AZ Faust
@azfaust.bsky.social
Mostly about grants. Some about education.
Reposted by AZ Faust
NSF is open again!
A few comments:
*Please be patient.
During a shutdown NSF employees cannot open computers or respond to emails.
*Merit review will continue. However panels won’t resume until after Dec 8th.
*POs remain excited and committed to advancing science and the scientific workforce.
A few comments:
*Please be patient.
During a shutdown NSF employees cannot open computers or respond to emails.
*Merit review will continue. However panels won’t resume until after Dec 8th.
*POs remain excited and committed to advancing science and the scientific workforce.
November 13, 2025 at 5:58 PM
NSF is open again!
A few comments:
*Please be patient.
During a shutdown NSF employees cannot open computers or respond to emails.
*Merit review will continue. However panels won’t resume until after Dec 8th.
*POs remain excited and committed to advancing science and the scientific workforce.
A few comments:
*Please be patient.
During a shutdown NSF employees cannot open computers or respond to emails.
*Merit review will continue. However panels won’t resume until after Dec 8th.
*POs remain excited and committed to advancing science and the scientific workforce.
Reposted by AZ Faust
A bad thing is unfolding at NIH this week: It looks like the Trump administration is trying to replace key civil servant scientific leaders, the Institute Directors, with political hires. These directors control the NIH budget, tens of billions.
A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
November 13, 2025 at 10:31 PM
A bad thing is unfolding at NIH this week: It looks like the Trump administration is trying to replace key civil servant scientific leaders, the Institute Directors, with political hires. These directors control the NIH budget, tens of billions.
A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
Reposted by AZ Faust
Just got an email from my SRO for the study section that was missed in October. Good news is that they are trying to reschedule ASAP (Dec/Jan). The bad news is that CSR is mandating that only the the top third (not half) of applications will get discussed for the next 2 rounds.
November 13, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Just got an email from my SRO for the study section that was missed in October. Good news is that they are trying to reschedule ASAP (Dec/Jan). The bad news is that CSR is mandating that only the the top third (not half) of applications will get discussed for the next 2 rounds.
The face of every woman who worked in academic science at some point in her life
November 13, 2025 at 6:47 PM
The face of every woman who worked in academic science at some point in her life
Reposted by AZ Faust
Adding more signs of how NIH science is/was broken: my lab team could not show up for 3 more accepted talks at scientific conferences, totaling 9 for the year now. If you interview current NIH trainees for grad or med schools please understand that we are giving them the best experience we can.
While the government was shut down, 379 NIH study section meetings (containing 24,380 grant applications) were postponed. NIH is committed to getting these reviewed, but please be patient and understanding with staff, as this is a complex and heavy lift.
November 13, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Adding more signs of how NIH science is/was broken: my lab team could not show up for 3 more accepted talks at scientific conferences, totaling 9 for the year now. If you interview current NIH trainees for grad or med schools please understand that we are giving them the best experience we can.
Reposted by AZ Faust
as a bosnian, i cannot accept this depoliticization of the mass murder that was directed against us. to brazenly claim that the violence has "no political or religious motivation" is beneath common sense. it harms any understanding of what happened in sarajevo and bosnia
“There were no political or religious motivations. They were rich people who went there for fun and personal satisfaction. We are talking about people who love guns who perhaps go to shooting ranges or on safari in Africa.” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
November 12, 2025 at 4:55 AM
as a bosnian, i cannot accept this depoliticization of the mass murder that was directed against us. to brazenly claim that the violence has "no political or religious motivation" is beneath common sense. it harms any understanding of what happened in sarajevo and bosnia
Reposted by AZ Faust
Up to 323 cancelled CSR study sections. That's more than the 204 sections cancelled earlier this year. Rescheduling is going to be a hot mess with NIH staff reductions and study section members heading into finals and holidays that limit availability. 🧪
Been a rough year for federally funded scientists, and I hate to add another tab to this spreadsheet. So far, the shutdown has resulted in cancellation of 161 CSR study sections. 🧪https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lLEx14q7HKrlYahQYJaN6aHKpMqSMJwX4aenyL5g_ZU/edit?usp=sharing
2025 Study section tracking
docs.google.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Up to 323 cancelled CSR study sections. That's more than the 204 sections cancelled earlier this year. Rescheduling is going to be a hot mess with NIH staff reductions and study section members heading into finals and holidays that limit availability. 🧪
Welcome to the "f*** balanced literacy, let's teach phonics" camp bsky! Come on in, the water is nice...
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Welcome to the "f*** balanced literacy, let's teach phonics" camp bsky! Come on in, the water is nice...
"Every once in a while, I like to wrap myself in a little DNA..."
That's definitely a bad rendering (i don't know where it is from). It looks like a pretty sane DNA binding protein from the (quite a few) protein structures out there. I wouldn't take Wikipedia's choice of protein structure as the best choice (UniProt a far better aggregation point)
November 11, 2025 at 5:24 PM
"Every once in a while, I like to wrap myself in a little DNA..."
Reposted by AZ Faust
While I appreciate this post, it feels gross to compare it to the Tea Party: the Tea Party was motivated by a racist backlash against the first Black president. This movement is committed to saving a multi-racial democracy. It’s not the same picture.
“Cue the rebellion.
The Democratic base is enraged at their party's capitulation — and that's a good thing,” writes @paulwaldman.bsky.social: www.publicnotice.co/p/shutdown-d...
The Democratic base is enraged at their party's capitulation — and that's a good thing,” writes @paulwaldman.bsky.social: www.publicnotice.co/p/shutdown-d...
Cue the rebellion
The Democratic base is enraged at their party's capitulation — and that's a good thing.
www.publicnotice.co
November 11, 2025 at 3:17 PM
While I appreciate this post, it feels gross to compare it to the Tea Party: the Tea Party was motivated by a racist backlash against the first Black president. This movement is committed to saving a multi-racial democracy. It’s not the same picture.
Reposted by AZ Faust
Go volunteer for a progressive launching a “hopeless” campaign against an extremely entrenched incumbent currently squatting in a safe Blue seat. The worst thing that happens, is that you drag the incumbent to the Left. Best case? Zohran Mamdani, who was polling at 6% in January.
November 10, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Go volunteer for a progressive launching a “hopeless” campaign against an extremely entrenched incumbent currently squatting in a safe Blue seat. The worst thing that happens, is that you drag the incumbent to the Left. Best case? Zohran Mamdani, who was polling at 6% in January.
I stand by my assessment that Trump has spent his entire adult life laundering money for all sorts of mafias - so yeah, this isn't surprising because it's all he knows. The difference from Trump I is that now he knows he can get away with it.
Went back to the history of the Sicilian Mafia to illustrate something obvious but worth stating explicitly: The Trump administration behaves like an organized crime syndicate running a protection racket, not a representative government www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
November 8, 2025 at 11:48 PM
I stand by my assessment that Trump has spent his entire adult life laundering money for all sorts of mafias - so yeah, this isn't surprising because it's all he knows. The difference from Trump I is that now he knows he can get away with it.
A photocopy of a diploma? When I applied to be a scientific writer for a local hospital in 2012, the hospital called and verified my degree.
Do they... do they not plan on verifying the educational history?
Do they... do they not plan on verifying the educational history?
8 high level positions at NIH posted including 6 institute director positions (NIMH, NIGMS, NICHD, NIDCR, NHGRI, NLM).
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
hr.nih.gov
November 7, 2025 at 10:56 PM
A photocopy of a diploma? When I applied to be a scientific writer for a local hospital in 2012, the hospital called and verified my degree.
Do they... do they not plan on verifying the educational history?
Do they... do they not plan on verifying the educational history?
I'm embarrassed on Ohio State's behalf.
So, they are just going to hire 100 new faculty in math, statistics, and computer science? Because that's the only way this makes sense.
So, they are just going to hire 100 new faculty in math, statistics, and computer science? Because that's the only way this makes sense.
November 7, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I'm embarrassed on Ohio State's behalf.
So, they are just going to hire 100 new faculty in math, statistics, and computer science? Because that's the only way this makes sense.
So, they are just going to hire 100 new faculty in math, statistics, and computer science? Because that's the only way this makes sense.
Just had a talk with a couple of oncologists who are seeing cancer patients insisting on taking ivermectin. 🤦♀️
My joke that Republicans think ivermectin and Vit D cure everything just got a little more real.
My joke that Republicans think ivermectin and Vit D cure everything just got a little more real.
November 7, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Just had a talk with a couple of oncologists who are seeing cancer patients insisting on taking ivermectin. 🤦♀️
My joke that Republicans think ivermectin and Vit D cure everything just got a little more real.
My joke that Republicans think ivermectin and Vit D cure everything just got a little more real.
Reposted by AZ Faust
So how did it go?
NIH made 43 DP2 awards, the lowest number in a decade.
I really wish Director Bhattacharya would spend doing his actual job rather than badmouthing the agency he is charged to lead and spouting platitudes on podcasts and elsewhere.
6/7
NIH made 43 DP2 awards, the lowest number in a decade.
I really wish Director Bhattacharya would spend doing his actual job rather than badmouthing the agency he is charged to lead and spouting platitudes on podcasts and elsewhere.
6/7
November 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
So how did it go?
NIH made 43 DP2 awards, the lowest number in a decade.
I really wish Director Bhattacharya would spend doing his actual job rather than badmouthing the agency he is charged to lead and spouting platitudes on podcasts and elsewhere.
6/7
NIH made 43 DP2 awards, the lowest number in a decade.
I really wish Director Bhattacharya would spend doing his actual job rather than badmouthing the agency he is charged to lead and spouting platitudes on podcasts and elsewhere.
6/7
Reposted by AZ Faust
Rep. Yassamin Ansari has set up a table and this sign outside Speaker Johnson’s office.
November 6, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Rep. Yassamin Ansari has set up a table and this sign outside Speaker Johnson’s office.
Also, looking at that original tweet - "yet we fund predictability?" What the F does that mean? First off, science needs to get off this stupid "innovation" horse as if its something we can identify, predict, and evaluate. We can't.
Director Bhattacharya "Let's fund emerging investigators"
Yeah, who's the idiot running NIH who allowed 15% or few fewer early stage investigators be funded in FY2025 compared to FY2024?
(Estimate: The official numbers are not yet available (at least publicly)
Yeah, who's the idiot running NIH who allowed 15% or few fewer early stage investigators be funded in FY2025 compared to FY2024?
(Estimate: The official numbers are not yet available (at least publicly)
November 6, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Also, looking at that original tweet - "yet we fund predictability?" What the F does that mean? First off, science needs to get off this stupid "innovation" horse as if its something we can identify, predict, and evaluate. We can't.
May we all have the boundless confidence of a standard schnauzer.
November 6, 2025 at 3:16 PM
May we all have the boundless confidence of a standard schnauzer.
I spent yesterday with one of client departments going over everything that has happened in science, research, academia, and grant world over the past 10 months.
I may need a week to get myself out of the resulting funk.
I may need a week to get myself out of the resulting funk.
November 5, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I spent yesterday with one of client departments going over everything that has happened in science, research, academia, and grant world over the past 10 months.
I may need a week to get myself out of the resulting funk.
I may need a week to get myself out of the resulting funk.
Unbelievable. This was on the USDA website this morning.
November 4, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Unbelievable. This was on the USDA website this morning.
Reposted by AZ Faust
arXiv will no longer accept review articles and position papers unless they have been accepted at a journal or a conference and complete successful peer review.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
Attention Authors: Updated Practice for Review Articles and Position Papers in arXiv CS Category – arXiv blog
blog.arxiv.org
November 1, 2025 at 5:28 PM
arXiv will no longer accept review articles and position papers unless they have been accepted at a journal or a conference and complete successful peer review.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
I keep saying that their goal is to eliminate science in this country
3/7 Last month, 4,000 federal employees were fired in accordance with Russel Vought's wishes. A judge later ruled these firings illegal. Although NIH was not affected in this massacre, one of Riley's goals was to eliminate the Center for Scientific Review at NIH.
www.govexec.com/workforce/20...
www.govexec.com/workforce/20...
Shutdown layoffs indefinitely blocked following new court injunction
Trump administration attorney says guarantee of back pay justifies issuing widespread reductions in force, but judge finds the layoffs unlawful.
www.govexec.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:01 AM
I keep saying that their goal is to eliminate science in this country
Reposted by AZ Faust
Here it is. www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
October 30, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Here it is. www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
We used to call race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, etc. "protected characteristics."
In my presentation, I decided to call them "targeted characteristics."
In my presentation, I decided to call them "targeted characteristics."
Working on a presentation for next week and wrote on a slide "I do not recommend revealing your own status as a member of a minority group anywhere in the application"
F*** this place.
F*** this place.
a close up of a man 's face with a beard and long hair
ALT: a close up of a man 's face with a beard and long hair
media.tenor.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:52 PM
We used to call race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, etc. "protected characteristics."
In my presentation, I decided to call them "targeted characteristics."
In my presentation, I decided to call them "targeted characteristics."