Jeffrey Alexander, PhD

NSF gives program directors much more discretion to pick out lower-scored proposals. With the bias inherent in peer review, random selection among the top cohort of proposals is probably more fair than strict adherence to ranked scores.

The 29th Annual #STI2025 isn’t just great talks — it’s about community + fun too!

📍 Bristol, Sept 3–5:
🏃‍♀️ Morning harbour run
🎨 Banksy treasure hunt
🎲 ‘Publish & Perish’ game
🖼️ Poster bingo

Come for the research, stay for the people. Join us!
👉 stienid2025.org/registration-1

We're gathering insights on how basic scientists think about public engagement, what barriers they face, & what kind of support would make it easier.

👉 Take a few minutes to share your thoughts before 3 Aug: airtable.com/appIOiMGYFhF...

#BasicScience #OpenScience #LabLife #AcademicChatter

Not just a White House aide. He’s talking about the Science Adviser to the President (probably why Trump doesn’t know him).

I always wonder how useful these polls are. He’s not going to run for re-election. If he does, it’s because he can guarantee the outcome. The ultimate lame duck President.

It seems like it’s fair to ask yourself how many hours you are willing to spend writing multiple worthy proposals just to get one that will barely cover the cost of a Graduate Research Assistant.

Looks like someplace near the Amtrak rail yard in northeast DC, around Ivy City. You can see the Washington Monument from that vantage point.

As many of us helping to implement federal programs know from experience…

She did make a very important point—what we’re seeing today is the culmination of a deeper set of issues that have been building for well over a decade.

She had a really interesting and compelling range of data to present, as opposed to just cribbing charts from the NSF’s Science & Engineering Indicators report like others tend to do. I did find her diagnosis of our current state more compelling than her prescriptions.

She was great. Hadn’t heard her before but will definitely read up on her and UTEP. Gotta be a challenge to be a person of character in charge of a public university in TX. Mike Crow from ASU did get a few rounds of healthy applause, but that’s about average for him.

(Correction—University of Texas at El Paso)

National Academies, staggering from Trump cuts, on brink of dramatic downsizing Plan for slashed units and mission to be presented at governor’s meeting next week

To be fair she has a lot on her plate right now (although you could also argue she has nothing to lose by going all-in on criticizing the administration): www.science.org/content/arti...

Fortunately, in the panel that followed, Dr. Heather Wilson (former Secretary of the Air Force, Congresswoman, and now President of the University of El Paso) came out and basically said that.

Conclusion slide that the US needs a radical upgrade of its model for supporting and conducting scientific research

The takeaway slide…

Photo by of Dr Marcia McNutt addressing the National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Science President Marcia McNutt giving her 2nd annual address on the state of US science (probably not good)

Point taken—although here the interest is to AVOID restrictions on distribution to benefit the public, which makes me realize that my entire point is irrelevant to the thread. Oops.

Right, but federal agencies can use open source licensing for publicly-funded software, which is NOT public domain. opensource.org/blog/public-...

Will NSF’s flagship training program survive under Trump? Despite 50 Nobelists and 75,000 alumni, NSF’s graduate research fellows could be a vanishing breed

The NSF GRFP was cut in half #nationwide and cancelled to @harvard.edu students, as the #agency seeks outside #funding and #program rebranding. This will severely harm the #STEM #workforce and their #science careers.

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

@researchamerica.bsky.social @fabbs.org

The Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 does allow federal contractors to assert ownership of SOME works/inventions developed with federal funding (but with a number of restrictions).

This is not true. The US government can put restrictions on the distribution of federally-funded software, especially if there is a national security or public interest issue (which is not the case here).

He gave a truly inspirational speech at the Washington DC Stand Up for Science rally!

It makes a difference that this enforcement only applies around work zones. State highway agencies are having trouble recruiting workers in part because of the perceived danger of getting hit while working. Seems reasonable to expect drivers to use much more caution around work crews.

Just be aware that many others may not realize that. I didn’t intend to steamroller over your humor!

Product safety commission members sue Trump administration over terminations Three Democratic members of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, alleging their terminations were unlawful.

Yes, they absolutely are. www.reuters.com/world/us/pro...

Community colleges are the unsung engines of economic advancement and workforce development. Cuts to community colleges hurt the communities and employers who rely on a steady supply of trained workers.

Important upcoming event on the real impacts of NSF funding cuts on the US workforce in strategic industries. #scipol #econdev

Plus, Saudi has long had a problem with electricity supply because economic growth has outstripped supply of electric power

It would make sense to rely on rotators for emerging/advanced research areas, where gov’t can’t afford that expertise. More “traditional” research portfolios might be managed by career scientists (not great but feasible).

To my knowledge, all Assistant Directors (the heads of the Directorates) retain their positions. That would mean that the Directorates are staying for now. The “clusters” may exist below them. (The TIP Directorate is codified in law.)