Results so stunningly clear they inspired this classic xkcd (xkcd.com/2400/):
Husband, Father and grandfather, Datahound, Dog lover, Fan of Celtic music, Former NIGMS director, Former EiC of Science magazine, Stand Up for Science advisor, Pittsburgh, PA NIH Dashboard: https://jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.github.io/index.html
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Results so stunningly clear they inspired this classic xkcd (xkcd.com/2400/):
Moderna vaccine (www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1... ) 2/2
Yes, it was carefully hidden in the New England Journal of Medicine. Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1... ) 1/2
My quote of the day Nobody ever thanks you for saving them from the disease they didn't know they were going to get. William Foege
Hi. Iโm the executive director of the organization that had the honor of hosting the FEMA Katrina Declaration and I can confirm this is a lie. NICE TRY, KRISTI! @standupforscience.bsky.social @atrupar.com
My quote of the day Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks. Yo-Yo Ma
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My quote of the day I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag. Molly Ivins
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Good ๐งตon grant terminations
Trump admin planning to change student visas from lasting for duration of academic program to fixed 4-yr term, and then much harder to renew Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.
Ladies & gentlemen of the jury, I present to you people's exhibit #43847, showcasing the administration's hatred of our Constitution, and Congressional Republicans' willingness to help shred it. Congress is setting the example for MAGA on how to vote your job, money, and life away to billionaires.๐คฆ๐ฝ
SHE WAS AN INSURRECTIONIST PLAIN AND SIMPLE
Very important issue to track. Congress needs to assert its authority.
This retaliation is unacceptable and unfounded.
Capitulating to this administration is a short term and short sighted strategy.
Hope is only lost when we stop fighting back.
Trump Officials Fire EPA Employees for Signing Dissent Letter www.msn.com/en-us/news/u...
NYT: Funding battles the fine print [Gift link] www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/u...
I get this, but there is a distorting factor that others think that this is all about these senior folks. Trust me, I am not saying standing up and taking risks is easy. It isn't. Everyone circumstances are different. But there are costs either way.
Another way the administration is trying to gift America's scientific leadership to China - ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐. So of course ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป'๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ. Comments accepted until end Sept. Cc: @jeremymberg.bsky.social
I realize that this is where we are in biomedical research in many ways and less senior folks have more at stake in speaking out, but it would be good to get some perspectives from more folks who actually ARE the future of biomedical research rather than just speaking on its behalf. 2/2
Another observation about this story. The folks quoted substantially are all quite or very senior, from their early 60s to their mid-80s. Also all white men. 1/2
As a wise old man told me recently, "never forget that a politician's primary job is to get reelected." If it furthers that goal, like lobbying, money in politics in general, and lack of term limits tend to do, it's probably bad for the rest of us and should be eliminated...
Thank you for sharing. I wasn't aware of this (I am a chemist and a self-taught biologist). I do try to focus of decent human beings with these quotes.
I stand with Joachim Frank. I would hope that others would have had a better understanding of history. 2/2
New York Times story about reactions from Columbia faculty to the settlement [Gift link] www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/n... 1/2
My quote of the day
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Op-ed from Cincinnati.com www.cincinnati.com/story/opinio...
Jim O'Neill โ SENS Research Foundation โข Board of Directors: 2010-2021 โข CEO: 2019-2021 News article, September 2021: www.science.org/content/arti...
I believe this is all about putting pressure on universities by whatever means are available. It's the threat that matters with the hope that universities will cave or negotiate about whatever the Administration wants. The details don't really matter much...
WPost Op Ed Board may have had it, but if they believe their own headline, i.e., RFK Jr cannot be contained and his disdain for evidence and expertise threatens the health of Americans, then it would seem there is only one option: RFK Jr should be removed as Sec. of HHS.
Oh goody... RFK, Jr deputy (and Peter Thiel associate) named acting CDC director. [Gift Link] wapo.st/4lSXqIV
Attack on universities, de jour... www.whitehouse.gov/presidential... Universities get federal grants and universities lobby, ipso facto, universities are spending grant dollars for lobbying until proven otherwise.
Washington Post EDITORIAL BOARD has had it with RFK, Jr. [Gift link] wapo.st/4lLZOkH
Not a walkout. A "clap out" for departing leaders with tons of community support. CDC staff are taking leave to participate.
This isn't a walkout. It's a clap out - a way we have often supported our leaving leaders. Staff are taking admin leave for it. And wow, what an amazing and inspiring show of community support. ๐๐ฅน๐ The US Public Health Service (uniform: service dress blues) will be holding a salute send-off now.
CDC staff walking out to cheers from an assembled crowd. AP was live-streaming it, but is is private now. [Screen grab]
@jenna-m-norton.bsky.social is a warrior. She is gentle and kind, but full of fight for the right things. I wouldn't bet against her.
2016...
4/6 [This links to my Bluesky thread with my recent letter to Director Bhattacharya]
New article in Research Professional News on NIH and the SCOTUS ruling [Big thanks to the editors for putting this in front of their paywall] www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-... 1/6
Follow the #NIH on Bluesky!
Great set of follows here. Diverse perspectives on all this [waves arms wildly]...
Powerful thread...
My quote of the day I have embraced crying mothers who have lost their children because our politicians put their personal agendas before the national good. I have no patience for injustice, no tolerance for government incompetence, no sympathy for leaders who fail their citizens. Donald J. Trump
It is good to see a member of Congress publicly weigh in supporting the Katrina Declaration signers and their message.
BREAKING (AGAIN): The White House said it has fired CDC director Susan Monarez, who clashed with @seckennedy.govpeeps.us over vaccine policy. Confirmed by the Senate, she had refused to resign unless the WH fired her. GIFT: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/h...
Full resignation letter from Demetre C. Daskalakis, a CDC leader, does not hold back. "The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud."
Good coverage of the FEMA situation with Greg Fugate on the PBS Newshour tonight. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QN2...
Good for her! I don't know her well, but we published a paper together after we spoke together at a conference on preparedness. She was at DHS at the time and struck me as smart and passionate.
I signed. I am a member of the National Academy of Medicine, but more importantly, I am someone who cares about my health and the health of my fellow human beings. Sign! Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho RFK, Jr. has got to go...
My quote of the day To declare that in the administration of criminal law the end justifies the means to declare that the Government may commit crimes in order to secure conviction of a private criminal would bring terrible retribution. Louis D. Brandeis
Iโd like to report a giant mess at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenueโฆ
Some much thisโฆ but keep it peaceful.
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Turns out some of the โwe want small governmentโ people kiiiinda wanted the government to be just one guy.
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We need more AGs doing shit like this. Hold their feet to the fire.
Sign on to support these courageous public servants www.standupforscience.net/fema-katrina...
Public signers from FEMA put on administrative leave [Gift link] wapo.st/45C4h4U 1/2
Yep. I was trying to confirm an email and Google autofilled to โcause of deathโ. Not great.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are just getting married to distract from the Epstein coverup. In this TED Talk, I willโ
My quote of the day When scrutiny is lacking, tyranny, corruption and man's baser qualities have a better chance of entering into the public business of any government. Jacob Javits
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Miami Herald story about the Katrina Declaration www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
Taking a break with some frisbee with Glory.
Listed are some of the many NIH research training programs that were terminated! Together, these programs supported thousands of trainees, whose careers are now in limbo. Such a great loss for discovery and innovation. We must protect our next generation of scientists! #HandsOffNIH #ProtectScience
Perhaps the taxpayers should terminate his employment and then tell him he can always file an appeal (with an unspecified process) if he feels that we acted inappropriately...
Re-terminating the Mass v Kennedy/APHA vs NIH grants will further damage trust in NIH that Trump, Vought, RFK and Bhattacharya are currently decimating.
When Michael Brown (aka "Brownie") is a reasonable voice in learning and accountability... www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
CNN story on the Katrina Declaration www.cnn.com/2025/08/25/p... 1/3
WARNING WARNING WARNING #ResearchAdmini I am hearing reports of NIH Awards being issued with ~15% indirect cost rate without comment. I believe the hope is that they will be accepted with noticing this.
Well, I guess we can all relax now...
I sent you a link. If others would like to sign on is well, please DM me.
AP story on the Katrina Declaration apnews.com/article/fema...
Story in The Hill on the Katrina Declaration thehill.com/policy/energ...
We welcome non-American signers as well. We all share this planet...
The motto from the Bethesda Declaration authors from a mug they sent me.
![Jenna Norton, a programme director at the NIHโs National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, who was not involved in the lawsuits, said that after the June court judgment, projects were reinstated by an 11 July deadline. She said that the NIH has not yet issued any guidance regarding the latest ruling. Speaking in a personal capacity, she told Research Professional News: โMany are worried that [Russell] Vought [director of the Office of Management and Budget], Trump and Bhattacharya will be emboldened by the permission SCOTUS granted them and act to re-terminate the grants. This would be incredibly damaging to all scienceโnot just the 900 impacted studies.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xtytenkhytpek3zszl3rh44t/bafkreig6zisqqhqljwfudynzdeoofuv4beksedwl4e3ysk62xplkmfsqfu@jpeg "Click to view full size")
![Jeremy Berg, a former director of the NIHโs National Institute of General Medical Sciences, said that while he was pleased โthat the Supreme Court did conclude that the terminations were probably illegal, the fact that they overturned the order to reinstate the awards is wrong-headed for a variety of reasonsโ. โThe continued uncertainties are certainly not helping science. The fact that SCOTUS [the Supreme Court] ruled on jurisdictional issues does not take away from the damage,โ he told Research Professional News.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xtytenkhytpek3zszl3rh44t/bafkreibllk2kzua7pbrgsp6exy42mo4eybwxdv3bqvwezqqpllrwxkbpbi@jpeg "Click to view full size")
