application reviews, and (2) experienced any chaos around the letter writer deadlines last year.

I'm really hoping that #NSFGRFP letters of rec will be due the week AFTER the application deadline (as they have been for decades) rather than the week BEFORE, as they were last year. Did anyone experience any chaos last year due to late letters?

Curiouser and curiouser. Mon morning NSF GRFP announced deadlines of Oct. 27, 28, 29, 30 (49 days from today, rather than the 90 required by the Federal Register), but STILL no solicitation, just "Solicitation coming soon." Stranger still: est. # of awards is 1 to 3000 ! www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

nsf.gov

Thousands who hope to apply this year to NSF GRFP are working on applications, but with no guidance from a solicitation. NSF's .org website no longer exists. Will the program continue? NSF needs to hear from you! PLEASE email concerns to bstone@nsf.gov, mcheatha@nsf.gov, and smalcomb@nsf.gov #grfp

At the 7/10 Sen. Appropriations hearing on the Commerce/Justice/Science bill, Sen Tammy Baldwin managed to get CJS Chair Sen Jerry Moran to publicly agree to go over the 1,500 NSF grants to determine which ones should be restored!! Sen Susan Collins will join them! (~2:21:00 in) Be still, my heart!

Full Committee Markup of Commerce, Justice, Science; Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA; and Legislative Branch Appropriations Acts | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

appropriations.senate.gov

Brought to you by the DEI for Billionaires and Oligarchs Program.

US Army swore in tech executives as lieutenant colonels

The Silicon Valley executives will serve as senior advisers as part of the U.S. Army Reserve, according to a news release.

snopes.com

The U.S. Army swore in four Big Tech executives as Lieutenant Colonels: - Palantir’s CTO - Meta’s CTO - OpenAI’s Chief Product Officer - OpenAI’s former Chief Research Officer All of these people are surely connected to fascist Peter Thiel, as Zuckerberg (Meta) and Altman (OpenAI) are his protégés.

US Army swore in tech executives as lieutenant colonels

The Silicon Valley executives will serve as senior advisers as part of the U.S. Army Reserve, according to a news release.

snopes.com

This is from 10 days ago, but still newsworthy.

U.S. college is first to decline federal science grants because of new DEI language

Williams College says NSF and NIH requirement related to discrimination “undermines” academic freedom

science.org

Was your graduate education funded by an NSF grant or a GRFP award? If so, now is the time to contact the Appropriations Committee and your senators (especially Rs) and let them know how important NSF's educational mission is. #SaveNSF

Committee Members | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

appropriations.senate.gov

Susan E. Brennan@susanelise.bsky.social · last yr.

NSF's slashed 2026 budget includes NO funds for any new NSF GRFP awards! PLEASE contact the Appropriations Cmte now: www.appropriations.senate.gov/about/members 1. Find contact info here: www.270towin.com/elected-offi... 2. Tell them how important NSF and GRFP are to you!! #SaveNSF

NSF's slashed 2026 budget includes NO funds for any new NSF GRFP awards! PLEASE contact the Appropriations Cmte now: www.appropriations.senate.gov/about/members 1. Find contact info here: www.270towin.com/elected-offi... 2. Tell them how important NSF and GRFP are to you!! #SaveNSF

www.science.org/content/arti...

Will NSF’s flagship fellowship program survive under Trump?

Despite 50 Nobelists and 75,000 alumni, NSF’s graduate research fellows could be a vanishing breed

science.org

From XKCD:

Here is a letter that we (2 former NSF GRFP program officers) sent to the National Science Board Fri 5/9. The NSB is the Exec Branch's lawful governing board for NSF (as opposed to DOGE).

Applicants to the GRFP competition did not sign up for their personal information to be provided to companies. With no guardrails or data policies that would apply across public-private funders, we are concerned that HMs may be exploited and their independence compromised. (4/4)

The NSB’s 494th meeting (5/7/25) resurrected a proposal (from the National Defense Education Act of 1958) to solicit public-private partners to provide funds to HMs, “NDEA 2.0” The >3,000 GRFP HMs certainly deserve funding, but it would be far better to convert some of them to NSF GRFP awards. 3/4

Every year there are many more talented GRFP applicants than can be funded, who are recognized with Honorable Mention. In a typical year, GRFP has as about many HMs as awardees. Many of this year’s 3,000 HMs should have received awards with $37K stipends, but instead were left without funding. (2/4)

NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)has had enormous positive impacts on the U.S. STEM workforce (with over 75,000 awards since 1952, including to 50 students who went on to win Nobels decades later). In 2025, this national treasure was cut from a planned 2,300 awards to only 1,000. 1/4

Dan Garisto@dangaristo.bsky.social · last yr.

Open portion of the National Science Board meeting starting at 3 p.m. I'll try to follow along and provide some live coverage here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1PE...