David Malakoff

NIH shake-up to grant decision-making draws concerns of political meddling Policy drops “paylines” based on peer-review scores and requires geography and other factors to guide approvals

NIH shake-up to grant decision-making draws concerns of political meddling | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

🧪 ✏️ Apply for the 2026 Diverse Voices in Science Journalism Internship with @science.org! 🧪 ✏️

This could be for you if you're a student from a community historically underrepresented in #journalism who's interested in in covering science for general audiences: recruiting.ultipro.com/AME1123ASEM/...

Despite Trump chaos, NSF avoided feared dip in research financing Number of new grants fell by 20%, but got larger, as funder braced for potential budget cut

Despite Trump chaos, NSF avoided feared dip in research financing | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Sand mining threatens Asia's largest lake Cambodia’s Tonle Sap supports important fisheries and wildlife

Sand mining threatens Asia's largest lake | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Argentina’s move to woo Trump has derailed South America’s largest radio telescope U.S.-Chinese tensions have left nearly complete observatory in limbo, jeopardizing research into pulsars and other celestial objects

“There is direct interference from the White House here.” Argentina’s move to woo Trump has derailed South America’s largest radio telescope | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

At futuristic meeting, AIs took the lead in producing and reviewing all the studies Organizers aim to tune AI to help accelerate science

“One of the most important things we teach human scientists is how to have good scientific taste. And I don’t know how we will teach AI that.” At futuristic meeting, AIs took the lead in producing and reviewing all the studies | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

As U.S. shutdown drags on, ‘it’s just one blow after another’ Federal researchers confront growing uncertainty about future

“It feels like getting hit by a car right after you’ve barely survived a train wreck.” As U.S. shutdown drags on, ‘it’s just one blow after another’ | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

What’s it like to tell someone she won a Nobel Prize? Science chats with photographer Lindsey Wasson, who captured how Nobel winner Mary Brunkow reacted to life-changing news

Great story from one of our wonderful photo editors at Science, Charles Borst: What’s it like to tell someone she won a Nobel Prize? | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Renowned U.S. climate center trims staff ahead of expected budget cuts NSF-funded National Center for Atmospheric Research is already shuttered during shutdown

Renowned U.S. climate center trims staff ahead of expected budget cuts | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

After months in limbo, four NIH institute directors fired Two leaders removed by Trump administration had hoped to stay at agency as in-house investigators

After months in limbo, four NIH institute directors fired | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

AI reveals vast ‘ghost forests’ along U.S. coast Machine learning method counts nearly 12 million dead trees, many likely killed by rising seas

I joined a team of ecologists wading through the muck of the Carolina coast in search of "ghost forests" killed by rising seas for @science.org. We were guided by a a new map that reveals millions of dead trees standing along the East Coast, marking an overlooked consequence of climate change...

A conceptual illustration of two people talking against background of leafless trees with green vines growing inside them. Text reads: How I confronted my growing cynicism about academia—and rekindled my sense of purpose.

"… as I helped this bright young scholar rediscover hope in her journey, I rediscovered my own." #ScienceWorkingLife https://scim.ag/473CI43

Ecuadorian scientists cleared of criminal charges in COVID-19 testing case Prosecutors alleged officials and researchers defrauded government during the early months of the pandemic

Linda Guamán and Xiména Abarca fought bravely through humiliation, ignorance, and threats of a 10-year prison sentence to defend their scientific expertise that ultimately saved thousands in Quito during the pandemic.

My follow-up story for @science.org
www.science.org/content/arti...

Ecuadorian scientists cleared of criminal charges in COVID-19 testing case Prosecutors alleged officials and researchers defrauded government during the early months of the pandemic

Ecuadorian scientists cleared of criminal charges in COVID-19 testing case | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

An illustration of a man walking out of a dark, paper-filled world into a bright, colorful one, with text: I thought science hinged on prestige. Moving abroad made me reassess my priorities

"I was thrilled to be on an exchange semester overseas, but I saw it as just a detour from my imagined career path. I didn’t realize I was already pedaling toward a different life—one that would make me reassess how to achieve a fulfilling research career." https://scim.ag/46EZ2kj

Satellites could reveal the secret burial grounds of Mexico’s murder victims Sensors can detect chemical clues invisible to the human eye

Satellites could reveal the secret burial grounds of Mexico’s murder victims | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

U.S. will fulfill Biden-era pledge to provide HIV prevention breakthrough to millions Trump administration cuts to global health programs had put promise in doubt

U.S. will fulfill Biden-era pledge to provide HIV prevention breakthrough to millions | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Florida plans to nix vaccine mandates. How well do they work? Abandoning long-standing vaccine requirements for schoolchildren could prompt bigger outbreaks, researchers warn

Florida plans to nix vaccine mandates. How well do they work? | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Pushed out by Trump, New Jersey ecologist launches bid for Congress Megan O’Rourke hopes to be a voice for science, also touts her blue-collar roots

Pushed out by Trump, New Jersey ecologist launches bid for Congress | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

How a Ph.D. is like riding a bike This researcher struggled in grad school—until he embraced it as a time for learning

How a Ph.D. is like riding a bike | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

NIH director orders new review of grants in outline of top research priorities Many topics on Bhattacharya’s list are familiar, but order to re-evaluate grants draws concerns

NIH director orders new review of grants in outline of top research priorities | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Giraffes are four distinct species, major report confirms The revised classification will help ensure different giraffe populations are adequately protected, conservationists say

Giraffes are four distinct species, major report confirms | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Facing ‘impossible’ workload, USDA struggles to oversee lab animal welfare Shrinking staff and other handicaps threaten enforcement of federal law that protects research animals

Facing ‘impossible’ workload, USDA struggles to oversee lab animal welfare | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

NIH director orders new review of grants in outline of top research priorities Many topics on Bhattacharya’s list are familiar, but order to re-evaluate grants draws concerns

NIH director orders new review of grants in outline of top research priorities | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Why a top economist discounts Trump’s claim U.S. jobs data are ‘rigged’ A former head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics rebuts reason why president fired the agency’s leader

Why a top economist discounts Trump’s claim U.S. jobs data are ‘rigged’ | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Scientific fraud has become an ‘industry,’ alarming analysis finds Sophisticated global networks are infiltrating journals to publish fake papers

Scientific fraud has become an ‘industry,’ alarming analysis finds | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

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

Researchers’ chances of winning a grant from the National Institutes of Health have dropped under a new policy. scim.ag/4f7uew2

Powerful step-by-step reasoning models get confused by random feline facts. Credit: Meagan Cantwell/Science

Random cat facts can increase the odds an LLM gets a math problem wrong by as much as 700% (To be fair to the AIs, cats are pretty confusing). That and more of the best in @science.org and science in this edition of #ScienceAdviser: www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪

Contrarian climate assessment from U.S. government draws swift pushback Researchers say DOE report cherry picks data to downplay threat of greenhouse gases

So what makes a climate assessment? In short: not this new Energy Dept report, which rehashes contrarian greatest hits with areas of known uncertainty -- that climate scientists talk about all the time.

It's all a little grim. Who needs 721 authors when you have 5?

With boost to NIH budget, Senate panel rejects Trump’s plan to slash agency Republicans on spending committee push back against proposed reorganization and overhead cuts

The National Institutes of Health’s budget, and structure, would be preserved under a Senate bill for the 2026 fiscal year.