Courtney Davis

Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones US science funder also plans to screen grant applications for compliance with ‘agency priorities’.

BREAKING: NSF has frozen all grant funding, as of yesterday. It's unclear when they will resume funding awards, or why the pause has been put in place. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Amazing!

Agreed!

My old TI-85 calculator just gave up the ghost in the middle of grading finals. I'll miss that calculator. Every newer model lacks the customizable menu button that made TI-85 the most convenient to use.

Materials produced or authored by NCI staff that address topics that may be controversial, high profile, or sensitive must be sent to the NCI Clearance Team for review prior to publication. Depending on the nature of the information, additional review and clearance by the NCI director, deputy directors, NIH, and HHS may be required. In some cases, the material will not need further review, but the NCI Clearance Team will share it with NCI leadership, NIH, and/or HHS for their awareness. Examples of controversial or high-profile topics include, but are not limited to: Cancer Moonshot NCI budget COVID-19 Vaccines H5N1/bird flu Opioids , Marijuana Dietary guidelines/ultra-processed foods Obesity Stem cell or fetal tissue research Abortion Autism Peanut allergies Fluoride Measles Diversity/equity efforts Gender ideology Environmental justice Discussion of federal policies Topics of federal investigations Issues concerning pending legislation Topics that have received recent attention from Congress Topics that have received widespread or critical media attention

The National Cancer Institute (part of NIH) released new guidelines for "controversial, high-profile or sensitive" keywords that require "review prior to publication" if included in a product or materials.

Keywords include abortion, obesity, and peanut allergies.

Me floating on a pool inner tube with arms outstretched and mountains in the background

Me walking in a lake in Death Valley holding a striped pool inner tube. Photo by Robert Gauthier.

Me doing a cartwheel in Lake Manly with my wrist submerged

Mountains reflecting off of Lake Manly

A year ago today, there was a lake in #DeathValley one could float on. A reminder that wonder exists in our world!

Perhaps now more than ever, cultivate curiosity in your students and reassure them that there are paths toward becoming a scientist in the future. Education and training remain a huge part of the NSF mission. (15)

Good practice always, but especially now 🧵

A tweet by Pepperdine University that says "Pepperdine University has earned the prestigious R2 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education. This recognition, awarded to institutions with high research activity, highlights Pepperdine's continued commitment to advancing scholarly excellence and fostering innovation across a wide range of academic disciplines." The accompanying photo is of professor Helen Holmlund conducting botany research with five of her students in a field overlooking Pepperdine university.

Pepperdine has earned R2 status 👏

This will help when - WHEN, please - you call your rep.

🔥🧵

YouTube video by Sarah Horst February 8, 2025

I didn’t know if it might help to actually see what we are talking about with indirect costs so I did a little lab tour.

youtube.com/shorts/ttia4...

1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%.

I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters.

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

*Helene

We stand with you, united in faith and love, trusting in the promise that God is with us in all things. 

 With love and prayers, 

The Congregation of First Presbyterian Asheville”

Please know that you are not alone. We are lifting you up in prayer, asking God to give you strength, peace, and hope in the days ahead. May you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit surrounding you and sustaining you through every moment.
...

"Our hearts and prayers are with you during this challenging time as you face the impact of wildfires in your community. As a congregation that recently experienced Hurricane Helene, we understand the fear, uncertainty, and grief that come with natural disasters.  
...

Well, this made me cry.

The congregation of First Presbyterian Asheville, who were recently affected by Hurricane Helen, reached out to our church, Westwood Presbyterian Church:
...

Doge staffers enter Noaa headquarters and incite reports of cuts and threats Members reportedly sought access to IT systems at agency that Project 2025 has called ‘harmful to US prosperity’

This sums up the current administration's approach succinctly:

"I think the strategy here is: ‘Well, we’re just going to do it and dare somebody to stop us, and by the time they stop us, we’ll have destroyed it.’”

From: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Here is the guidance in full. The wording is very broad. This should help a lot of organizations and people.

Health Programs Shutter Around the World After Trump Pauses Foreign Aid (Gift Article) Lifesaving treatment and prevention programs for tuberculosis, malaria, H.I.V. and other diseases cannot access funds to continue work.

@USAID is enduring an unlawful shutdown, purge, and dismantling.

It’s thrown its vital work into turmoil—based on spurious, absurd, and willfully slanted attacks.

Here's what’s real: the massive and growing harm now being caused.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/h...

Just received this email (received 3:25 pm ET), from the NSF director, informing that DOJ has interpreted the temporary restraining order on the funding freeze as applying to “all NSF award recipients.”

Again, I’ll shout it from the rooftops: lawsuits matter!!!!

The entire archive of CDC datasets can be found here.

HUGE shoutout to data archivists- this work is important 👏🙌🏻

archive.org/details/2025...

Watch Duty app that says Palisades Fire is 100% contained at 23,448 acres

Watch Duty app that says Eaton Fire is 100% contained at 14,021 acres

#PalisadesFire and #EatonFire are finally 100% contained. Recovery will be a very long road and never 100%. We are changed by this.

White House rescinds freeze on federal grants, in reversal The reversal followed criticism of the sudden freeze by the White House budget office.

Breaking news: The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing federal grants, according to a copy of a new memo obtained by The Post, after the administration’s move to halt spending earlier this week provoked a backlash.

Create and mentor transformative summer research experiences for undergraduates who want to pursue careers in science. Plus, during the summer, the undergrads pay it forward by designing outreach activities and teaching younger kids about scientific research. #NSF #REU

WaPo got the memo with more info.

Main article (gifted): wapo.st/4gfgcHQ

Memo (gifted): wapo.st/3E9XcgH

Got the same intel today. NIH studies last week. NSF review panels today. Chaos. Intentional and planned chaos.
#OpenAsResistance

National Science Foundation freezes grant review in response to Trump executive orders The National Science Foundation has canceled all grant review panels this week. It's unclear how long the pause could last.

🤬

I haven't shared much about the fires. My apartment and work are okay. Everything in between is not. So many people are not. Also my neighbor passed away unrelatedly. I've been helping with her affairs and helping where I can while also starting classes.

I am exhausted.
I am lucky.
Praying for all.