Jason Chen
@thyreodon.bsky.social
Reposted by Jason Chen
NIH Leadership Is Failing Early Career Researchers
‘These bottlenecks have gotten so bad that some labs have had to ration gloves and paper towels.’
Ian Morgan for TheScientist
www.the-scientist.com/nih-leadersh...
‘These bottlenecks have gotten so bad that some labs have had to ration gloves and paper towels.’
Ian Morgan for TheScientist
www.the-scientist.com/nih-leadersh...
NIH Leadership Is Failing Early Career Researchers
Halted training programs, funding chaos, and hiring freezes jeopardize advancement options for early career researchers.
www.the-scientist.com
October 11, 2025 at 5:17 AM
NIH Leadership Is Failing Early Career Researchers
‘These bottlenecks have gotten so bad that some labs have had to ration gloves and paper towels.’
Ian Morgan for TheScientist
www.the-scientist.com/nih-leadersh...
‘These bottlenecks have gotten so bad that some labs have had to ration gloves and paper towels.’
Ian Morgan for TheScientist
www.the-scientist.com/nih-leadersh...
Reposted by Jason Chen
One day in the lab, we accidentally discovered that the spines of a cactus 🌵 straighten when exposed to fog. I was intrigued and so were my collaborators. How does this work and what can be gained from it? Here are some of the answers in our new preprint:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 8, 2025 at 3:25 PM
One day in the lab, we accidentally discovered that the spines of a cactus 🌵 straighten when exposed to fog. I was intrigued and so were my collaborators. How does this work and what can be gained from it? Here are some of the answers in our new preprint:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Jason Chen
One of the first things the Trump regime did on assuming power was murder thousands of children.
Horrific reporting from the AP on the Myanmar families watching their kids starve to death from Trump and Musk’s aid cuts apnews.com/article/myan...
Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.
apnews.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:58 PM
One of the first things the Trump regime did on assuming power was murder thousands of children.
Reposted by Jason Chen
The most effective way to oppose this political takeover is collective action from the academic community. If the first universities that sign Trump contracts face strong academic boycotts- no talks, no manuscript reviews, no interviews of graduates- that should dissuade others from signing.
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ... UT Austin is one of the 9 schools offered a deal: accede to White House demands and get funding priority
Exclusive | White House Asks Colleges to Sign Sweeping Agreement to Get Funding Advantage
An initial round of nine schools is being asked to sign a wide-ranging accord.
www.wsj.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:43 PM
The most effective way to oppose this political takeover is collective action from the academic community. If the first universities that sign Trump contracts face strong academic boycotts- no talks, no manuscript reviews, no interviews of graduates- that should dissuade others from signing.
Reposted by Jason Chen
Today is the last day for CPB staff. A team remains to sustain operations at a reduced scale until all obligations are fulfilled. This is a challenging moment for us. Our departing colleagues strengthened the impact of public media & made a profound difference in the lives of the American people. 😥
September 30, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Today is the last day for CPB staff. A team remains to sustain operations at a reduced scale until all obligations are fulfilled. This is a challenging moment for us. Our departing colleagues strengthened the impact of public media & made a profound difference in the lives of the American people. 😥
Reposted by Jason Chen
This is THE CORE reason Trump defeated liberals in the US in 2016 and today.
everyone must understand: we are dealing with bad-faith liars. To beat them we MUST attack their agenda, and yes, who they are: their credentials.
/end
everyone must understand: we are dealing with bad-faith liars. To beat them we MUST attack their agenda, and yes, who they are: their credentials.
/end
September 30, 2025 at 4:32 AM
This is THE CORE reason Trump defeated liberals in the US in 2016 and today.
everyone must understand: we are dealing with bad-faith liars. To beat them we MUST attack their agenda, and yes, who they are: their credentials.
/end
everyone must understand: we are dealing with bad-faith liars. To beat them we MUST attack their agenda, and yes, who they are: their credentials.
/end
Reposted by Jason Chen
This week @science.org Dual #transposon sequencing profiles the #genetic interaction landscape in #bacteria | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🦠🔬🧫🧬
Dual transposon sequencing profiles the genetic interaction landscape in bacteria
Gene redundancy complicates systematic characterization of gene function as single-gene deletions may not produce discernible phenotypes. We report dual transposon sequencing (dual Tn-seq), a platform...
www.science.org
September 26, 2025 at 7:01 PM
This week @science.org Dual #transposon sequencing profiles the #genetic interaction landscape in #bacteria | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🦠🔬🧫🧬
Reposted by Jason Chen
I hate this for the second years who had already been working on applications.
Also the USDA fellowship RFA has still not been issued for this year.
It is harder and harder to find fellowships to support the newest generation of scientists. 🧪
We are shortchanging our future.
Also the USDA fellowship RFA has still not been issued for this year.
It is harder and harder to find fellowships to support the newest generation of scientists. 🧪
We are shortchanging our future.
NSF GRFP solicitation out.
App deadlines now in November.
As others noted, eligibility rules for current graduate students now exclude 2nd year grad students. See the solicitation - they’ve emphasized “first year” and “less than one academic year” in grad program.
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
App deadlines now in November.
As others noted, eligibility rules for current graduate students now exclude 2nd year grad students. See the solicitation - they’ve emphasized “first year” and “less than one academic year” in grad program.
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
www.nsf.gov
September 26, 2025 at 4:39 PM
I hate this for the second years who had already been working on applications.
Also the USDA fellowship RFA has still not been issued for this year.
It is harder and harder to find fellowships to support the newest generation of scientists. 🧪
We are shortchanging our future.
Also the USDA fellowship RFA has still not been issued for this year.
It is harder and harder to find fellowships to support the newest generation of scientists. 🧪
We are shortchanging our future.
Reposted by Jason Chen
The GRFP announcement from NSF cuts out an entire cohort of 2nd year students from consideration, without warning. This is so deeply unfair that it warrants a formal protest from the scientific community. If someone wants to work with me to craft an open letter and solicit signatures, LMK.
New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
www.nsf.gov
September 26, 2025 at 5:10 PM
The GRFP announcement from NSF cuts out an entire cohort of 2nd year students from consideration, without warning. This is so deeply unfair that it warrants a formal protest from the scientific community. If someone wants to work with me to craft an open letter and solicit signatures, LMK.
Reposted by Jason Chen
Continuing efforts to hurt the research pipeline, the very late NSF GFRP solicitation no longer allows 2nd year PhD students to apply. Lots of these students chose not to apply last year because they were told they would have a better change once in their thesis lab www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
www.nsf.gov
September 26, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Continuing efforts to hurt the research pipeline, the very late NSF GFRP solicitation no longer allows 2nd year PhD students to apply. Lots of these students chose not to apply last year because they were told they would have a better change once in their thesis lab www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
Reposted by Jason Chen
As the new term begins, here are 99 lab hacks to make your working lives easier
go.nature.com/4pEZ6ZJ
go.nature.com/4pEZ6ZJ
It’s a new term: here are 99 lab hacks
Nature asked contributors, editors and working researchers to share their best advice for scientists.
go.nature.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:21 PM
As the new term begins, here are 99 lab hacks to make your working lives easier
go.nature.com/4pEZ6ZJ
go.nature.com/4pEZ6ZJ
They may not look like much, but those non-fluorescent growth sectors in this streak of green bacteria represent a year's worth of work to advance a new technique for my toolkit! 💚
August 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM
They may not look like much, but those non-fluorescent growth sectors in this streak of green bacteria represent a year's worth of work to advance a new technique for my toolkit! 💚
Reposted by Jason Chen
A lot of chats about mentoring/training opportunities so I'd like to bring back an important read from @hormiga.bsky.social: "Are REUs always good for students enrolled in MSIs? It’s complicated." 1/3
smallpondscience.com/2022/09/07/a...
smallpondscience.com/2022/09/07/a...
Are REUs always good for students enrolled in MSIs? It’s complicated.
In my department, we have a complicated relationship with REU (Research Experience for Undergraduate) programs. We have several well-funded active labs on my campus that provide quality mentored re…
smallpondscience.com
August 1, 2025 at 7:51 PM
A lot of chats about mentoring/training opportunities so I'd like to bring back an important read from @hormiga.bsky.social: "Are REUs always good for students enrolled in MSIs? It’s complicated." 1/3
smallpondscience.com/2022/09/07/a...
smallpondscience.com/2022/09/07/a...
Reposted by Jason Chen
the republican party hates public goods and wants to force feed you and your family slop produced by its billionaire allies
"WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2025) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations"
cpb.org/pressroom/Co...
cpb.org/pressroom/Co...
August 1, 2025 at 5:09 PM
the republican party hates public goods and wants to force feed you and your family slop produced by its billionaire allies
Reposted by Jason Chen
The Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (CBG) is seeking ten taxonomic specialists in Collembola or any of the following insect orders - Blattodea, Ephemeroptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Trichoptera!
graduatestudies.uoguelph.ca/postdoctoral...
graduatestudies.uoguelph.ca/postdoctoral...
Arthropod Taxonomic Specialists (10 positions) | Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
graduatestudies.uoguelph.ca
August 2, 2025 at 6:28 AM
The Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (CBG) is seeking ten taxonomic specialists in Collembola or any of the following insect orders - Blattodea, Ephemeroptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Trichoptera!
graduatestudies.uoguelph.ca/postdoctoral...
graduatestudies.uoguelph.ca/postdoctoral...
Reposted by Jason Chen
UT's entomology teaching lab, where I run the fall field entomology class, is being forced out of its decades-long home to make room for the Republican Civitas think tank.
No obvious replacement site for us has been offered.
No obvious replacement site for us has been offered.
UT System announces $100 million investment into civic leadership school
The money will help pay for a permanent home for the school on UT-Austin's campus. Conservative donors and lawmakers, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, helped create the school in 2023.
www.texastribune.org
May 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
UT's entomology teaching lab, where I run the fall field entomology class, is being forced out of its decades-long home to make room for the Republican Civitas think tank.
No obvious replacement site for us has been offered.
No obvious replacement site for us has been offered.
Reposted by Jason Chen
This is a screenshot of the CDC’s Mpox page. The government of the United States is now producing anti-science propaganda and putting it up on official webpages. This is scary as hell, friends. www.cdc.gov/mpox/hcp/vac...
February 15, 2025 at 1:23 AM
This is a screenshot of the CDC’s Mpox page. The government of the United States is now producing anti-science propaganda and putting it up on official webpages. This is scary as hell, friends. www.cdc.gov/mpox/hcp/vac...
Reposted by Jason Chen
Another remarkable thing about this list of no-no words is that it exposes its authors as absolute buffoons who not only disdain humanities and economics but lack even a basic familiarity with published research in most “hard science” fields
February 4, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Another remarkable thing about this list of no-no words is that it exposes its authors as absolute buffoons who not only disdain humanities and economics but lack even a basic familiarity with published research in most “hard science” fields
Reposted by Jason Chen
no funding if it seems like the research MIGHT involve a woman or a nonwhite person
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
February 4, 2025 at 2:34 AM
no funding if it seems like the research MIGHT involve a woman or a nonwhite person
Reposted by Jason Chen
@asm.org same concern here that makes angie rasmussen say 👇
plz consider while "reviewing": 𝖛𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊𝖎𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝕲𝖊𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖘𝖆𝖒 (obediance in advance) of many public institutions – incl. academia – was a major reason why in 1933 the nazis could take over in germany so incredibly quickly, i.e. within months.
plz consider while "reviewing": 𝖛𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊𝖎𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝕲𝖊𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖘𝖆𝖒 (obediance in advance) of many public institutions – incl. academia – was a major reason why in 1933 the nazis could take over in germany so incredibly quickly, i.e. within months.
February 3, 2025 at 8:09 AM
@asm.org same concern here that makes angie rasmussen say 👇
plz consider while "reviewing": 𝖛𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊𝖎𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝕲𝖊𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖘𝖆𝖒 (obediance in advance) of many public institutions – incl. academia – was a major reason why in 1933 the nazis could take over in germany so incredibly quickly, i.e. within months.
plz consider while "reviewing": 𝖛𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊𝖎𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝕲𝖊𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖘𝖆𝖒 (obediance in advance) of many public institutions – incl. academia – was a major reason why in 1933 the nazis could take over in germany so incredibly quickly, i.e. within months.
Reposted by Jason Chen
Reposted by Jason Chen
The dismantling of American Science continues. The Organismal Response to Climate Change grant call has been cancelled. The NSF Director is a disgrace
![Email text:
[EXT] Grants.gov
Opportunities Update
External Email
The following grant opportunities were created, updated, or deleted on Grants.gov:
NSF
National Science Foundation
25-504 - Organismal Response to
Climate Change
Deletion Comments: Opportunity deleted](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:misyogthncmyejlvlflkvjbh/bafkreibzievopgxfpflskzvszff3bgr6komy6htkril4e3zgiob3rtc3qi@jpeg)
February 1, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The dismantling of American Science continues. The Organismal Response to Climate Change grant call has been cancelled. The NSF Director is a disgrace
Reposted by Jason Chen
@asm.org this better not be anticipatory obedience. I have 5 lab members planning on going to ASM microbe this year. I will absolutely pivot to another meeting if ASM gives in to anti-DEI efforts.
@vscooper.micropopbio.org and @mostlymicrobes.bsky.social while downloading scientist spotlights for teaching from the site; ASM has also scrubbed the entire IDEAA page including resources on LGBTQ+ scientists at asm.org/IDEAA/resources/pride-month
February 2, 2025 at 6:30 PM
@asm.org this better not be anticipatory obedience. I have 5 lab members planning on going to ASM microbe this year. I will absolutely pivot to another meeting if ASM gives in to anti-DEI efforts.
I've started as a postdoc at Florida State University and did a little bit of exploring in the plantings on campus as I wandered around getting things started.
February 1, 2025 at 12:29 AM
I've started as a postdoc at Florida State University and did a little bit of exploring in the plantings on campus as I wandered around getting things started.
Reposted by Jason Chen
It’s official: all funding requests made on Tuesday by postdocs for their salaries have been unilaterally rejected by NSF.
January 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM
It’s official: all funding requests made on Tuesday by postdocs for their salaries have been unilaterally rejected by NSF.