James Fraser
@fraserlab.com
Professor and Chair @UCSF/@UCSF_BTS - dynamic structural biology and open science - (he/him) - fraserlab.com
Reposted by James Fraser
As soon as NIH decided that preprints were A-OK we started preprinting everything.
The biggest negative is that now once we've preprinted I lose interest in the actual peer-reviewed article. Which for me isn't a big deal (I'm tenured) but my folk aren't. So I need to force myself to keep up on it
The biggest negative is that now once we've preprinted I lose interest in the actual peer-reviewed article. Which for me isn't a big deal (I'm tenured) but my folk aren't. So I need to force myself to keep up on it
January 12, 2026 at 8:25 PM
As soon as NIH decided that preprints were A-OK we started preprinting everything.
The biggest negative is that now once we've preprinted I lose interest in the actual peer-reviewed article. Which for me isn't a big deal (I'm tenured) but my folk aren't. So I need to force myself to keep up on it
The biggest negative is that now once we've preprinted I lose interest in the actual peer-reviewed article. Which for me isn't a big deal (I'm tenured) but my folk aren't. So I need to force myself to keep up on it
Do you have a repo I can look at invite github.com/fraserlab if private if you are comfortable?
fraserlab - Overview
fraserlab has 2 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.
github.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Do you have a repo I can look at invite github.com/fraserlab if private if you are comfortable?
This is cool - is it: app.benchmate.ai/pricing or something you are writing?
Benchmate.ai
app.benchmate.ai
January 12, 2026 at 3:57 PM
This is cool - is it: app.benchmate.ai/pricing or something you are writing?
Me too. Just trying to brainstorm ideas that might incentivize more retirement without a forcing function of a hard cutoff
January 7, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Me too. Just trying to brainstorm ideas that might incentivize more retirement without a forcing function of a hard cutoff
Sorry. I misread! Many reacting strongly the other way - they should just be forced to retire at age X.
January 7, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Sorry. I misread! Many reacting strongly the other way - they should just be forced to retire at age X.
I think the trouble is that people are still competitive- and don’t have an off-ramp for their identity as a scientist. I’m with you, I’ll exit stage right when the time comes. But I see many who don’t….
January 7, 2026 at 9:14 PM
I think the trouble is that people are still competitive- and don’t have an off-ramp for their identity as a scientist. I’m with you, I’ll exit stage right when the time comes. But I see many who don’t….
from: hhmicdn.blob.core.windows.net/policies/Inv... "expanded phase out" of 5 years, rather than going through competitive renewal (7 years if successful and 2 years if not)
January 7, 2026 at 7:36 PM
from: hhmicdn.blob.core.windows.net/policies/Inv... "expanded phase out" of 5 years, rather than going through competitive renewal (7 years if successful and 2 years if not)
Based partially on observations of this working: bsky.app/profile/fras...
A point in favour of this: an off ramp exists for HHMI investigators and many actually take it
January 7, 2026 at 7:29 PM
Based partially on observations of this working: bsky.app/profile/fras...
A point in favour of this: an off ramp exists for HHMI investigators and many actually take it
January 7, 2026 at 7:29 PM
A point in favour of this: an off ramp exists for HHMI investigators and many actually take it
I agree it’s hard. Much like convincing them to retire. But the alternative isn’t retiring. It’s renewing their R01.
January 7, 2026 at 7:23 PM
I agree it’s hard. Much like convincing them to retire. But the alternative isn’t retiring. It’s renewing their R01.
People just don’t do it though. I think an off-ramp program would allow people to hold their heads high, maintain identity as a scientist ,etc.
Trying to brainstorm policy ways to get people to do actually do it.
Trying to brainstorm policy ways to get people to do actually do it.
January 7, 2026 at 7:20 PM
People just don’t do it though. I think an off-ramp program would allow people to hold their heads high, maintain identity as a scientist ,etc.
Trying to brainstorm policy ways to get people to do actually do it.
Trying to brainstorm policy ways to get people to do actually do it.
Great. I don’t think advocating for either or both of these are mutually exclusive. Need many policy ideas for this problem…
January 7, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Great. I don’t think advocating for either or both of these are mutually exclusive. Need many policy ideas for this problem…
Tenure is tenure.
www.nytimes.com/1990/10/21/s...
And I knew and really loved Howard (TAed his ethics class for many years)…
www.nytimes.com/1990/10/21/s...
And I knew and really loved Howard (TAed his ethics class for many years)…
Campus Life: Berkeley; Biochemist, 71, Fights Mandatory Retirement (Published 1990)
www.nytimes.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Tenure is tenure.
www.nytimes.com/1990/10/21/s...
And I knew and really loved Howard (TAed his ethics class for many years)…
www.nytimes.com/1990/10/21/s...
And I knew and really loved Howard (TAed his ethics class for many years)…
Yes. We have such programs but - How do you get them to transition out to free up resources? Hence the reverse K99 as a potential off ramp policy…
January 7, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Yes. We have such programs but - How do you get them to transition out to free up resources? Hence the reverse K99 as a potential off ramp policy…
The problem is people don’t retire. What’s a policy solution to help?
January 7, 2026 at 6:55 PM
The problem is people don’t retire. What’s a policy solution to help?
I also do- but I’ll tell you there aren’t really any levers of incentives to get people to do that
January 7, 2026 at 6:55 PM
I also do- but I’ll tell you there aren’t really any levers of incentives to get people to do that
The alternative isn’t no money. It’s 4-5 years of them renewing.
January 7, 2026 at 6:54 PM
The alternative isn’t no money. It’s 4-5 years of them renewing.
It’s called coercion! People won’t retire…
January 7, 2026 at 6:54 PM
It’s called coercion! People won’t retire…
Congrats Andrew! Glad my old CypA lab notes were helpful
January 6, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Congrats Andrew! Glad my old CypA lab notes were helpful
Imagine if biorxiv automated such notifications using “email”. What a service it would be!!!
January 5, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Imagine if biorxiv automated such notifications using “email”. What a service it would be!!!