The rise and fall of US federally funded human fetal tissue research Nature Medicine - The rise and fall of US federally funded human fetal tissue research

Pleased to share an article out this week in Nature Medicine exploring trends in NIH funding of human fetal tissue (HFT) research and resulting publications.

rdcu.be/e6A8X

This policy justification -- banning funding of research that is no longer popular (after policy choices contributed to the decline is popularity) -- is highly problematic and should concern scientists and policymakers interested in supporting a strong biomedical research enterprise.

Notably, this ban omitted any mention of the role of the first Trump Administration's restrictions, although our research suggests they were closely associated with (and quite likely caused) the decline.

More recently, in early 2026, the Trump Administration announced a complete ban on NIH funding for HFT research (using tissue sourced following elective pregnancy terminations), justifying this ban on the "sharp decline" in NIH funding for the field.

Although the Biden Administration partially rescinded these restrictions, the decline in NIH HFT funding continued, declining from $115M in FY2018 to $53M by FY2023.

With my co-author, recent Carter School of Public Policy MSPP grad Dylan Reichert, we look at NIH grant funding and associated publications using NIH RePORTER data. We find that NIH funding peaked in FY2018 before declining following the introduction of new restrictions on HFT grants

The rise and fall of US federally funded human fetal tissue research Nature Medicine - The rise and fall of US federally funded human fetal tissue research

Pleased to share an article out this week in Nature Medicine exploring trends in NIH funding of human fetal tissue (HFT) research and resulting publications.

rdcu.be/e6A8X

Looking forward to spending the next few days at #APPAM2025. Happy to talk to anyone interested in these positions in science, technology and innovation policy at the Carter School.

The Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech invites applications for multiple open-rank tenured and/or tenure-track faculty positions with a focus on science, technology and innovation policy.

careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/...

#AcademicSky #PolicySky @appam.bsky.social

Please share widely! If you work in any area related to the brain and policy, please consider applying to be our colleague here at Georgia Tech. This could include (but is not limited to) neuroethics or brain/mental health policy.

Please share, ask questions, and (if interested) apply!

We are especially interested in candidates whose research relates to the School's strengths in ethics, energy and environmental policy, health policy, social and urban policy, and information and communications (ICT) policy.

the global interplay of knowledge systems; and the funding, resourcing and oversight of scientific and technological development, including emerging technologies.

Topics of research and teaching expertise should focus on science and technology (S&T) as objects of policy inquiry --e.g., understanding scientists and innovators; scientific and technological organizations; the production, communication, and consumption of science by scientists and the public;

The Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech invites applications for multiple open-rank tenured and/or tenure-track faculty positions with a focus on science, technology and innovation policy.

careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/...

#AcademicSky #PolicySky @appam.bsky.social

The School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology is hiring an Assistant Professor of Technical Communication with an emphasis in science communication. Priority consideration for applications is October 27. careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psp/careers/...

Come and be our new Chair of Biology at @gtsciences.bsky.social! We are growing an incredibly exciting ecology and evolution group here at GT and would love a visionary eco-evo minded person at the helm to help us do that. Please spread the word!

biosciences.gatech.edu/chair-search

Assistant/Associate Professor (2 Vacancies)

I am chairing the search for two (2) Tenure Track positions at the Department of Health Services, Policy and Management at
@uscarnoldschool.bsky.social

We are looking to move relatively fast so please get your applications in quickly

#HealthPolicy
#AcademicSky

uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/194...

Important and timely example of how science and technology policy research can inform research funding debates. Congrats to @crsugimoto.bsky.social from the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy (@gtresearchnews.bsky.social) and the entire research team.

Public Science Call for Papers Special Issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social ScienceThe Public's Science–A New Social Contract for American Research Policy

Call for Papers! 🧵

The Public's Science–A New Social Contract for American Research Policy a Special Issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

Editors: Alondra Nelson (IAS) and Jenny Reardon (UC, Santa Cruz)

Abstract Deadline: Sept 19

www.ias.edu/stsv-lab/pub...

Although it hasn't translated into formal policy yet, the structure and focus of this roundtable discussion raises serious concerns about how wide the door with will opened to stem cell profiteering by this administration and how may patients will be harmed as a result

RFK Jr. convened roundtable around ways to reduce stem cell regulation HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his staff last Wednesday hosted a regenerative medicine roundtable primarily to discuss how to lower regulatory barriers for stem cell treatments, three people ...

Not unexpected given the DHHS secretary's past statements, but this article by @leileiwu.bsky.social on Wednesday's roundtable on reducing stem cell regulation raises serious concerns:

endpts.com/rfk-jr-conve...

Congrats on organizing such a successful workshop. This is a great addition to the Atlanta and @gtresearchnews.bsky.social research ecosystem.

Indirect research costs are complicated, wonky — and crucial to science After two decades of work in biomedical research policy, there is no topic Carrie Wolinetz hates talking about more than indirect costs. She’s addressing them now because they are crucial.

From Carrie Wolinetz, former Senior Advisor to the Office of the Director, Associate Director for Science Policy, and Chief of Staff to Francis Collins at NIH

www.statnews.com/2025/02/08/n...

APLU put out a brief statement: www.aplu.org/news-and-med...

Important thread to follow:

From watts to warheads: Secretary of energy oversees big science research and the US nuclear arsenal The Energy Department has a dual mission with a heavy science focus and manages large, expensive programs, many of which are behind schedule and over budget.

Very useful and timely overview of the purview of the Secretary of Energy from Valerie Thomas and Margaret Kosal (both @gtresearchnews.bsky.social) #EnergySky

theconversation.com/from-watts-t...

Stack of books (Asymptomatic by Joshua Weitz, Tackle Football and Traumatic Brain Injuries by Daniel Goldberg and The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science by Peter Hotez) in font of window.

The semester is not quite over, but it’s never too early to stock up on winter break reading (thx to JHU press)

Looking forward to catching up on recent work from @joshuasweitz.bsky.social, @profgoldberg.bsky.social and Peter Hotez.

There’s at least three authenticator apps. I hope you chose the right one…

Mayo Clinic has a post-bacc. program that can good for recent grads: www.mayo.edu/research/cen...