Rachael Sirianni, PhD

Every Scientific Empire Comes to an End America’s run as the premier techno-superpower may be over.

“The future of Soviet science was looking grim…One by one, he watched them start new lives elsewhere. Many…went to the U.S. At the time, America was the most compelling destination for scientific talent in the world. It would remain so until earlier this year” www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...

This is a fantastic summary of a new scheme that is in the works that would decimate new awards. Think: no new awards. Read more in the linked article

Opinion | You Don’t Have to Be a Doctor to Understand This

“If we allow the Trump administration’s assault on empathy to define our global health agenda…we’ll be turning away from who we are. The belief that we have a responsibility to others isn’t shortsighted sentimentalism; it’s the moral foundation of a meaningful life” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/o...

FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show

Shocking, right? Demolish government agencies across the board, no thought, knowledge, work ethic or care from the ppl like Kristi Noem. They terminated the contracts on JULY 5TH. Wtf. Took FIVE DAYS to reinstate. My heart goes out to everyone who should have had help www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/c...

UMass Chan Medical School faces shortfall of tens of millions of dollars in NIH funding The medical school's chancellor, Dr. Michael Collins, said nearly $42 million in grants expected by the institution's scientists for research and related expenses did not come through for the fiscal y...

I don’t know what the future will bring for my research program or my institution. But it isn’t good. None of this is good. We are being absolutely crushed, and I know we are not the only ones. www.wbur.org/news/2025/07...

World’s premier cancer institute faces crippling cuts and chaos | CNN The Trump administration’s broadsides against scientific research have caused unprecedented upheaval at the National Cancer Institute, the storied federal government research hub that has spearheaded ...

www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/h...

A quarter of a million scientists, health care providers, and teachers - gone. We are willingly destroying a national resource that took 50 years to build and formed the foundation of tech and innovation in our country. Gone for the sake of the greed and ignorance of millionaires

The US government is aiming to get rid of a quarter million people involved in science research and education by 2026.

I have no words.

“Science + medicine … are about service—science being service to knowledge… medicine being service to other people and their health. Both are about telling the truth” www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10....

People are dying, and many more will in the future because people in charge who, either, don’t understand how the system works, OR, are dead set on destroying it, are crushing every aspect of research, preclinical through clinical. We HAVE to stop these attacks on NIH
www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/whe...

Want to do something? Take action, below! You would think that our legislature would know about what's going on, but the truth is that they are not as well informed as you would expect. Let your reps and senators know you care about these issues! When we speak up, they are empowered to take action

ICE raids have 'overwhelmed' coastal California communities Communities in three California counties "overwhelmed" as ICE raids ramp up in the region.

A man pulled up to a gas station to fill up his truck. ICE agents surrounded him and took him away. But his children were left behind.
“They arrested someone,” witness said. “They left the children inside the truck.”
www.sfgate.com/centralcoast...

TRO

Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of CA issues the below order. It pauses all RIF-related actions across the gov’t for two weeks, because she concludes that these RIFs likely illegally usurp Congress’ authority by reorganizing agencies. Hearing in 2 wks to consider a prelim injunction.

Thank you for the support ❤️ ghastly is the right word. (I will be OK, personally. But science and medicine will not 😢)

*Alzheimer’s related mechanism for funding- its funding payline is lower than expected based on last year, very significantly lower. The science itself is focused on improving drug delivery to the brain, not the biology/etc of the disease

While this administration sows fear and isolation, our union stands up for hope and solidarity. Standing together, we will not be intimidated.

When we fight, we win. ✊

On Wednesday, we planned to lead a walkout at his first town hall.

We wanted to send a message: we will not sit by while our Director aids and abets the dismantling of America's crown jewel research enterprise.

Seems he got wind of our plans, because he postponed last-minute.

Read what he said. “I’m really uncomfortable with this conversation”. Then he repeatedly *admonished* the report for spreading a “rumor.” Hours later, he released the new policy.

Inside the Bloodbath at the NIH Sources say that a climate of fear has spread throughout the agency as the Trump administration takes a hatchet to its core functions.

…On the contrary, in the past month, critical NIH facilities received stop work orders, 2200 contractors were terminated, a second round of RIFs hit, and the funding cuts continued.

Turned around? I had a grant that scored well enough I was pretty confident itd be funded at the end of January. But the govt started attacking NIH, canceled the mtg. Been in purgatory since. Found out today, proposal has no chance. Alzheimer’s work. Instead of “around”, we try “so very much worse”

A thread: NIH Fellows United is committed to showing up, even when leadership won’t. 🧪

I've left the news cycle for like a week (to try to push some grants out) and I can't even begin to catch up, already

⚖️ Terminated NIH grant litigation update:

There's a hearing on a motion for preliminary injunction today at 11:30a EDT in Mass. v RFK et al, a case brought by some states against HHS. This is 1 of 2 diff. cases on this topic.

I'll be live-tweeting it later this morning. Check back on this thread.

This is mislabeled. Actually, it’s a map of where scientific discoveries, biomedical research, cancer treatments, and drug discovery come from. Also economic growth.

Trump’s Budget Calls for Deep Cuts to NIH and CDC A budget blueprint released on Friday advances, in hard numbers and biting words, President Trump’s assault on the nation’s universities and scientific research enterprise.

My gov't is attacking me, attacking itself. Destroying the literal crown jewel of our country. An NIH budget cut of 44% will end the livelihoods of scientists across American. STEM and education will be crushed. We are watching the fall of a nation www.nytimes.com/2025/05/02/u...

Trump to Propose Slashing $163 Billion in Government Programs in Budget Blueprint — The Wall Street Journal The president’s budget wish list would cut health research, climate and education programs

They are devastating science and medicine apple.news/AdYgdah06QEC...

I don't :( Was planning a TR01 myself. I should add: this list comes from a trustworthy source, but it is NOT a public declaration by NIH. Might change. I'm not sure what to expect. It's really irritating that this admin is saying "innovation" yet axing all of these programs that support innovation

Keep sharing that clip! It’s spot on

Science doesn’t PAUSE. If you don’t maintain - cell lines, reagents, genetic models - you lose - trained personnel, unique expertise, collaborators or cores - if those things get disrupted, it becomes 10x harder to build it back. Are we efficient yet? Definitely not safer or healthier