Jeffrey Mervis
@policyhound.bsky.social
I'm a senior correspondent for Science, trying to explain to scientists how government works.
A major reorganization and significant downsizing has left scientists wondering about the future of the US National Academies. www.science.org/content/arti...
Can a smaller U.S. National Academies remain relevant?
Loss of federal support leads to staff layoffs and fewer committees of outside experts
www.science.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:02 PM
A major reorganization and significant downsizing has left scientists wondering about the future of the US National Academies. www.science.org/content/arti...
And here's the GSA announcement of NSF's new digs: www.gsa.gov/about-us/new...
NSF could be moving down the street
Government sets requirements for new space that sound like nearby patent office campus
www.science.org
November 15, 2025 at 1:08 AM
And here's the GSA announcement of NSF's new digs: www.gsa.gov/about-us/new...
NSF announced today it is moving a half-mile down the street to be neighbors of the US Patent Office in Alexandria, Va. Here's our earlier story on the possibility. www.science.org/content/arti...
NSF could be moving down the street
Government sets requirements for new space that sound like nearby patent office campus
www.science.org
November 15, 2025 at 1:07 AM
NSF announced today it is moving a half-mile down the street to be neighbors of the US Patent Office in Alexandria, Va. Here's our earlier story on the possibility. www.science.org/content/arti...
Republican spending plan for Census Bureau could shrink response rate on decennial census to 28% www.science.org/content/arti...
Republican push to make U.S. census surveys voluntary alarms statisticians
Pending bills targeting decennial census and American Community Survey would make results less reliable
www.science.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Republican spending plan for Census Bureau could shrink response rate on decennial census to 28% www.science.org/content/arti...
Conferees on Defense bill asked to jettison House language that would end US collaborations with Chinese scientists and former students back in China www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations
Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Conferees on Defense bill asked to jettison House language that would end US collaborations with Chinese scientists and former students back in China www.science.org/content/arti...
Study finds China's higher education boom led to expansion of US STEM masters programs www.science.org/content/arti...
A flood of Chinese graduate students in STEM was a boon to U.S. students
Study shows the influx allowed U.S. programs to expand enrollment and also benefited local businesses
www.science.org
October 31, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Study finds China's higher education boom led to expansion of US STEM masters programs www.science.org/content/arti...
Doing research in Antarctica was plenty hard before NSF cancelled its lease on its main ship, the Nathaniel Palmer. Read how scientists are coping. www.science.org/content/arti...
How NSF hopes to keep Antarctic scientists afloat without an icebreaker
Ending Palmer lease is one of many belt-tightening moves amid budget uncertainty
www.science.org
October 24, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Doing research in Antarctica was plenty hard before NSF cancelled its lease on its main ship, the Nathaniel Palmer. Read how scientists are coping. www.science.org/content/arti...
One word can make a world of difference if you're the head of an NSF directorate. Read why in this newsletter. www.science.org/content/arti...
ScienceAdviser: Tiny tubes may let neurons communicate directly
Today in Science and science: Why women live longer than men, evidence that wildfires are worsening, and more
www.science.org
October 6, 2025 at 2:49 PM
One word can make a world of difference if you're the head of an NSF directorate. Read why in this newsletter. www.science.org/content/arti...
NCAR avoids furloughs but tightens belt as bigger cuts loom www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org
October 3, 2025 at 3:06 PM
NCAR avoids furloughs but tightens belt as bigger cuts loom www.science.org/content/arti...
California researchers take heart from nuanced ruling in suit to get grants reinstated www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. court orders NIH to restore killed grants to California researchers
Judge says district court is proper forum to protest mass grant terminations
www.science.org
September 23, 2025 at 7:36 PM
California researchers take heart from nuanced ruling in suit to get grants reinstated www.science.org/content/arti...
US universities must now decide if hiring a foreign scientist is "worth" spending an extra $100K. www.science.org/content/arti...
Trump visa policy requires universities to pay huge fee to hire foreign scholars
U.S. employers to pay $100,000 for every new H-1B visa
www.science.org
September 23, 2025 at 5:47 PM
US universities must now decide if hiring a foreign scientist is "worth" spending an extra $100K. www.science.org/content/arti...
How far can NSF bend before it breaks? Science looks at what's happened to the agency under Trump. www.science.org/content/arti...
Under Trump, NSF faces worst crisis in its 75-year history
Political directives have undermined agency's independence and record of supporting the best basic research
www.science.org
September 19, 2025 at 8:23 PM
How far can NSF bend before it breaks? Science looks at what's happened to the agency under Trump. www.science.org/content/arti...
Despite its 162-year-history of service, congressional Republicans tell federal agencies not to seek the advice of the National Academies. www.science.org/content/arti...
House panels charge U.S. National Academies with producing partisan studies
Pending spending bill urges agencies to find other sources of scientific advice
www.science.org
September 16, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Despite its 162-year-history of service, congressional Republicans tell federal agencies not to seek the advice of the National Academies. www.science.org/content/arti...
Having a hard time tracking how Congress might revamp indirect costs? Here's what you need to know. www.science.org/content/arti...
ScienceAdviser: Can two new studies put cancer microbiome research back on track?
Today in Science and science: Surprising insights from marsquakes, the ecological impact of free-roaming buffalo, and more
www.science.org
September 5, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Having a hard time tracking how Congress might revamp indirect costs? Here's what you need to know. www.science.org/content/arti...
Last week the chairman of the House science committee tried to convince an academic audience that Musk and DOGE has helped to regain public trust in government and science. What could go wrong? www.science.org/content/arti...
ScienceAdviser: The taming of the horse
Today in Science and science: Clues from Mars’s mantle, water pollution affects air quality, and more
www.science.org
September 2, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Last week the chairman of the House science committee tried to convince an academic audience that Musk and DOGE has helped to regain public trust in government and science. What could go wrong? www.science.org/content/arti...
Lin ordered NSF to reinstate the suspended UCLA grants by 19 August or explain why it hasn't complied with her order. The case is Thakur v. Trump.
August 13, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Lin ordered NSF to reinstate the suspended UCLA grants by 19 August or explain why it hasn't complied with her order. The case is Thakur v. Trump.
Judge Lin rejected NSF's arguments that her earlier injunction didn't apply because the new batch of grants were only suspended. But Lin said that was a distinction without a difference and that NSF had violated the Administrative Procedures Act by failing to provide an adequate explanation.
August 13, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Judge Lin rejected NSF's arguments that her earlier injunction didn't apply because the new batch of grants were only suspended. But Lin said that was a distinction without a difference and that NSF had violated the Administrative Procedures Act by failing to provide an adequate explanation.
US District Court Judge Rita Lin today ordered NSF to reinstate the 300 grants to UCLA that it suspended on 30 July, saying the agency violated a preliminary injunction she issued in June on a different set of grants to UCLA researchers. 1/2
August 13, 2025 at 1:24 AM
US District Court Judge Rita Lin today ordered NSF to reinstate the 300 grants to UCLA that it suspended on 30 July, saying the agency violated a preliminary injunction she issued in June on a different set of grants to UCLA researchers. 1/2
Deconstructing Trump's latest directive on managing federal research: how bad is it? www.science.org/content/arti...
Trump order aims to politicize decisions on federal science grants
Researchers worried by plan giving political appointees more control over where funding goes
www.science.org
August 8, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Deconstructing Trump's latest directive on managing federal research: how bad is it? www.science.org/content/arti...
NSF's suspension of UCLA grants could run afoul of injunction against earlier terminations. www.science.org/content/arti...
Has NSF defied a court order by suspending 300 UCLA grants?
Federal judge to hear arguments relating to preliminary injunction to restore funding for other UC grants
www.science.org
August 5, 2025 at 10:38 PM
NSF's suspension of UCLA grants could run afoul of injunction against earlier terminations. www.science.org/content/arti...
Revisions to BLS job numbers are the norm, not the exception, says former commissioner Erica Groshen, who explains why Trump's criticism is misguided. www.science.org/content/arti...
Why a top economist discounts Trump’s claim U.S. jobs data are ‘rigged’
A former head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics rebuts reason why president fired the agency’s leader
www.science.org
August 4, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Revisions to BLS job numbers are the norm, not the exception, says former commissioner Erica Groshen, who explains why Trump's criticism is misguided. www.science.org/content/arti...
GOP appropriators oppose 15% cap on indirect cost rates and tell Trump to work with research community on a better approach www.science.org/content/arti...
Congressional panels resist White House proposals for sharp cuts in indirect cost rates
Three spending panels say a 15% cap isn’t the right answer to nagging concerns about how universities are reimbursed
www.science.org
July 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
GOP appropriators oppose 15% cap on indirect cost rates and tell Trump to work with research community on a better approach www.science.org/content/arti...
Nobody likes the current system for paying indirect costs. But the new proposed model being pitched to Congress and OMB also took a beating this week. www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. research community says new indirect cost model is still too complicated
Proposed changes to avert huge cuts in reimbursement get pushback at town hall
www.science.org
July 18, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Nobody likes the current system for paying indirect costs. But the new proposed model being pitched to Congress and OMB also took a beating this week. www.science.org/content/arti...
It's too early to take to the bank, but the Senate may come to the rescue of researchers whose NSF grants were cancelled www.science.org/content/arti...
Senate panel raises hopes that NSF will restore killed grants
Republicans promise to work with Democrats to salvage defeated amendment
www.science.org
July 18, 2025 at 1:50 AM
It's too early to take to the bank, but the Senate may come to the rescue of researchers whose NSF grants were cancelled www.science.org/content/arti...