Nina Friedman

📣📣📣 CALL TO ACTION - 🚨 🚨🚨

A thread on how you can join a growing chorus of federal workers and members of the public pressuring Congress to embrace its power and end the authoritarian takeover #FightingCR

Took leave this afternoon to deliver a letter from nearly 900 (and growing) current and former Feds asking Congress to pass a continuing resolution that ends executive overreach and protects the American people.

Join us! Feds and fed allies welcomed to sign. actionnetwork.org/forms/civil-...

The open show of resistance from FEMA employees is the latest example of federal employees speaking out against the Trump administration’s actions and policies, in many cases putting their jobs and safety at risk. Described as the “Bethesda Declaration” movement, named for the Maryland city where the National Institutes of Health is headquartered, it began in June when NIH employees issued a letter modeled after Director Jay Bhattacharya’s dissent against the government’s covid policies in 2020. Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and the National Science Foundation followed suit.

/fin

In letter, FEMA staff warn Trump officials’ actions risk Katrina-level disaster About 150 FEMA employees signed a letter to Congress arguing current agency leadership has eroded and hindered the ability to effectively manage emergencies.

Washington Post story about the Katrina Declaration

[Gift link]

wapo.st/4mu7HfL

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bsky.app/profile/jere... thanks for creating this, @jeremymberg.bsky.social

Word cloud highlighting words found in titles of cancelled MOSAIC NIH grants.

NIH Director (my boss’s, boss’s, boss), Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya has a choice. Support exemplary early-career researchers studying the topics listed in this word cloud. Or not.

Tell the Supreme Court: No Stay. Hands off NIH The Supreme Court is poised to allow Trump to illegally terminate NIH grants. Let's speak out. There is not much time.

The Supreme Court is reviewing a vitally important NIH case on its shadow docket.

It is likely that the Court will back Trump, and say his (illegal) grant terminations are ok.

We must speak up now.
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How Many Times Can Science Funding Be Canceled? Whether or not Congress cuts NIH’s budget, the Trump administration has devastated its ability to operate.

Here's a great piece on how hard NIH extramural staff are working to get grants out to PIs. A huge thank you to all the heroic extramural staff who are working day and night to support great science under awful conditions!

Love the photos from @nihvigils.bsky.social on here. Congrats on the launch!

From last dreadless Sunday; my cat snuggling with his favorite handheld vacuum

Been thinkin about Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse a lot today

Odds of winning NIH grants plummet as new funding policy and spending delays bite Funding multiyear grants up front will sharply cut number of investigators receiving awards

Even with flat funding for the NIH, under the current FY26 plan, there will be 60% less cancer research and much less research funded overall. We need to make sure Congress understands these tricks and protects against them in their budget plan.

A Quiet Policy Shift That Could Devastate American Science Why NIH’s sudden move to multi-year grant funding should alarm every principal investigator and university

A good explainer for #NIH funded researchers on why the multiyear funding scheme is going to squeeze NIH scientists and NIH science. open.substack.com/pub/sciencea...

Current NIH worker seeking formers NIH workers and community allies. 👀👋🏻

On Thursday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to grant them a stay on the Massachusetts vs Kennedy/ APHA vs NIH ruling. This decision will occur on the shadow docket, with no formal hearing.

We stand with the EPA 139. www.instagram.com/p/DMGohBNykfu/

@jenna-m-norton.bsky.social, @ngfriedman.bsky.social, and I got to meet many of the amazing researchers at the science fair yesterday that are standing up for science.

The full ruling explaining why NIH grant cuts are illegal came out today.

It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.

Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵

I know this muscular dystrophy researcher personally. He brings >10 years domain specific knowledge to our national research program to it the best in the world. He wishes to dedicate his entire career to serve the public with this work, and his institute will do anything they can to keep him.

I have a friend at the NIH who works on studying and treating the rare disease, muscular dystrophy. His contract expires today on Easter. Tomorrow, he may not have a job. His work will be lost, and patients with muscular dystrophy will have to wait that much longer for relief. 1/11🧪

Digging into the reinstated NIH grants. This story is an evolving doozy.

The reinstated grant is an R21 from Seattle Children's Hospital

I was very confused when I read the title:

"An intervention to promote healthy relationships among transgender and gender expansive youth"

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Thanks @doee-dc.bsky.social for the free radon test. I know what I’m doing this evening!

Lawsuit aims to overturn many NIH grant terminations Multiple groups and NIH-funded scientists challenge agency’s decision as arbitrary and capricious

"It’s kind of a textbook case of arbitrary and capricious.” A lawsuit alleges that NIH didn't follow proper procedure and was unconstitutionally vague when abruptly terminating >600 grants. My story @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...

After ‘coding error’ triggers firings, top NIH scientists called back to work Neuroscience institutes tells 10 scientists placed on leave it’s working on a “long-term” solution to officially reinstating them

Ten principal investigators who were fired from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke as part of the massive reduction in force at federal agencies on Tuesday are back at work, at least for now, Science has learned.

After ‘coding error’ triggers firings, top NIH scientists called back to work Neuroscience institutes tells 10 scientists placed on leave it’s working on a “long-term” solution to officially reinstating them

The NINDS scientists fired in the RIF are back at work - for now - after a "coding error" led to their accidental termination. HHS blames "broken systems left to us by the Biden administration." My story @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...

Suddenly take out just 1 person w/ thr specialized expertise—that they were uniquely recruited for and have spent many years training on—and many other scientists stop being able to do *their* work. That's true for all labs, really. At NIH and at universities. Hiring timelines in science are long.

Trump administration orders NIH to eliminate $2.6 billion in federal contracts At a chaotic time, the NIH is given a deadline of April 8 to make a 35% cut in services that may include specimen storage, genetic counseling, and administration.

"NIH is given till April 8 ... for a 35% cut in services."

This isn't entirely correct, and it matters enormously for getting NIH science done. A quick 🧵: 1/
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NIH has many scientists, many senior, who work as contract employees.

www.statnews.com/202... 🧪

Respectfully, this reporting is misleading. The PIs have not been reinstated. Yes, they’ve been asked to return to work. As have others. The RIF gave a 60 days notice before termination (June 2). And the email you quote says the RIFs have not been rescinded, only that NIH leadership…

…is working on a long term solution. But it’s not up to NIH leadership. It’s up to HHS/DOGE. I am optimistic these PIs will be reinstated. But they have not been yet.

There’s been a ton of confusion and chaos. And that is on purpose. All of this has been massively disruptive to science at NIH.