Nick Fears
@nickfears.bsky.social
Assistant Professor - LSU Kinesiology - Director of Human Development & Daily Life Lab - Former Universities: Indiana, Tulane, Michigan- he/him faculty.lsu.edu/huddllab
Reposted by Nick Fears
Red states and blue states alike
Equal opportunity damage to biomedical research and the US economy
Equal opportunity damage to biomedical research and the US economy
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, one of the largest academic research and hospital care systems in the southeast, expects to lay off 650 employees as a result of grant and other funding cuts made by the Trump Administration, it said in a statement. From @anitawadhwani.bsky.social.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center to lay off up to 650 after Trump administration grant cuts • Tennessee Lookout
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, expects to lay off 650 employees as a result of grant and funding cuts by the Trump Administration,
tennesseelookout.com
June 21, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Red states and blue states alike
Equal opportunity damage to biomedical research and the US economy
Equal opportunity damage to biomedical research and the US economy
Reposted by Nick Fears
This proposed budget, which zeroes out many key programs that protect the US, would be catastrophic for American health.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Internal budget document reveals extent of Trump’s proposed health cuts
HHS would be asked to absorb a $40 billion cut, about one-third of its discretionary budget.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 16, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This proposed budget, which zeroes out many key programs that protect the US, would be catastrophic for American health.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by Nick Fears
For those who don't know a K01 is a training grant for early career researchers. Typically 4-5years to help them launch their research careers. It protects up to 75% time for research. Rescinding awarded K level grants is throwing a grenade into an already tenuous research pipeline.
Another NIH grant rescinded -
The Epidemiology of Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias in Sexual and Gender Minority Older Adults: Identifying Risk and Protective Factors - 1K01AG056669
The Epidemiology of Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias in Sexual and Gender Minority Older Adults: Identifying Risk and Protective Factors - 1K01AG056669
March 2, 2025 at 12:45 PM
For those who don't know a K01 is a training grant for early career researchers. Typically 4-5years to help them launch their research careers. It protects up to 75% time for research. Rescinding awarded K level grants is throwing a grenade into an already tenuous research pipeline.
Reposted by Nick Fears
It's entirely reasonable to both think university indirect rates are too high and a 15% ceiling is too low
We want universities to be transparent and efficient
But if they have to subsidize the research enterprise, it won't happen at most institutions
www.statnews.com/2025/02/07/n...
We want universities to be transparent and efficient
But if they have to subsidize the research enterprise, it won't happen at most institutions
www.statnews.com/2025/02/07/n...
NIH plans to slash support for indirect research costs, sending shockwaves through science
The NIH said Friday night that it would slash support for indirect costs on all existing and future grants to 15%
www.statnews.com
February 8, 2025 at 3:35 AM
It's entirely reasonable to both think university indirect rates are too high and a 15% ceiling is too low
We want universities to be transparent and efficient
But if they have to subsidize the research enterprise, it won't happen at most institutions
www.statnews.com/2025/02/07/n...
We want universities to be transparent and efficient
But if they have to subsidize the research enterprise, it won't happen at most institutions
www.statnews.com/2025/02/07/n...
Reposted by Nick Fears
Academic Skyers: I am compiling a list of policies and statements from various universities about how they are handling the "pause" in terms of stopping expenditures (or not).
Please respond to this post with your institution and materials.
THANK YOU!
Please respond to this post with your institution and materials.
THANK YOU!
January 28, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Academic Skyers: I am compiling a list of policies and statements from various universities about how they are handling the "pause" in terms of stopping expenditures (or not).
Please respond to this post with your institution and materials.
THANK YOU!
Please respond to this post with your institution and materials.
THANK YOU!
Reposted by Nick Fears
What is worst advice you have ever received from an academic?
January 3, 2025 at 9:44 PM
What is worst advice you have ever received from an academic?
Reposted by Nick Fears
#Thread
Why Autistic-led autism research matters.
I get Google Scholar alerts about newly published research.
It’s striking how little of this has any tangible benefits for Autistic people.
On the contrary, much of it is potentially harmful.
There’s an alarming sub-text.
We’re subjects, not people.
Why Autistic-led autism research matters.
I get Google Scholar alerts about newly published research.
It’s striking how little of this has any tangible benefits for Autistic people.
On the contrary, much of it is potentially harmful.
There’s an alarming sub-text.
We’re subjects, not people.
January 4, 2025 at 8:09 AM
#Thread
Why Autistic-led autism research matters.
I get Google Scholar alerts about newly published research.
It’s striking how little of this has any tangible benefits for Autistic people.
On the contrary, much of it is potentially harmful.
There’s an alarming sub-text.
We’re subjects, not people.
Why Autistic-led autism research matters.
I get Google Scholar alerts about newly published research.
It’s striking how little of this has any tangible benefits for Autistic people.
On the contrary, much of it is potentially harmful.
There’s an alarming sub-text.
We’re subjects, not people.
Reposted by Nick Fears
Does anyone have an assignment they enjoy grading for developmental psych that has students engage with a (or multiple) scientific article(s)? I have tried many iterations of different assignments and want one I look forward to grading. Right now... not enjoying grading AI-written policy letters.
December 30, 2024 at 8:39 PM
Does anyone have an assignment they enjoy grading for developmental psych that has students engage with a (or multiple) scientific article(s)? I have tried many iterations of different assignments and want one I look forward to grading. Right now... not enjoying grading AI-written policy letters.
Reposted by Nick Fears
"even when controlling for specific components of the same evaluation surveys, students tend to give lower overall ratings to female instructors...RateMyProfessors’s overall quality ratings have a greater influence on course enrollment than official evaluations" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Gender Gap in Teaching Evaluations and its Effect on Course Enrollments
The disparity in teaching evaluations between male and female instructors is well documented. This paper demonstrates that, even when controlling for …
www.sciencedirect.com
December 27, 2024 at 12:04 PM
"even when controlling for specific components of the same evaluation surveys, students tend to give lower overall ratings to female instructors...RateMyProfessors’s overall quality ratings have a greater influence on course enrollment than official evaluations" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Nick Fears
Overworked faculty: there's just too much on my plate, and no time left for the really important stuff
AI techbros: so hear me out--what if we automated your entire teaching process and then you can go to more meetings
AI techbros: so hear me out--what if we automated your entire teaching process and then you can go to more meetings
December 15, 2024 at 3:54 PM
Overworked faculty: there's just too much on my plate, and no time left for the really important stuff
AI techbros: so hear me out--what if we automated your entire teaching process and then you can go to more meetings
AI techbros: so hear me out--what if we automated your entire teaching process and then you can go to more meetings
One of my barometers for men colleagues is if they know and push back against the course evaluation comments their women colleagues receive. Every woman I know gets horrendous comments and they are all deeply misogynistic and unrelated to the course content.
December 15, 2024 at 4:39 PM
One of my barometers for men colleagues is if they know and push back against the course evaluation comments their women colleagues receive. Every woman I know gets horrendous comments and they are all deeply misogynistic and unrelated to the course content.
Reposted by Nick Fears
This is presuming the "result" is a good grade in the assessment, whereas the result should be the learning and understanding itself. How we re-centre that is the big question.
“Students using AI is like hiring robots to lift weights for you in a gym”. No it isn’t. Some people like working out. Some people hate it and want the result. If you can get the result without the sweat, so be it.
December 15, 2024 at 11:23 AM
This is presuming the "result" is a good grade in the assessment, whereas the result should be the learning and understanding itself. How we re-centre that is the big question.
Reposted by Nick Fears
saying "you only live once"
- cliche
- thanks for the existential dread
- offensive to cats
saying "leroy jenkins"
- has some flare
- here for a good time not a long time
- leeeeeeeeeeeeroy jeeeenkkiinns
- inoffensive to cats
- cliche
- thanks for the existential dread
- offensive to cats
saying "leroy jenkins"
- has some flare
- here for a good time not a long time
- leeeeeeeeeeeeroy jeeeenkkiinns
- inoffensive to cats
December 5, 2024 at 1:43 PM
saying "you only live once"
- cliche
- thanks for the existential dread
- offensive to cats
saying "leroy jenkins"
- has some flare
- here for a good time not a long time
- leeeeeeeeeeeeroy jeeeenkkiinns
- inoffensive to cats
- cliche
- thanks for the existential dread
- offensive to cats
saying "leroy jenkins"
- has some flare
- here for a good time not a long time
- leeeeeeeeeeeeroy jeeeenkkiinns
- inoffensive to cats
My student just unlocked a researcher core memory: she was trying to replicate an analysis for a class project but the values she were getting didn’t make any realistic sense. Turns out the PUBLISHED paper reported incorrect variable coding. After some troubleshooting, we figured out what they did.
December 5, 2024 at 3:52 PM
My student just unlocked a researcher core memory: she was trying to replicate an analysis for a class project but the values she were getting didn’t make any realistic sense. Turns out the PUBLISHED paper reported incorrect variable coding. After some troubleshooting, we figured out what they did.
Reposted by Nick Fears
Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Time for a reminder that "disability" can mean a wide variety of visible and invisible disabilities, and it doesn't mean lower productivity. 🧵1/9 #disability
December 3, 2024 at 3:08 PM
Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Time for a reminder that "disability" can mean a wide variety of visible and invisible disabilities, and it doesn't mean lower productivity. 🧵1/9 #disability
Reposted by Nick Fears
Every time I read about banning books, I think of this:
Reading a book with a gay character will not make you gay any more than reading a book about Einstein will make you a genius.
If you're afraid that books might change someone's thinking, you're not afraid of books — you're afraid of thinking.
Reading a book with a gay character will not make you gay any more than reading a book about Einstein will make you a genius.
If you're afraid that books might change someone's thinking, you're not afraid of books — you're afraid of thinking.
December 3, 2024 at 10:16 PM
Every time I read about banning books, I think of this:
Reading a book with a gay character will not make you gay any more than reading a book about Einstein will make you a genius.
If you're afraid that books might change someone's thinking, you're not afraid of books — you're afraid of thinking.
Reading a book with a gay character will not make you gay any more than reading a book about Einstein will make you a genius.
If you're afraid that books might change someone's thinking, you're not afraid of books — you're afraid of thinking.
Reposted by Nick Fears
Mid-career academics - do you have a formal 'mentor' outside of your line management? Have you sought them out? Are they at a more senior career stage, or at roughly your career stage?
December 4, 2024 at 10:09 AM
Mid-career academics - do you have a formal 'mentor' outside of your line management? Have you sought them out? Are they at a more senior career stage, or at roughly your career stage?
Reposted by Nick Fears
It's always interesting to hear educational entrepreneurs sell their programs to teachers. The formula seems to be a vague definition of a well-known problem + multiple buzzwords of the moment integrated into a narrative + a healthy dose of neurobabble.
December 2, 2024 at 5:32 PM
It's always interesting to hear educational entrepreneurs sell their programs to teachers. The formula seems to be a vague definition of a well-known problem + multiple buzzwords of the moment integrated into a narrative + a healthy dose of neurobabble.
Reposted by Nick Fears
Fascinating and depressing. Virtually identical trend as we are seeing in the US.
December 1, 2024 at 6:47 PM
Fascinating and depressing. Virtually identical trend as we are seeing in the US.
Reposted by Nick Fears
I had zero luck with grants. People really didn’t get why what I did was important and never figured out how to explain it to them.
November 26, 2024 at 5:57 PM
I had zero luck with grants. People really didn’t get why what I did was important and never figured out how to explain it to them.
Reposted by Nick Fears
I think you'll find the shark only killed and ate a very small number of the people who were present in the water, and as you can see everyone else is having a wonderful time
December 1, 2024 at 1:54 PM
I think you'll find the shark only killed and ate a very small number of the people who were present in the water, and as you can see everyone else is having a wonderful time
Reposted by Nick Fears
This Thanksgiving weekend, I'm thankful for marta running regular service!
That said, it's now December, and according to information reviewed by @thexylom.com, marta still hasn't run full service over two consecutive weekends.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
That said, it's now December, and according to information reviewed by @thexylom.com, marta still hasn't run full service over two consecutive weekends.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
December 1, 2024 at 11:59 AM
This Thanksgiving weekend, I'm thankful for marta running regular service!
That said, it's now December, and according to information reviewed by @thexylom.com, marta still hasn't run full service over two consecutive weekends.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
That said, it's now December, and according to information reviewed by @thexylom.com, marta still hasn't run full service over two consecutive weekends.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
My students and I spoke about this the other day. The largest impacts on society I will have are through my interactions with them and our community engagement. But that’s also fine with me!
I’ve been in research and regularly publishing since 2011 and it’s so funny that the biggest impact my life will have on medicine in my lifetime probably already happened when i was one of many who helped unionize our residency.
December 1, 2024 at 1:56 PM
My students and I spoke about this the other day. The largest impacts on society I will have are through my interactions with them and our community engagement. But that’s also fine with me!
Reposted by Nick Fears
"After coming into contact with pepper spray"
Expert deployment of the exonerative tense by the Athletic.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/595...
Expert deployment of the exonerative tense by the Athletic.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/595...
December 1, 2024 at 4:07 AM
"After coming into contact with pepper spray"
Expert deployment of the exonerative tense by the Athletic.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/595...
Expert deployment of the exonerative tense by the Athletic.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/595...