The number of NIH competitive awards is down 50% from 2025, and down ~70% from prior years. Even if they catch up by the end of the year, only wealthy institutions can bridge these huge funding gaps.They're killing science-and violating the constitution-by weaponizing the bureaucracy
In August, Jay Bhattacharya said “Training future biomedical scientists” was the 1st priority for his version of NIH.
But talk is cheap. Let’s see how JB’s doing. 🤔
NIH supports trainees mostly via fellowship (F), training (T), and career development (K) awards.
Here are funding curves for each.🧵
do research on hormones and the brain/ behavior? Wanna present your work at a conference of other researchers like you in Niagara Falls and get an award for it? Then apply for an SBN Elsevier Award! sbn.org/awards/elsev...
Take a look to see if this award is right for you! Deadline 4/24. Pls share!
Checked how my institute is doing (NICHD) using the grant curves from grant-witness.us/funding_curv.... It is somehow worse than I thought.
Action Item...Action Item...Action Item
Time to comment on the Framework for the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Comments due by May 16, 2026
Update 3/16: A very small handful of NIH apportionments have come through — with big exceptions.
The ones that OMB has approved are all Congressionally mandated/earmarked. The broad discretionary funds that fund most NIH grants not yet been authorized.
(1/2)
I conclude that NIH should make use of the large amounts of data that they have available to examine hypotheses before proposing developing new policies.
6/6
Hey Hypothalamus heads! We are now accepting abstracts for the HypoGRC this August (now at the lovely Sunday River location). We have an exciting program planned for you so that we can really wild out about our favorite subcortical region. www.grc.org/hypothalamus...
Excuse me, this is my emotional support "Japan Trip 2026" multi-tab spreadsheet
🌟 New to SBN? Apply for the Welcome Initiative! 🌟
First-time members from historically underrepresented backgrounds can receive one year of free SBN membership + a registration waiver for the annual meeting.
🔗 Learn more & apply: bit.ly/40Gjgr4
🗓️ Deadline: April 1st
A photo of Doc Brown from Back to the Future holding jumper cables labelled "Deranged Activist" with a grant of NIH funding curves below it.
My weekly update on NIH funding
This includes awards made through 2/27/26
Warning: This thread contains data compiled by a known deranged_activist™. Do not read while operating heavy machinery.
1/9
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. 🧵👇
Why are some males caring toward infants while others are neglectful or abusive? I'm so pleased to share work that my colleagues and I @princeton.edu have just published @nature.com (an explanatory thread to follow!) (1/8)
Omg Forrest huge congrats!! Excited to read it. 🍾
Coral background with faint heart illustrations. A glossy male Blackbird with a bright yellow bill faces left. Large title reads: “Birds as bad exes*” Smaller text reads: “*Yes, you read that right.”
Happy Valentine’s Day, from us to you. Tag your exes. Xoxox
A coworker took this from her apartment. I haven't seen a crowd this size before. Maybe the first Women's March? But it was much much warmer that day. ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA!
Sad day to be a Chicago girl living in LA.
Extremely excited & proud to share our new preprint - we provide for the first time a single cell map of the mouse brain across sex, the estrous cycle, and peripartum! Data are 🔥 👇
"Single-cell map of the female brain across reproductive transitions"
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti... Nice work by Cecilia Jalabert and Megan Liu, former graduate students in my lab! 🎉👍🏾
Want to track the dynamics of estrogen in the brain across long periods of time? New paper as part of very fun collab with team UCLA Ed Van Veen and Steph Correa! We use a specialized optical reporter and show that this is possible and actually very easy! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Kisspeptin and early pregnancy: Insights from animal models into hormonal regulation and miscarriage.
Decourt C, Heads K.
Read the new early view article: onlinelibrary.wiley....
Net-casting spider stretching it net
enlarged forward facing eyes of Asianopis subrufa
🚨Good news, everyone!
1) I'm thrilled to be joining the behavior powerhouse that is Indiana University!! So stoked, starting Jan 2026.
2) I'm recruiting grad students! Are you (or your trainee) interested in sensory ecology? behavior? evolution? fieldwork? spiders? Drop me a line Jstafstr(at)iu.edu
So, so deserved! Couldn’t have asked for a better PhD mentor than Nancy. Can’t wait to celebrate at SBN 2026. 🥳
Visit our posters on Sat, Sun & Weds @sfn.org ! @luisadema.bsky.social & @lailaouldibbat.bsky.social will present at #TPDA session too. I'll be around for all posters - let's chat about single-cell studies across the cycle, peripartum, OVX.. & the cool dynamics of the X chrom! See you there! #SfN25
✨ New preprint ✨ What if we could watch AND control thousands of individual neurons in behaving mice—with stable access over months? 🧠⚡ Our work introduces transgenic all-optical tools that make this possible - and a resulting surprising discovery! 🔭💡
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 1/13 🧵
My first official post to say see you at #SfN2025! I'm presenting some new ephys work with @healeylab.bsky.social looking at auditory responses to chick calls in zebra finch parents! 🐦🧠🔊🐣 Tuesday @ 2pm (PSTR346, Vocal/Social Communication). ALSO ~ my lab is opening soon and we're HIRING!! (see ⬇️)
Terrible news, I’m so sorry for your loss.
