@paultharrell
PhDin Psychology, Neurosci track. Postdocs in Epidemiology, Public Health, Behavioral Oncology. Published on e-cigarettes, youth substances, psychometrics, modeling. Opinions mine. Like/repost/following is for bookmarking, not endorsement.
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. 🧵👇
We are proud to recognize our top reviewers for Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports for their exceptional contributions, thoughtful critiques, and commitment to advancing high-quality research in the field of substance use
Looks like the page is down now. Is that good?
True, I just think the possible technical solutions to this are so numerous (block IP and/or whatever VPN(s) it uses; put Canvas behind university VPN; captcha; Instructure implements detection of non-human action sequences) that not disrupting it is a choice.
Study finds ChatGPT Health did not recommend a hospital visit when medically necessary in more than half of cases. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
A few weeks ago I created a "Skill" for Claude Code, Codex, etc. It includes all the marginaleffects man pages, as well as summaries of every chapter in the book. The interactions are incredible. I bet something like that would work amazing with DeclareDesign too. github.com/vincentarelb...
This isn’t discussed nearly enough. It’s not too hard to make an argument that much of the strangeness of the past couple decades can be attributed to the shift in the US from independent local media to social media.
Between 2008 and 2020, U.S. newspaper newsroom employment fell 57%.
More than 200 counties are now "news deserts"—no local outlet at all. In another 1,500+ counties, only one remains. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Any response to this @conradhackett.bsky.social ?
The US is broadly a country that likes to invest in science. Even among Republicans this is true. But we are governed by an administration that is opposed to science, and is using procedural tools to limit spending and increase political control over the process.
Important to watch this. Despite top-line funding for NIH slightly increasing, actual awards being released are minuscule compared to prior years. @jeremymberg.bsky.social is providing weekly updates and this graph from @deniswirtz.bsky.social highlights the current devastation for U.S. scientists.
Well said. You can also see in this chart the beginning of the cratering in new funding that began in 2025. Sadly, 2026 is looking even worse. bsky.app/profile/jere...
Line graph of the number new and competitive renewal grants funded by NIH in fiscal year 2026 through February 20, compared to fiscal years 2020-2025. The fiscal year 2026 is well below the other curves.
New and Competitive Renewals
Only 803 grants have been made compared to ~2650 in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 through February 20.
All institutes and centers (include OD now) have made awards except NIAAA, NLM, NCCIH, and FIC.
3/4
I look up to you, Michael.
I have enjoyed your comments and posts here.
It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and tell your story. I can post graphs and numbers as much as I want but, even if I am thinking about the humans underneath, real stories matter a lot.
To add a personal note, the second renegotiation request came with a one-week deadline the week of my grandfather’s funeral. He died after a long battle with heart disease, one of the conditions my research involves.
I had to renegotiate my F99/K00 award twice in 6 months, and on both occasions I asked what specifically “DEI activities” means. I didn’t get clear answers, so I was hopeful the person that directive came from could specify (the NIH Director). I asked the on @whyshoulditrustyou.bsky.social podcast
This is a dramatic update to the NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan template, effective for applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2026.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Vaping theologians invariably point to randomised controlled trials to argue vapes are superior to all other ways. In this blog, I summarise key limitations of RCTs & why longitundial cohort data are far better guides to real-world assessment of quit success simonchapman6.com/2019/01/09/h...
“These terminations intentionally disrupted ongoing studies that VSU had already committed to support, thus costing the taxpayers over $10 million in federal & state-funded projects with applications beyond the institution.”
#ReinstateTheFiredSix
NEW REPORT OUT – ‘Making tobacco industry elimination inevitable’
The tobacco and nicotine industry's days are numbered.
Learn more in a new strategic playbook with 14 concrete recommendations for advocates from our allies @ash.org: ow.ly/53Hb50Yfkih
#TobaccoEndgame
JobsJobsJobs !!!
Quoted
Most of all, I’m in the anti-inevitability camp.
shermandorn.com?p=9781
Maybe yes, maybe no. It looks like some people are discussing it. But who owns Companion.AI? They should at least be publicly shamed about this type of activity.
community.instructure.com/en/discussio...
A problematic stance from someone like @holdenthorp.bsky.social who has the position & privilege that comes with being Editor-in-Chief of Science Journals.
Yes, scientists need to continue to do science.
But science leaders can't leave the risk that comes with speaking up to others. 🧵1/8
BREAKING: NIH director Jay Bhattacharya will take on the additional role of acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two administration officials told @sherylnyt.bsky.social on Wednesday.
Bhattacharya will also continue to run the NIH, she reports for @nytimes.com.
