Jason C. Marvin, Ph.D. (he/they) 🏳️‍🌈

I am very excited for Becky to engage with our AIMBE community at this year's Annual Event!

Even after her retirement, Becky’s leadership continues to be felt through her ongoing contributions to the field, including her service to AIMBE’s Industry Council and its BEMA Roundtable initiative 👏

A headshot of Rebecca Bergman on AIMBE's 2026 Annual Event website.

We are excited to host Rebecca Bergman—former President of Gustavus Adolphus College and Medtronic executive—as our distinguished guest for this year's President's Circle reception at our Annual Event at the historic Library of Congress.

We hope to see you there!

👉 Register: annualevent.aimbe.org

ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM

Because of overwhelming demand, NIH has new links for the Strategic Plan webinars

March 16, 2026 12:30 - 1:30 pm | www.scgcorp.com/strategicpla...

April 8, 2026 2:30 - 3:30 pm | www.scgcorp.com/strategicpla...

NOTE: YOU HAVE TO RE-REGISTER IS YOU REGISTERED BEFORE

As controversial decisions mount, FDA shuns public advisory meetings The FDA is cutting back on public advisory committee meetings, even as the public and other stakeholders seek more transparency.

The FDA is cutting back on public advisory committee meetings, even as the public and other stakeholders seek more transparency. www.statnews.com/2026/03/09/f...

Securing the academic pipeline amid uncertain U.S. funding climate Finding creative ways to keep early-career researchers in academia—for example, through part-time roles—can help the field weather the storm.

Amid shrinking tenure-track faculty positions, we must think creatively to keep early-career scientists afloat, writes @lucinauddin.bsky.social.

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/craft-and-ca...

Even if the destruction somehow stopped today, it will take years to rebuild.

AIMBE is proud to engage our congressional partners to advocate for biomedical research.

As we prepare for AIMBE's Annual Event in DC this April 11-13, we're excited to share a preview of remarks from Congressman Paul Tonko—one of few engineers in Congress.

👉 Register Today: annualevent.aimbe.org

A headshot of Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier on AIMBE's 2026 Annual Event page.

AIMBE is thrilled to host Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, Professor at UIUC and former OSTP Director, for our policy lecture at our 2026 AIMBE Annual Event in DC on April 13.

"Shaping the Future of Federal Research Policy: Funding, Infrastructure, and Innovation."

👉 Register Today: annualevent.aimbe.org

Thank you to those who used AIMBE's advocacy letter template urging your Members of Congress to support SBIR/STTR reauthorization!

However, our work is not finished as the bill now heads to the House for final consideration.

✍ You can still send a letter here: takeaction.io/aimbe/sbir-s...

A headshot of Anindita Saha on AIMBE's 2026 Annual Event website.

Over a month to go until AIMBE's Annual Event in Washington, D.C. this April 11-13!

Don't miss Anindita Saha from the FDA, who will serve as the policy speaker for our Views by Two session on AI and Drug Targets for Therapeutics.

👉 Register today for AIMBE's Annual Event: annualevent.aimbe.org

White House stalls release of approved US science budgets The US Congress rejected sweeping cuts to science agencies. But the NIH, the NSF and NASA have had their spending slowed.

Congress rejected massive cuts to US science budgets for 2026, but much of the money still isn’t flowing to researchers.

The culprit? The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is quietly slow-walking the release of funds. 🧵👇

Wake up babe, new BMES podcast just dropped!
Had a great time talking about the value of professional societies with my friend @lizwaynephd.bsky.social … Liz is the best in the biz and I was honored to share my experiences with BMES… give it a listen! 🎧🎙️🗣️

www.bmes.org/podcast/offi...

A headshot of Karl Leif Bates, a speaker at AIMBE's 2026 Annual Event.

Only 1.5 months until AIMBE's Annual Event in DC this April 11-13!

Karl Bates will give our inaugural SciComm & Public Engagement Lecture, providing attendees with the tools to make an effective argument for your science in the public sphere.

👉 Register for our Annual Event: annualevent.aimbe.org

UCSD, facing federal cuts, will no longer guarantee funding for incoming grad students The school warns admitted first-year students that their support packages are contingent on state and federal funding.

It’s PhD admission season in the US and elsewhere. Is anyone collecting and sharing info about what admissions letters are saying this year, especially in the neuro/psych/bio space? Last year there were some (unfortunate) changes at some Unis, eg
www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/03/08/u....

ASCB Texas Virtual Capitol Hill Day - ASCB Texas ASCB members can meet with their elected officials to educate them about the federally funded research in Texas.

Advocate for science policy and research funding. Join ASCB’s Texas Virtual Capitol Hill Day on April 22. Free for ASCB members. No travel required.

Register: https://www.ascb.org/ascb-meetings/ascb-texas-virtual-capitol-hill-day-2/

SBIR and STTR programs lapsed on Oct. 1, 2025, halting new solicitations across federal agencies, including NIH and NSF.

Delays to their restoration will disrupt the commercialization of technologies that are foundational to America's leadership in STEM innovation and economic competitiveness.

🚨 AIMBE calls on the scientific community to take a minute to send our new advocacy letter urging Congress to support the immediate reauthorization of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs!

Please share 👇

takeaction.io/aimbe/sbir-s...

SBIR and STTR funding mechanisms are critical for tech transfer, but they've lapsed! AIMBE can help you quickly send a letter to your congressional representatives to ask that they be reinstated. See info below.

NEW: Another NIH institute director hasn't been renewed — the director of NIAMS (arthritis, musculoskeletal and skin diseases institute).

That leaves a whopping 15 of 27 institutes and centers without a permanent director.

A banner marking AIMBE's 35th anniversary.

🎉 AIMBE is celebrating 35 years at our Annual Event in DC, April 11–13!

Highlights include:

• Our President’s Circle Reception at the Library of Congress 🏛️
• Our largest-ever Congressional Hill Day 🧪
• Science communication sessions 🎙️

👉 Don't miss out, register today: annualevent.aimbe.org

Spoke with a PI whose postdoc is trapped abroad because of social media vetting. It appears the postdoc missed disclosing one account and it's unclear if they can come back… ever.

This is the country we live in now.

A word cloud from the titles of ~1100 NSF grants that were terminated. The most frequent words are STEM, ADVANCE, Student, career, and engines.

This a word cloud from the titles of ~1100 terminated NSF grants.

It is hard not to see these grant terminations as an attack on the training of the future United States scientific workforce.

Lack of student interest, scheduling issues delays UI Center for Intellectual Freedom The Center for Intellectual Freedom, newly housed at the University of Iowa, postponed classes set to begin in January to March following issues with staff scheduling and a lack of student participati...

Meanwhile: dailyiowan.com/2026/02/02/l...

Iowa universities reviewing low-enrollment majors, could close or merge programs The University of Iowa is reviewing undergraduate majors with low enrollment – like African American studies and gender, women's, and sexuality studies – after the Board of Regents last year mandated ...

Iowa closing the African American studies major during Black history month is diabolical.

This article is from 4 days ago, but it is now official. The minor will continue.

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)

Holy shit: it's an RFP for the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (PRFB). Hello old friend www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

A number of our students got the following comment back on a rejection for the NSF GFRP. They are in an eligible STEM field. Is this something people in other places are getting too? Is it a quirk or targeted?

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

Anyone dealt with challenging an "Ineligible" determination on a GRFP proposal?

A student's proposed was DQ'ed stating: "Applicants must select research in eligible STEM or STEM education fields."

However, Ecology is clearly listed in the solicitation. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

Any wisdom?

A line graph of the number of NIH awards for new and competitive renewal grants made in fiscal year 2026 compared to fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The curve for fiscal year 2026 appears to be essentially at zero on this scale.

New and Competitive renewals

These are still be made VERY slowly. Only 75 awards have been made through 1/23/26.

These are now from 7 institutes and centers (NIA (45), NINDS (16), NIDDK (5), NIDCR (4), NIDCD (2), NHLBI (1), and NCATS (1)).

3/3

U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies

The U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office.

A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies. Read more: https://scim.ag/4boPkq8

Last month, AIMBE submitted a response to the OSTP RFI on "Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise": aimbe.org/wp-content/u...

Thanks to input from our members, we highlighted opportunities to strengthen public-private partnerships and accelerate research translation into real-world impact.