Daniel Gonzales

Reviewing PhD Applications: A stream of consciousness — Gonzales Lab A list of notes takes in real-time when reviewing PhD applications and interviews

When reviewing PhD applications this cycle, I made small notes of things that stood out to me. Both good and bad.

I think it could be helpful to those considering applying this Fall.

gonzales.science/resource-blo...

Plot of the number of GRFPs awarded by year. 2025 has been reduced to ~1000 from ~2000. Data is from Prof. Eric Pop on LinkedIn

Feeling thankful, but also saddened by the cuts to this program. The number of awards were reduced by half. It’s a shame to see such a special program that funds highly talented scientists be cut

April 15, 2025: The lab lands multiple NSF GRFPs — Gonzales Lab The lab snagged multiple NSF GRFPs!! A huge congrats to Camila Romero and incoming BME PhD student Lauren Iskander on their awards! Hailey Edelman also received an honorable mention. We are so proud o...

We snagged two GRFPs and one honorable mention this cycle. Super proud of the lab and the great quality we’re able to recruit!

gonzales.science/lab-news/apr...

The shadow in the bottom left of these pics is the ribbon of our flexible probes. The array is inserted and spans about 1 mm. Here we’re imaging at z = 200um

The lab has had a hell of a month and I’m excited for some upcoming announcements…

…but for now please enjoy these pics as we move step-by-step towards simultaneous ephys and two-photon imaging with our flexible & semi transparent electrodes

So as of this week it appears the lab is now in the NHP ephys game

Recorded with thin film flexible electrodes

i want to neuropixels these things

This is what sparked my curiosity! Not sure why I doubted her 😂😂

We set aside 20min in class for a Q&A on funding a lab, federal funding, IDCs, and ongoing policy shifts. Was definitely not enough time. Such great and insightful questions

Probably could have taken the whole class

Anyway. 10/10 would recommend

There’s been some talk on here about communicating more with undergrads about science funding, policies, outlook etc.

I admit I was skeptical there would be interest. I polled my course. 70% were interested in having a discussion. The other 30% were “maybe interested.” 0% were not interested.

Inside the Collapse at the NIH Administration officials pressured the NIH to avoid clear advice from the agency’s own lawyers to restart grant funding now.

This new Atlantic piece on the timeline of the NIH shutdown reads like the script to a new Soderbergh film. It is so, so dark and perfectly captures the evil and intentional chaos behind everything we've experienced over the last month www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

More bad news

Microsoft is inventing new forms of matter for quantum computing before making Outlook or Teams usable without feeling the pain of a thousand suns

Awesome thread and be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions

Nice to see McKnight digging in when others are stepping back

Teaching citizens about science
🤝
Teaching students about being a citizen

Federal Register hold makes ‘end run’ around court pause on NIH funding freeze NIH-related updates to the Federal Register, which are required for the scheduling of study sections and advisory councils, are on hold indefinitely, according to an email reviewed by <i>The Transmitt...

I just covered this for @thetransmitter.bsky.social — will keep following! www.thetransmitter.org/funding/fede...

I feel this 😭

NIH meetings are still not being announced in the federal register, so nearly all study sections and councils after this week are not going to happen. This is basically a freeze on funding new grants...

Anything could change but at the moment this is not true for us in engineering. Not sure what’s happening on the basic sciences side

Ugh

2018 vs 2025. This dude has been coming to lab with me since he was in diapers 😭

This was supposed to be a gif/video

We’re official doing two photon imaging (and chronic too!). So much work to do but all of these firsts are special

also this same org has this super useful infographic, breaking down the difference between direct and indirect (also called Facilities and Administration) costs and what F&A costs can and cannot be used for at a research university or institute

This week's sensorimotor superlab reading list is out @andpru.bsky.social @diedrichsenjorn.bsky.social @paulgribble.bsky.social #neuroskyence #psychscisky #Sensorimotor https://superlab.ca/posts/2025-02-07-list281.html

Ngl it’s an honor to make this list 😂

Dear biologists & neuroscientists --

I'd like to collect some cursory data on what the "typical" breakdown of funding between federal & private looks like in labs.

If you run a research lab or know enough about yours, could you fill this small form out? forms.gle/PEzWEYojBjfj...

👀