PS ... would also add more broadly, what is our ridiculous system that I still have student loan debt 14 yrs after undergrad and 8 yrs after PhD despite having consistent and decently paid positions (4/4)

NIH LRPs are supposed to support clinical researchers to stay in US non-profit roles not high pay private industry jobs or leaving the country. This isn't free money, there is service commitment and application is a competitive, time consuming, research proposal at inital and each renewal. (3/4)

Last yr, received 1 yr renewal for another 22k as expected. I then submitted an app for the remaining. Instead, just got NOA for 19k over 2 more yrs, so would have to do ANOTHER yr renewal app to complete payoff. This was not the deal I applied for last summer or 4(!!) yrs ago. (2/4)

(Cont.) Dr. Copeland discussed effect of individualized positive alcohol memory of alcohol demand. And Prof. Field wraps it all up with a discussion on how behavioral economic models may partially reconcile our neurobiological models of addiction.

The QA was preselected, fairly innocuous questions with canned answers. FWIW, Koob did seem to be acknowledging that he was limited on what he could say. The vibe from him was "we are all at the mercy of policies from above, talk to your PO, they know as much as I do".

Considering this talk was surely approved by powers that be, that was more enlightening than expected. As a former intramural postdoc, list of RIF people felt like a eulogy. Now Koob is trying to convince us (or nih director?) that niaaa is in line with new priorities (and should continue to exist?)

2/2 there's a lot of assertions made here... many of which rely on statements that as described by Dr. Rolls I wouldn't quite agree with. Any one else have any thoughts on this?