Author | Lightnews

Saskia de Vries @sejdevries.bsky.social · Sep 23

lol

Saskia de Vries @sejdevries.bsky.social · Aug 1

Agreed!

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Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · Jun 3

URGENT: FlyBase has lost practically all its funding overnight; even user fees are tied up in denied grant funding. 🤬🤯

Any lab using @flybase.bsky.social please donate using the link in post below.

This incredible community, on whose backs our #Drosophila labs depend, can't be left out to dry.

Marc Dionne @marcsdionne.bsky.social · Jun 3

My lab studies bacterial infections. We spend a lot of time looking at (or for) species-specific genetic and genomic databases for hosts and microbes. FlyBase is the best of all—there is literally no comparison. Its existence is under threat. Please donate.
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...

Drosophila Genetic Database

The Drosophila Genetic Database, FlyBase, is on the brink of collapse due to the sudden termination of the FlyBase NIH grant, which includes salaries for 5 literature curators based at the University ...

www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk

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Saskia de Vries @sejdevries.bsky.social · May 21

We said goodbye to our sweet pup Hobbes yesterday. We miss him so much.

A very loved dog being held by his moms on his last adventure to the beach.

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Abby Polter @ampolter.bsky.social · May 15

I am thinking a lot today about how heavy things feel in my world of faculty doing scientific research. There's the immediate chaos and panic about our ability to pay people and continue our research. But there's also a deeper grief at watching everything get bulldozed for no reason

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David Malakoff @davidmalakoff.bsky.social · May 13

Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3
www.science.org/content/arti...

Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF

Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress

www.science.org

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Sophie @sophiefrommars.bsky.social · May 10

if a man wanted free reign to attack women he wouldn't try to be seen as a trans woman he would try to be seen as, say it with me class

a police officer

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Nima Dehghani @neurovium.bsky.social · May 8

Last month, we organized #ODIN2025 @alleninstitute.org (along w Karel, Saskia @sejdevries.bsky.social , David & Satra) with the theme "Integrating Scales & Modalities".
See the videos📣👇
Full playlist: youtube.com/playlist?lis... 🎥
Speaker: alleninstitute.org/odin-symposi...
youtu.be/N1IMki0RnIc?...

Opening remarks Karel Svoboda & Nima Dehghani

YouTube video by Allen Institute

youtu.be

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Saskia de Vries @sejdevries.bsky.social · May 1

Grackle?

Saskia de Vries @sejdevries.bsky.social · Mar 27

If you’re at #Cosyne2025 come check out some of the work from the Allen Institute.

Allen Institute @alleninstitute.org · Mar 27

We're going to be at the @cosynemeeting.bsky.social!

We'd love to meet you at our #Cosyne2025 posters, talks, and workshops. Some highlights below. 👇🧵

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Saskia de Vries @sejdevries.bsky.social · Mar 24

How many authenticator apps does one person need?

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Ann Telnaes @anntelnaes.bsky.social · Mar 8

“When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch.”
― Bette Davis

Happy International Women's Day

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Anna Vlasits @annaintegrated.bsky.social · Mar 8

My speech from #Chicago #StandUpforScience rally today. I wanted to write something that was about why I support science, not as a scientist myself, but as a citizen. This is dedicated to a dear relative, an arborist for the #NationalParkService. 🧵Photos from the rally in Chicago today by Mike Yen.

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Mar 3

The temptation to duck & cover & hope the attack passes over us can be strong. But ultimately, they'll come back around for all of us. They are out to destroy the American university, which they view as a threat. So we might as well stand up, speak out, & fight back while we still have the chance.

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · Mar 1

The National Academies remained silent about the destruction of American science. They did nothing for the scientists comprising their membership

They calculated that they would be spared if they didn't make themselves a target.

They will not be spared.
www.foxnews.com/politics/str...

'Structural racism': Top taxpayer-funded academy rife with DEI programs, hefty executive salaries

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has received millions of dollars of taxpayer grants while promoting a variety of left-wing causes.

www.foxnews.com

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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · Feb 22

I always shock my students a bit when I tell them that quantitative data is just qualitative data that has already been interpreted numerically.

Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · Feb 22

In case you need a teaching example of the social construction of quantitative data...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/u...

DOGE’s Only Public Ledger Is Riddled With Mistakes (Gift Article)

The figures from Elon Musk’s team of outsiders represent billions in government cuts. They are also full of accounting errors, outdated data and other miscalculations.

www.nytimes.com

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David Schneider @schneiderneuro.bsky.social · Feb 20

Compare and contrast the emails from McKnight (left) and Chan-Zuckerberg (right). Proud to be part of the McKnight community.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · Feb 20

On this list: Spokane
Not on this list: Seattle

Office of Mayor Michelle Wu 吳弭 @mayorwu.boston.gov · Feb 20

The City of Boston is leading 40+ mayors, cities, and counties in an amicus brief against the Trump Administration's drastic and illegal cuts to federal research funding—cuts that will lead to immediate job losses nationwide.

COALITION OF MAYORS ACROSS U.S. FILE AMICUS BRIEF IN OPPOSITION TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DRASTIC CUTS TO FEDERAL RESEARCH FUNDING
Led by the City of Boston, MA, City of Cleveland, OH, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, TN, the Mayor of Gainesville, FL, and the Mayor of Salt Lake City, UT, over 40 mayors, cities, and counties argue that NIH cuts will cause job losses, economic disruption, and undermine U.S. competitiveness

BOSTON - Thursday, February 20, 2025 - Late yesterday, Mayor Michelle Wu co-led a coalition of Mayors from across the United States in writing and filing an amicus brief in federal district court in Boston to stop the Trump Administration's drastic and illegal cuts to federal research funding and immediate job losses in cities nationwide. Over 40 mayors, cities, and counties from across the country joined the brief. These cities are home to universities and hospitals that employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in cutting edge medical and scientific research, and the federally-funded research in these communities has made the United States the global leader in scientific discovery. The brief seeks a temporary restraining order against the Trump Administration, alongside the research universities, medical schools, hospitals, and 22 states that are plaintiffs in the three cases filed last week in federal district court.

“For decades, Congress has made a clear choice to use federally-funded research to invest in cities, build a broadly-distributed infrastructure for scientific discovery, create jobs, and drive economic growth in communities across the United States,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “We join with cities across the country – in red states, purple states, and blue states – to stop this illegal action that will cause layoffs, lab closures, and undermine scientific progress in American cities. I thank Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell for her leadership on behalf of the research institutions of Boston.”

This amicus brief is in response to the abrupt February 7, 2025 announcement by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of an immediate reduction in funding for scientific and medical research institutions across the country. Under the NIH’s new policy, which temporarily went into effect on Monday, February 10, payments for indirect costs reimbursed to research universities would be capped at 15%, down from 30-70%. The brief makes clear that NIH funding cuts would devastate research institutions in cities across the county, cause job losses, create severe economic disruption, and undermine a critical pillar of strength and civic pride in cities across the United States. The cuts would also undermine critical medical and scientific research that residents are counting on, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and jeopardize the cities’ and country’s position of global leadership on scientific advancement.
“The Gainesville community depends on this highly efficient, dependable investment of our tax dollars back into our city’s innovation economy,” said Harvey L. Ward, Mayor, City of Gainesville, Florida. “I’m glad to join other mayors in highlighting the vital role NIH funding plays in the lives of everyday hardworking American families.”
“The breadth and diversity of this coalition highlights the devastating and widespread impact of these NIH funding changes, from Alzheimer’s research to cancer clinical trials,” said Jill Habig, Founder and CEO of Public Rights Project. “We’re proud to partner with mayors, cities, and counties in opposing this threat to critical federal funding and the health and vitality of our communities.”
On Monday, February 10th, twenty two states and associations of medical schools, hospitals, and universities, filed three related cases, and secured a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump Administration from slashing the reimbursement rates. That initial order will be revisited this week in a hearing scheduled for Feb. 21.

The Public Rights Project served as amici counsel. The full list of mayors, cities and counties who joined the brief is below.

Local Governments and Mayors

City of Boston, Massachusetts
City of Cleveland, Ohio
Harvey L. Ward, Mayor, City of Gainesville, Florida
Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee
Erin Mendenhall, Mayor, City of Salt Lake City, Utah
City of Alameda, California
City of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
City of Baltimore, Maryland
Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Mayor, City of Burlington, Vermont
Township of Canton, Michigan
Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
City of Chicago, Illinois
Sandra Welch, Mayor, City of Coconut Creek, Florida
City of Columbus, Ohio
City of Easthampton, Massachusetts
Daniel Biss, Mayor, City of Evanston, Illinois
City of Fairfax, Virginia
Harris County, Texas
Ravinder S. Bhalla, Mayor, City of Hoboken, New Jersey
Quinton Lucas, Mayor, Kansas City, Missouri
Indya Kincannon, Mayor, City of Knoxville, Tennessee
City of Madison, Wisconsin
Jeff Silvestrini, Mayor, City of Millcreek, Utah
Anissa Welch, Mayor, City of Milton, Wisconsin
Montgomery County, Maryland
City of New Haven, Connecticut
Dontae Payne, Mayor, City of Olympia, Washington
Adrian O. Mapp, Mayor, City of Plainfield, New Jersey
Sue Noack, Mayor, City of Pleasant Hill, California
City of Pittsburgh and Ed Gainey, Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
City of Providence, Rhode Island
John Clark, Mayor, Town of Ridgway, Colorado
City of Rochester, New York
City of Sacramento, California
City and County of San Francisco, California
City of Santa Monica, California
Constantine H. Kutteh, Mayor, City of Statesville, North Carolina
Lisa Brown, Mayor, City of Spokane, Washington
Tishaura O. Jones, Mayor, City of St. Louis, Missouri
City of St. Paul, Minnesota
Dennis R. McBride, Mayor, City of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

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The Transmitter @thetransmitter.bsky.social · Feb 14

Over the past few weeks, science funding in the U.S. has become shrouded in uncertainty. Ten trainees with diversity-based funding share how the changes are affecting their research and career plans.

By @avaskham.bsky.social @claudia-lopez.bsky.social @callimcflurry.bsky.social

bit.ly/42Wifxr

‘A gut punch:’ How U.S. neuroscience trainees are grappling with diversity-based funding flux

Ten trainees spoke with The Transmitter about how the precarious state of U.S. federal funding is affecting their research and career plans.

bit.ly

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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · Feb 11

“I have come to wonder whether these expressions of despair and surrender are really masking an irrational longing for a magical way out of this nightmare - a hope that some deus ex machina will swoop down and spare us what we are facing.”

open.substack.com/pub/sherrily...

Democracy is Crumbling. Is Anybody Doing Anything?

Yes. And You Can Too.

open.substack.com

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Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · Feb 8

“It’s important to see the big picture...
[The cut in indirect costs] came directly from a Project 2025 proposal that was explicitly designed to “reduce federal taxpayer subsidization of leftist agendas.”

This whole piece by @sbagen.bsky.social is excellent. 🧪

Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · Feb 8

Indirect Costs and Trump's Attack on Independent Voices.

My latest post:

buttondown.com/sbagen/archi...

Indirect Costs and Trump's Attack on Independent Voices

By Samuel Bagenstos A strong democracy requires a robust independent sector. Organizations and associations that stand apart from the governing state regime...

buttondown.com

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Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · Feb 8

“More generally, this new effort is a direct attack on universities—independent institutions that provide a location for developing ideas and information that do not accord with, and often promote dissent from, the goals of the current Trump regime.”

☝️☝️☝️
That one sentence all scientists must read.

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André K. Isaacs @drdre4000.bsky.social · Feb 5

Just got word that our Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) Grant was being canceled. All 100+ institutions. So even private funding is susceptible to this administration’s unraveling of DEI initiatives

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Mike Dickison @adzebill.bsky.social · Feb 1

The Internet Archive has to date downloaded 500 terabytes of US government websites, which it crawls at the end of every presidential term. The whole archive is fully searchable. This effort's housed by a donation-funded nonprofit, not a branch of the US government. blog.archive.org/2024/05/08/e...

End of Term Web Archive – Preserving the Transition of a Nation | Internet Archive Blogs

blog.archive.org

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Saskia de Vries @sejdevries.bsky.social · Feb 1

📌

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Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · Jan 14

Registration for the 2025 @mpfneuro.bsky.social
Neurotechniques Course closes this Wednesday!

Co-directed by Ryohei Yasuda & @denisejcai.bsky.social and led by an amazing team of experts, this hands-on course is a great opportunity to learn cutting-edge methods in neuroscience 🔬🧠

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