And a petition: oppose-the-layoff-of-the-nist-atomic-spectroscopy-group.org#Petition

The FAQ on the COA form is a little vague on the criteria to use, but it is generally accepted that, if there was no communication among a subset of co-authors on a particular paper, then it doesn't rise to the level of a collaboration to list. (Streamlined COA forms help program officers.) (19)

Also, NSF takes conflicts of interest seriously. That said, when you're filling out your COA form, listing every single co-author might not be necessary. When papers have many co-authors (e.g., genetics papers), not everyone rises to the level of a collaborator. (18)

www.nsf.gov/funding/seni...

Oh, one more thing. This website is probably the best resource for NSF's response to the executive orders: www.nsf.gov/executive-or...

Please check there first before emailing the program officers (who have been coached to email you this link as a first response). (17)

Finally, have confidence that the program officers and staff members working in NSF’s directorates are among the most committed and thoughtful people that you could ever hope to meet, doing their absolute best to uphold the agency’s mission as long as the time allows. (16)

Perhaps now more than ever, cultivate curiosity in your students and reassure them that there are paths toward becoming a scientist in the future. Education and training remain a huge part of the NSF mission. (15)

Great ideas can come from anywhere, and congressional legislation (e.g., CHIPS and Science Act) has directed the NSF toward the goal of broadening participation in science. Researchers can organize and approach the legal counsel at their universities for clarifications on their activities. (14)

If you are invited to submit a draft of an abstract, recognize that abstracts are written for public audiences (i.e., taxpayers), not your academic peers. Make it clear why this study is worth doing. Avoid jargon. Think big picture. Minimize potential for misinterpretations. (9)