Brian P. Keane
@briankeanelab.bsky.social
I study human visual perception and how it is altered among those with psychosis
@URNeuroscience
@URNeuroscience
The 2026 bill includes requirements for ICE agents to be trained on First Amendment filming rights and increases independent oversight of detention facilities. If the bill is defeated, these "guardrails” vanish and agency would actually have more freedom to operate without Congressional oversight
January 26, 2026 at 2:49 PM
The 2026 bill includes requirements for ICE agents to be trained on First Amendment filming rights and increases independent oversight of detention facilities. If the bill is defeated, these "guardrails” vanish and agency would actually have more freedom to operate without Congressional oversight
ICE is currently sitting on tens of billions of dollars from the 2025 spending bill
January 25, 2026 at 10:34 PM
ICE is currently sitting on tens of billions of dollars from the 2025 spending bill
Even if the "official" Homeland Security budget lapses on January 30, ICE can continue its mass deportation operations, hiring, and detention center expansions without interruption
January 25, 2026 at 10:31 PM
Even if the "official" Homeland Security budget lapses on January 30, ICE can continue its mass deportation operations, hiring, and detention center expansions without interruption
Thank you for the article. What are the possible solutions to this problem? For example, can any of this be addressed through the minibus bill?
January 22, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Thank you for the article. What are the possible solutions to this problem? For example, can any of this be addressed through the minibus bill?
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026
Thirteen of the agency’s advisory councils, which must review grant applications before funding is awarded, are on track to have no voting members.
www.nature.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:46 PM
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
Best case scenario for FY2026 is a 24% drop in new awards at the NIH. This is best case because it does not explicitly prohibit the president’s mandate to fund 50% of new grants as multi-year.
January 21, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Best case scenario for FY2026 is a 24% drop in new awards at the NIH. This is best case because it does not explicitly prohibit the president’s mandate to fund 50% of new grants as multi-year.
An alternative title for this article could be: Congress set to accept Trump’s sweeping science budget cuts at the NIH through multi-year funding
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
US Congress set to reject Trump’s sweeping science budget cuts
Lawmakers announce legislation that would actually increase funding for basic research by more than 2%.
www.nature.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:59 PM
An alternative title for this article could be: Congress set to accept Trump’s sweeping science budget cuts at the NIH through multi-year funding
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The bill is worse than people realize. The House directs NIH to maintain grant volume, but ignores the Admin's "Spend Mandate." Matching 2025 volume is physically impossible on a flat budget unless we have Section 239 in the bill text to legally block the expensive payout mandate.
January 21, 2026 at 4:51 PM
The bill is worse than people realize. The House directs NIH to maintain grant volume, but ignores the Admin's "Spend Mandate." Matching 2025 volume is physically impossible on a flat budget unless we have Section 239 in the bill text to legally block the expensive payout mandate.
This seems to be the critical failure of the House bill. It bakes in the substantially reduced award numbers of 2025. More importantly, it does not explicitly kill the administration’s forward funding spend mandate (which the Senate bill does successfully)
January 20, 2026 at 11:20 PM
This seems to be the critical failure of the House bill. It bakes in the substantially reduced award numbers of 2025. More importantly, it does not explicitly kill the administration’s forward funding spend mandate (which the Senate bill does successfully)
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
Don’t let Russell Vought trick Congress into destroying science by removing multiyear funding limits from the NIH funding bill.
January 16, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Don’t let Russell Vought trick Congress into destroying science by removing multiyear funding limits from the NIH funding bill.
Brian Scholl remarked on this about 8 years ago in a commentary. I’m sure he wasn’t the first.
perception.yale.edu/papers/17-Sc...
perception.yale.edu/papers/17-Sc...
perception.yale.edu
January 15, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Brian Scholl remarked on this about 8 years ago in a commentary. I’m sure he wasn’t the first.
perception.yale.edu/papers/17-Sc...
perception.yale.edu/papers/17-Sc...
Please take 2 min to email your rep before Jan 30. Ask them to "Adopt Sections 239 and 531 of the Senate LHHS Appropriations Bill (Senate Report 119-55)" to restore incremental funding and timely grant awards at NIH.
Action link: actnow.aamc.org/a/take-actio... Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Action link: actnow.aamc.org/a/take-actio... Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
January 14, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Please take 2 min to email your rep before Jan 30. Ask them to "Adopt Sections 239 and 531 of the Senate LHHS Appropriations Bill (Senate Report 119-55)" to restore incremental funding and timely grant awards at NIH.
Action link: actnow.aamc.org/a/take-actio... Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Action link: actnow.aamc.org/a/take-actio... Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Section 239 would block forward funding and return to incremental funding. Importantly, Section 531 would place deadlines on NIH to post grant opportunities and award funds in a timely manner.
January 14, 2026 at 3:35 PM
Section 239 would block forward funding and return to incremental funding. Importantly, Section 531 would place deadlines on NIH to post grant opportunities and award funds in a timely manner.
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
“These findings provide clear evidence that data collected on MTurk simply cannot be trusted.”
January 8, 2026 at 8:47 PM
“These findings provide clear evidence that data collected on MTurk simply cannot be trusted.”
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 @neddo.bsky.social on “thinking meat”, inverted spectra, and other goodies 👇🏽
Mindscape 339 | Ned Block on Whether Consciousness Requires Biology. #MindscapePodcast
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026...
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026...
January 5, 2026 at 9:00 PM
👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 @neddo.bsky.social on “thinking meat”, inverted spectra, and other goodies 👇🏽
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
New York Times article on science funding with some depressing but familiar curves with interactive graphics.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine (Gift Article)
A quiet policy change means the government is making fewer bets on long-term science.
www.nytimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:57 AM
New York Times article on science funding with some depressing but familiar curves with interactive graphics.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
Alert for scientists: NIH institute director vacancies are posted! Please apply so we get actual scientists in these positions instead of just political appointees!!!!
More new NIH institute and center director positions posted
with a closing date of 11/26/25.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
These include the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), ...
1/3
with a closing date of 11/26/25.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
These include the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), ...
1/3
hr.nih.gov
November 13, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Alert for scientists: NIH institute director vacancies are posted! Please apply so we get actual scientists in these positions instead of just political appointees!!!!
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
Very well done story on 60 Minutes about the harms of grant terminations and freezes at Harvard with Joan Brugge, Don Engbar, David Liu, and a very compelling young cancer patient, now cured with Liu's technology.
Transcript and video here
www.cbsnews.com/news/researc...
Transcript and video here
www.cbsnews.com/news/researc...
Battle between Trump and universities hurting scientific research in need of federal funding
Federal research funding to universities has fueled breakthroughs for years. The White House is pressuring universities to align with the president's political agenda, or risk losing their funding.
www.cbsnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Very well done story on 60 Minutes about the harms of grant terminations and freezes at Harvard with Joan Brugge, Don Engbar, David Liu, and a very compelling young cancer patient, now cured with Liu's technology.
Transcript and video here
www.cbsnews.com/news/researc...
Transcript and video here
www.cbsnews.com/news/researc...
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
‼️ Today is the deadline to register for the CVS Retreat. See the agenda with links to register on our website: www.cvs.rochester.edu/events/cvs_r... @uor-braincogsci.bsky.social @urneuroscience.bsky.social @flaumeye.bsky.social @uofrbme.bsky.social @urengineering.bsky.social
October 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
‼️ Today is the deadline to register for the CVS Retreat. See the agenda with links to register on our website: www.cvs.rochester.edu/events/cvs_r... @uor-braincogsci.bsky.social @urneuroscience.bsky.social @flaumeye.bsky.social @uofrbme.bsky.social @urengineering.bsky.social
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
Can Only Meat Machines be Conscious? New paper in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, free download until November 26 with this URL: authors.elsevier.com/a/1luwh4sIRv...
authors.elsevier.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Can Only Meat Machines be Conscious? New paper in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, free download until November 26 with this URL: authors.elsevier.com/a/1luwh4sIRv...
37% fewer neuroscience grants awarded in 2025 due to a new funding mandate that prioritizes renewals over new research. This hurts innovation and early-career scientists most. We need to speak up! Contact your representatives:
September 30, 2025 at 9:37 PM
37% fewer neuroscience grants awarded in 2025 due to a new funding mandate that prioritizes renewals over new research. This hurts innovation and early-career scientists most. We need to speak up! Contact your representatives:
Super useful, thank you. Have you created a similar graph for the number of new R01s?
September 30, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Super useful, thank you. Have you created a similar graph for the number of new R01s?
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
Philosopher John Searle has died.
John Searle (1932-2025) - Daily Nous
Philosopher John Searle, well-known for his work on philosophy of mind and philosophy of language, has died. John Searle wrote extensively consciousness and the mind, intentionality, and speech act th...
dailynous.com
September 28, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Philosopher John Searle has died.
Reposted by Brian P. Keane
Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.
The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io
September 25, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.
The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
NIH's updated multi-year payout policy (funding all years of a grant upfront vs. annually) could dramatically reduce new R01s available. While total awards are "catching up," the impact on new investigators remains concerning. With budget negotiations underway, now's the time to contact your reps!
Here is a plot in terms of PROJECTS rather than dollars. I am using projects rather than awards so that projects that received supplements do not get double-counted.
While the FY25 curve is improving, it seems that the number of funded projects will drop by 3000-4000 compared with FY24.
While the FY25 curve is improving, it seems that the number of funded projects will drop by 3000-4000 compared with FY24.
September 22, 2025 at 9:58 PM
NIH's updated multi-year payout policy (funding all years of a grant upfront vs. annually) could dramatically reduce new R01s available. While total awards are "catching up," the impact on new investigators remains concerning. With budget negotiations underway, now's the time to contact your reps!