Lauren Kuehne

$1.5 million program targets changes to academic incentives The incentive systems that drive academic research underlie nearly every story we write: publication counts for promotion, pressure to produce positive results, hitting certain metrics, and so on. …

Several organizations are now putting more than $1 million toward reimagining hiring, promotion and tenure at U.S. universities.

Reporting from @cenmag.bsky.social on the last-minute announcement and eligibility changes to the NSF GRFP program, including a link to the petition to restore eligibility to 2nd year PhD students + more.

Petition:
laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/

Story:
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...

I've been sharing it with people as part of these "Boycotting 101" and "Boycotting 102" community workshops I'm doing, because it's full of mind-blowing insights about connections between identity, insecurity, and consumption. You'll be glad you listened, promise!

moneywithkatie.com/the_mwk_show...

A Masterclass on Status, Power, & the Economy with Tressie McMillan Cottom - Showit Blog

Ooohhhhh...I see an opportunity to boost the amazing @tressiemcphd.bsky.social discussion with Katie Gatti Tassin from June.

I'm on my 4th listen, and keep getting something new every time - if you missed it, listen!

moneywithkatie.com/the_mwk_show...

This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.

This is great work. Great. And you know what? A librarian might not know all this off the dome, but they would absolutely help you find out.

A government shutdown and the current FY26 proposed federal budget will have lasting impacts on scientific agencies, researchers, universities and students. Learn what’s at stake and how to respond on 23 Oct at 2 p.m. ET.

Register today. 👉 lite.spr.ly/6004zxTM

This US government shutdown is different: what it means for science President Trump’s budget office lays out guidelines for mass lay-offs across the federal government.

No, no insights on how it impacts this specifically, especially given that this is a "different" shutdown. Depends a lot on the duration...

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Please sign and share this petition to #NSF to Restore Eligibility for the 2026 Graduate Research Fellowship Program Competition. laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/

Universities Must Reject Trump Admin 'Loyalty Oath' Compacts The AAUP and AFT warn that the Trump administration’s offer to give preferential treatment to colleges and universities that court government favor in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological...

The Trump admin’s offer to give preferential treatment to institutions that toe the party line reeks of bribery in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda.

This is corruption.

Adherence to ‘loyalty oaths’ would usher in a new era of thought policing in American higher education.

UPenn professors have responded forcefully to the Trump administration's that colleges sign a "compact" in order to secure funding:

"When an invitation is accompanied by consequences for not accepting it, it is in fact a threat, not an invitation." aaup-penn.org/statement-by...

👍

Thank you for your email. There is a temporary shutdown of the U.S. government due to a lapse in appropriations. I will respond to your message as soon as possible after the temporary shutdown ends. Please visit ED.gov for the latest information on the Department's operational status. Thank you.

Thank you for contacting me. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, a clean continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations. Due to the lapse in appropriations I am currently in furlough status. I will respond to emails once government functions resume.

NEW—US Department of Education sent out standard Out of Office language to employees on Wednesday in light of shutdown. Later yesterday, workers tell me they found someone had updated their auto-responses without consent to a new one blaming Democrats.

Version of original on left, updated on right:

Please sign and keep sharing, this is important!

#NSFGRFP

Please boost, on behalf of STEM grad students!

@aaup.org
@cgsgraded.bsky.social
@standupforscience.bsky.social
@ecologicalsociety.bsky.social
@sacnas.bsky.social
@sicb.bsky.social
@snapcoalition.bsky.social
@agu.org
@aguscipolicy.bsky.social
@asm.org
@asmedotorg.bsky.social
@sciam.bsky.social

📣 🧪 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

fallen leaves with fog droplets, before the sun came out and dried them up. Yellow round leaf with drops and smaller brown-yellow leaf above. taken sept 30th on a walk in my neighborhood

fallen leaves with fog droplets, before the sun came out and dried them up. Brownish-red mottled leaf on moss-colored grass. taken sept 30th on a walk in my neighborhood

fallen leaves with fog droplets, before the sun came out and dried them up. Light brown oval leaf with yellow lance-shaped leaf above. taken sept 30th on a walk in my neighborhood

fallen leaves with fog droplets, before the sun came out and dried them up. Brown oval leaf with black veins in green grass. taken sept 30th on a walk in my neighborhood

Take a moment to breathe, and remember, "People are in motion everywhere" (quoting @prisonculture.bsky.social)

Sharing some hints of autumn from yesterday in #Bremerton, WA - fallen leaves with fog droplets, before the sun came out and dried them up.
@thedeerwhisperer.bsky.social

YouTube video by Rep. Jeffries Stop the Republican Shutdown PT.2

Who has watched the 24 hour live stream so far that the house Dems are doing on the shutdown?????

This should be the biggest story right now and literally 45 people are watching
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrBY...

Note to self: Enough already, buy some tap shoes.

Gorgeous underwater image of an Olympic mudminnow (Novumbra hubbi), a small (<90mm) fish that's endemic to western Washington State. Olympic mudminnow typically have light to dark brown bodies, with bars ranging from pale brown to glorious iridescent blues and greens. Photo by Lawrence Kent.

Underwater image of an Olympic mudminnow (Novumbra hubbi), taken in Puget Sound area of Washington State. Olympic mudminnow are small (<90mm) fish that eat a large variety of small invertebrates, to help them survive in the often small wetlands where populations are known to persist over long time periods. Photo by Lewis Hakam.

For years, I've been hoping/working to get a beer named after our local endemic Olympic mudminnow - I mean, just look at that fish!!! 🐟 + 🍺 + 🧪

"Mudminnow Stout: complex, smooth stout that captures the dark local waters of these small fish, with big charisma"

Photos: Lawrence Kent, Lewis Hakam

If you know students (or mentors) impacted by the #GRFP eligibility changes, please share this petition with them - we could use signatures and comments!

bsky.app/profile/jaso...

If you know students (or mentors) impacted by the #GRFP eligibility changes, please share this petition with them - we could use signatures and comments!

bsky.app/profile/jaso...

If you can, please share our urgent petition to #NSF to reverse the abrupt changes in eligibility to the #GRFP that have impacted so many students this year 🙏

bsky.app/profile/dani...

Please consider sharing our urgent petition to #NSF to request reversal to the abrupt changes in eligibility to the #GRFP that have impacted so many students this year 🙏

bsky.app/profile/dani...

If you know students (or mentors) impacted by the #GRFP eligibility changes, please share this petition with them - we could use signatures and comments!

bsky.app/profile/jaso...

We've got hundreds of signatures in five hours... but if we can cross 1000 by morning when I send this to NSF that'd be great. The stories from past, current, and future applicants in the comments section are hearbreaking. Keep up the pressure, and please please sign!!!

Thank you for sharing!

You can sign if you like, but yes, the maximum impact is likely to be those that are directly affected (this includes mentors though)

We created a 2nd, urgent petition focused on the devastating #GRFP eligibiilty changes - please sign and share if you can!

bsky.app/profile/omfi...

If you know folks that were impacted by the eligibility changes to the #GRFP last week, please consider signing/sharing this urgent petition to restore eligibility! 🙏

bsky.app/profile/omfi...

BTW, this was amazing thread to read - thank you for writing it!