Nicole Mercer
banner
merlinneuro.bsky.social
Nicole Mercer
@merlinneuro.bsky.social
Pain and motor circuits | Opioid alternatives | NIDCR K99/R00 fellow | https://tinyurl.com/MercerLab
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
I'm teaching an undergrad EEG/MEG/iEEG methods course and created a pair of interactive webpages to help build intuition about the Fourier Transform.
dbrang.github.io/Fourier-Wave...
dbrang.github.io/Fourier-Wave...
March 31, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs.

Find out how your community may be impacted.

Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org

a 🧵
March 28, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
Absolutely GUTTED for the PhD students getting their F31’s cut. This is ILLEGAL. We are standing with you ❤️
March 11, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
ACTION ITEM

I was chatting with a young scientist who expressed concern re the multiplicity of ongoing issues

Over the course of our conversation, we arrived at the idea of a DASHBOARD where issues could be tracked

If anyone is interested in helping with this (ideally with expertise) please DM me
March 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
Study section tracking sheet update of the day answers your burning question: Is my study section rescheduled? I've rearranged to put sections that didn't meet on the left and added a column noting if it's been rescheduled. Subject to change as FRNs go out! docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
2025 Study section tracking
docs.google.com
March 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
If you have time in your life to read only one of @jeremymberg.bsky.social’s bluetorials, please read this one
Bluetorial: Women, courage, and leadership

What follows will include some generalizations based on population averages of what I have experienced over the course of my career. There are, of course, exceptions in every group who are substantially more to one extreme or the other.
a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on
ALT: a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on
media.tenor.com
March 9, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
Helpful table to determine how much your University or health system is set to lose if the NIH indirect cap is suddenly lowered to 15%. For SJSU it is $374k which is on the smaller end but devastating considering our other budget issues. datawrapper.dwcdn.net/l0ZqA/8/
Estimated Single Year Loss of NIH Funding if 15% Indirect Cost Rate is Imposed
Based on analysis of 2024 NIH funding data. Sums are totals of losses in funding to programs if indirect costs had been capped at 15%
datawrapper.dwcdn.net
February 9, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
F99/R00 AND K99/R00 DIVERSITY AWARD APPLICANTS

If you have applied for a F99/R00 or K99/R00 Diversity award and the study section for review is not listed on your eRA Commons page, please reach out to me.

DM me, email berg.grants.2029@gmail.com, Signal jeremymberg.78

THANK YOU
a picture of a cartoon character with the words call me on it
ALT: a picture of a cartoon character with the words call me on it
media.tenor.com
February 9, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
I’ve been seething and grieving since yesterday’s Friday Night Massacre of NIH overheads, a seeming bit of bureaucratic trivial that will in fact destroy the US university system if unchecked. But I want to get away from budgets and rate breakdowns and F&A percentages for a moment.

Humor me?
February 8, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
Simplified explanation of direct vs indirect costs: Draper and his team (not shown) are the creative power behind an ad agency. In academic research, Draper and his team’s work would be supported by direct costs. Everything else (people, objects, facilities) in the pic would be supported by IDCs. 🤨
February 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
The SfN site automates the process of writing your reps—you can also edit the message to add specific concerns about the indirects cap using the template below:

fromthescienceclass.substack.com/p/biomedical...

(H/t bsky.app/profile/scie... )
February 8, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
In California:

NIH Awards Funding:
$5.31 B

Jobs Supported:
55,949 (including mine)

Economic Activity Supported:
$13.55 B
February 8, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
The Senate HELP Committee has jurisdiction over NIH.

GOP members of the committee represent AK, AL, IN, FL, KS, KY, LA, ME, MO, OH, and SC.

Research universities and hospitals in those states need to be extra loud.
February 8, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
On changes to #NIH indirect rates, there is a law in place that prohibits NIH from making such changes without the approval of Congress. See Division D, Title II Section 224 of The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law No: 118-47) grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-OD-24-110: Notice of Legislative Mandates in Effect for FY 2024
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Notice of Legislative Mandates in Effect for FY 2024 NOT-OD-24-110. NIH
grants.nih.gov
February 8, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Reposted by Nicole Mercer
1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%.

I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters.

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-OD-25-068: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates NOT-OD-25-068. OD
grants.nih.gov
February 8, 2025 at 12:18 AM