Profiles in American Funded Research

"You aren't in a free country if you can't feel safe to express your views, whether they be far right or far left or in the middle or pro-Trump or anti-Trump."

@timmiller.bsky.social and @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/were-in-a-...

We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.

YouTube video by Profiles in American Funded Research What can we learn from splitting chemicals with light

Another great episode just released, this interview with Frank Turecek, who beyond the science also has an interesting life story.

yotube: youtu.be/Dupb8fm11TU

spotify: spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/ZQElhzgOaUb

S1Ep18 Interview with Daniel Conway about the importance of epithelial cells Profiles in American Funded Research · Episode

Another great episode, this time with Daniel Conway about the importance of epithelial cells, how forces on them play a role and much more!

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/episode/4wLB...

YouTube:
youtu.be/L03iYQ2Bcj8

Happy to announce, that after a brief break due to busy schedules of potential interviewees, Profiles in American Funded Research is back!

New episode with Fatima Foflonker about gene clustering here:

spotify: spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/iwMsAc7uNTb

youtube: youtu.be/sg1LOba0Hos

A hot take for your Sunday: if your lab is funded by tax dollars you have some responsibility to inform the public how their dollars are spent.

Here’s a super easy way to do that! www.standupforscience.net/summer-fight...

#StandUpForScience
#SummerFightForScience

Does anyone know approximately how many scientists the US federal government funds per year (across all agencies, including people supported by grants and fed workers)?

Or where I could find this information?

There has been a natural break, which roughly coincides with end of semester busyness in my podcast interviews. The next release (if everything goes to plan) should be on Friday May 23rd. Thank you to everyone who has listened thus far and see you again in a week!

If you are a scientist with experience communicating science to the public, and you want to do one of these Stand Up For Science teach-ins, I can help you plan it. DMs open.

Reintroduction time!

I'm Krystal, a science policy reporter at @cenmag.bsky.social. These days, I mostly report on the chaos happening at the NSF, but I also write about STEM education and equity issues within science.

Any tips? Reach me on Signal at kvasquez.12 or via email at k_vasquez@acs.org

Federal judge temporarily halts Trump's sweeping government overhaul A federal judge in San Francisco issued a two-week restraining order temporarily blocking the Trump administration's sweeping overhaul of the federal government. Her order applies to 20 agencies.

Oh and...

✅ NSF **removed** its previous question about "sunsetting" (i.e., ending) its Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES) division.

That was in direct response to a broad temporary restraining order (TRO) from last Friday night (see link below).

Connection to NSF: fedscoop.com/nsf-pauses-c...

15. UPDATED: What are the requirements for project reports if my award has been terminated? Normal procedures specified in the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) Chapter VII.D apply, with the exception that Project Outcomes Reports are waived for terminated awards. Any annual reports must be submitted on time. The final annual project report must be submitted in Research.gov no later than 120 days after the end date of the award. Principal investigators (PIs) will continue to receive notifications on the due dates for all required reports. See also question 24 below for information about the summary of progress noted in the termination letter.

5/8 🤔 Potentially mixed depending on viewpoint:

"Project Outcomes Reports are waived for terminated awards"

These appear publicly on the NSF award pages (normally).

✅ Minimizes reporting burden.

❌ Grantees can't say in their own words how the project ended (e.g., "was illegally terminated...").

14. Can costs be reimbursed prior to the award termination date? Yes. Costs may be reimbursed to an NSF award up to and including the award termination date, provided they are allowable, allocable, and reasonable under the sections on Allowable Costs and Termination in your award terms and conditions (e.g., sections 11 and 33 in GC-1). Per the Termination section of your award's terms and conditions (GC-1 section 33(e)) you must submit the total of costs that were incurred prior to the termination but not drawn down in ACM$ to dgafinalcosts@nsf.gov no later than 30 calendar days after the award termination date.

4/8 Good news for minimizing reporting requirements:

✅ The 30-day report is ONLY for financial accounting.

It's NOT the final annual report (which is due in 120 days).

It's NOT an interim project report which has same structure as an annual report (there was prior mixed intel about that).

24. Please clarify if the summary of progress under the award requested in the termination notice from NSF, due 30 days from the termination date, will be in lieu of the final annual project report and final project outcomes report. Or is this a requirement in addition to the final annual project report and final project outcomes report? The summary of progress is the financial accounting of cost due within 30 days of termination, including an estimate to cover the closeout costs required to submit the final/annual report within 120 days. Project Outcomes Reports are waived for terminated awards. See also question 15.

3/8 Good (?) news for "terminees":

✅ NSF publicly intends to follow through with final closeout payments.

INCLUDING "closeout costs required to submit the final/annual report", as required by fed 2 CFR 200.472: www.ecfr.gov/current/titl...

There was some question if that fed reg would be followed

19. How can I learn more about the protected civil rights characteristics referenced in NSF's updated priorities? We encourage you to contact your institution’s Sponsored Research Office or legal counsel for further information. 20. Why was my proposal Returned Without Review, referencing changes to NSF priorities? Proposals that do not align with the agency's priorities are being returned to the proposer using NSF's existing Return Without Review mechanism. 21. My proposal was Returned Without Review. Why do I see written reviews and a panel summary in Research.gov? The agency uses the Return Without Review mechanism at various stages of NSF's review process, up to a final official agency funding determination. Some proposals that are being Returned Without Review may have received written review(s) or a panel summary, but NSF had not reached a final funding determination. As such, NSF did not complete its review process. Any reviews received by NSF are being returned to the PI as per NSF's policy. 22. What will happen to my proposal if it is not Returned Without Review? If your proposal is not returned without review, it will continue to be evaluated using NSF's standard process. 23. May I withdraw my proposal if it does not align with the updated priorities? Proposals may be withdrawn at any time before a funding recommendation is made by the cognizant NSF Program Officer, as described in the PAPPG.

2/8

❌ Infuriating news:

NSF publicly confirms it's returning proposals without review if they "do not align with the agency's priorities"

(News outlets reported that last week, per internal leaks)

A real big FU to proposers who poured countless hours into painstakingly preparing the proposals.

3. UPDATED: What types of awards are being terminated? Awards that are not aligned with program goals or agency priorities have been terminated, including but not limited to those on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), environmental justice, and misinformation/disinformation.

🧪 National Science Foundation update alert ⚠️⚠️

NSF just made a **lot** of updates to its "priorities" page.

It's mixed news. Some good. Some bad.

❌ Not welcome: NSF is now also terminating "environmental justice" awards.

The highlighted text here is new: www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...

1/8... 🧵

NSF at 75 years, image of planetary shapes and starlight

The National Science Foundation marks its 75th anniversary this week.

Rather than celebrate, it's time to save it.

www.savensf.com/nsf-at-75-to...

I have found that there is some fear, when asking people to come on the podcast. But many seem to understand the importance and I have been able to get people on.

I am grateful to everyone who has agreed to come and discuss their research and funding with me.

Trump’s ‘fear factor’: Scientists go silent as funding cuts escalate Many worry about retribution. But for others, speaking out is worth the risk

I spoke with Science about scholars—myself included—self-censoring.

In my case, my team and I feared losing our NSF funding for Expert Voices Together (expertvoicestogether.org), a program, ironically, built to support researchers and journalists under attack.

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

That same employee also recommends that researchers check out www.savensf.com for resources on how to call attention to what's happening at NSF.

US researchers must stand up to protect freedoms, not just funding Curtailment of freedoms and disregard for the rule of law in the United States is destroying the ability of science to serve the nation’s, and the world’s, interests. Researchers can take action.

amen

The consolidation of review at NIH is really driven by the Trump/Republican desire to control NIH grantmaking from the top.

Here’s an example of the chaos that’s happening now. It will get worse unless CSR and review are walled off from political interference.

Yes! We need more of this sentiment. The universities, researchers and funding agencies all need to stand together to fight this.

From what I've seen tracking terminations, I think the NSF community circled its wagons quicker than the NIH folks and has been more press savvy.

But honestly, all our communities--whether NIH, NSF, EPA, NOAA, NEH, NASA, CDC, SAMHSA, FDA or somewhere else--can do more to stand up for each other

Don't give up. Don't stop fighting. We can save science.

Embrace it, but FIGHT BACK

Thank you for shining a light on this.

Anyone who has a canceled grant and wants to speak about it, I will happily welcome you to the podcast.

NSF appears to be terminating hundreds of its grants to Harvard, per internal sources at NSF and at Harvard. At least one division has had all its grants cut.

My ongoing request:

If your NSF or NIH grant was terminated--whether at Harvard or elsewhere--please report it here.

NSF: grant-watch.us/submit-nsf.h...

NIH: grant-watch.us/submit-nih.h...

Our trackers are actively used in lawsuits and are often the only record that terminations ever occurred.

S1 Ep16 Interview with Lis Gallant about volcanic flows Profiles in American Funded Research · Episode

My episode with Lis Gallant, in which we discuss lava flows, the data collection, the importance of the NSF and more is now live!
spotify:
open.spotify.com/episode/06Iu...

youtube:
youtu.be/Oui0Y0HUQ7k