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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 5d

We saw big disruptions to science during the 2018-19 shutdown, but this one could bring with it a new threat: further reductions in the federal workforce.

cen.acs.org/policy/resea...

Scientists brace for impact of US government shutdown

Trump administration’s plan for mass federal layoffs could further disrupt research funding and environmental regulation

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

Manny I. Fox Morone @mannyfoxmorone.bsky.social · 22d

I admit that when i started working on this project with @kvasquez.bsky.social, i didn’t think i knew any chemists with disabilities 🧵1/ cen.acs.org/people/profi... @cenmag.bsky.social

Trailblazers: Chemists with disabilities rethink how we do science

C&EN’s 2025 Trailblazers issue, curated by guest editor Mona Minkara, looks at how chemists can solve problems in new ways

cen.acs.org

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 22d

Project is live! bsky.app/profile/did:...

Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 22d

It so was hard to imagine having successful career in science as a disabled PhD student that eventually I just left.

Who could have guessed that years later I would help create a magazine issue dedicated to highlighting Trailblazing disabled chemists!

cen.acs.org/people/profi...

#DisabledInSTEM

Trailblazers: Chemists with disabilities rethink how we do science

C&EN’s 2025 Trailblazers issue, curated by guest editor Mona Minkara, looks at how chemists can solve problems in new ways

cen.acs.org

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 22d

"When we design tools that welcome different ways of sensing and thinking, we open new reaction pathways for discovery. Inclusive design doesn’t just widen participation; it expands the very structure-function relationship of science itself."

cen.acs.org/careers/dive...

The tools we build become the questions we ask

Why inclusive design is good for more than access—it expands the boundaries of discovery

cen.acs.org

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 22d

So many were involved in this project, but I want to give a special shout out our guest editor Mona Minkara!

Mona had a hand in selecting our theme and the 12 Trailblazers featured here. She also wrote a stellar guest essay that I highly encourage you to read: cen.acs.org/careers/dive...

The tools we build become the questions we ask

Why inclusive design is good for more than access—it expands the boundaries of discovery

cen.acs.org

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 22d

These 12 profiles highlight how this year's @cenmag.bsky.social Trailblazers are expanding our knowledge of the molecular world, while not shying away from talking about the struggles that come with having to navigate inaccessible STEM environments.

cen.acs.org/people/profi...

Trailblazers: Chemists with disabilities rethink how we do science

C&EN’s 2025 Trailblazers issue, curated by guest editor Mona Minkara, looks at how chemists can solve problems in new ways

cen.acs.org

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 22d

It so was hard to imagine having successful career in science as a disabled PhD student that eventually I just left.

Who could have guessed that years later I would help create a magazine issue dedicated to highlighting Trailblazing disabled chemists!

cen.acs.org/people/profi...

#DisabledInSTEM

Trailblazers: Chemists with disabilities rethink how we do science

C&EN’s 2025 Trailblazers issue, curated by guest editor Mona Minkara, looks at how chemists can solve problems in new ways

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

Rowan Walrath @rowanwalrath.bsky.social · 23d

And be sure to read through the rest of the package, ably edited by my colleagues @mannyfoxmorone.bsky.social and @kvasquez.bsky.social, featuring how chemists with disabilities are reimagining the discipline: cen.acs.org/people/profi...

Trailblazers: Chemists with disabilities rethink how we do science

C&EN’s 2025 Trailblazers issue, curated by guest editor Mona Minkara, looks at how chemists can solve problems in new ways

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

Rowan Walrath @rowanwalrath.bsky.social · 23d

Artur Mylin was unfazed when his friend called him in the middle of the night to tell him that the war had begun.

Artur Mylin wears a lab coat and stands for a portrait in an orderly lab space. He stands on one natural leg and one prosthetic leg and holds a cane. An array of flasks, some with stoppers and others without, are on the counter behind him and on the shelves above him. The brown, tiled floor alternates in a pattern of squares, diamonds, and eight-pointed stars.

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 25d

Where have I been the past couple months? Working on a project that will feature #DisabledInSTEM chemists who pushing the boundaries of their fields! Can't wait for that to go live Monday!

Until then, I invite you to read about 8 disabled scientists who left a lasting mark on modern chemistry. ⬇️

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · Sep 1

The landscape of life-altering medicines, the ways we “see” molecular structures, and even the periodic table wouldn’t be the same without chemists with disabilities. They’ve been working & innovating since the age of modern chemistry began in the 18th and 19th centuries
cen.acs.org/careers/dive...

8 chemists with disabilities who left their mark on history

Scientists with disabilities ascended to the forefronts of their fields long before labs were accessible and civil rights were codified

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

ACS Chemists with Disabilities Committee (CWD) @acscwd.bsky.social · Aug 18

Many hands make light work! At the @acs.org Chemists With Disabilities (CWD) Braille Periodic Table activity at the #ACSFall2025 Member Lounge, over 100 people have helped glue braille dots for element symbols so far. One is almost done! Aiming to finish both Tuesday, so come join us to help out!

Photo showing ACS Fall 2025 attendees help glue braille dots into one of the wooden Braille Periodic Tables (around 24 by 36 inches) at the Member Lounge.

Photo showing a ACS Fall 2025 attendee touching one of the wooden Braille Periodic Tables (around 24 by 36 inches) at the Member Lounge.

Close-up photo showing a ACS Fall 2025 attendee touching one of the wooden Braille Periodic Tables (around 24 by 36 inches) at the Member Lounge.

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · Jul 23

Discover the redesigned C&EN online.

The site is built to help you stay informed about chemistry, with a streamlined layout, smarter navigation, and curated selections from our editorial team. cen.acs.org?sc=250723_sc...

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · Jul 22

NSF staff release their appeal—slightly different format than the declarations of dissent from EPA/NIH/NASA; a more formal petition to Congress to redress attacks on the agency and its employees. 149 signatories (48 named)
democrats-science.house.gov/imo/media/do...

Petition for Action
As provided under the Lloyd-La Follette Act (5 U.S.C. 7211), the signatories respectfully petition the
Committee to:
1. Ensure that NSF employees are shielded from politically motivated firings and protected
under merit-based personnel systems.
2. End illegal impoundments of monies appropriated to NSF.
3. Defend the agency from further interference in its peer review process.
4. Demand transparency from OMB, DOGE, and NSF leadership regarding internal employment
policies and future agency relocations.
5. Reaffirm NSF’s scientific independence and support for world-class research that advances
national prosperity and security.
NSF employees are committed to serving the American people through research, education, and
innovation. But they cannot do so under fear, censorship, and institutional sabotage. Without immediate
oversight and corrective action from Congress, one of our nation’s greatest engines for scientific and
technological advancement faces irreversible long-term damage. Put simply, America will forfeit its
scientific leadership position to China and other rival nations.

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · Jul 22

Gutting the National Climate Assessment is just one way the Trump administration is undermining the legal justification to limit greenhouse gas emissions. cen.acs.org/environment/... #chemsky 🧪

How the White House is dismantling the heart of US climate policy

Gutting the National Climate Assessment is just one way the Trump administration is undermining the legal justification to limit greenhouse gas emissions

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Jul 18

🧪 For those following indirect rates (not normally an issue with so much drama!):

Senate bill, out today, seeks to block the admin from making abrupt changes to indirect rates at NSF, NASA, and NOAA: www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

10 SEC. 542. In making Federal financial assistance, the
11 Department of Commerce, the National Aeronautics and
12 Space Administration, and the National Science Founda13 tion shall continue to apply the negotiated indirect cost
14 rates for Institutions of Higher Education in section
15 200.414 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations, including
16 with respect to the approval of deviations from negotiated
17 indirect cost rates, to the same extent and in the same
18 manner as such negotiated indirect cost rates were applied
19 in fiscal year 2024: Provided, That none of the funds ap20 propriated in this or prior Commerce, Justice, Science,
21 and Related Agencies Appropriations Acts, or otherwise
22 made available to the Department of Commerce, the Na23 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Na24 tional Science Foundation may be used to develop, modify,
143
•S 2354 RS
1 or implement changes to such fiscal year 2024 negotiated
2 indirect cost rates.

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 18

I do want to point out that any differences between the House and Senate bill need to be resolved before the budget is signed by the president.

And here's a great thread by @davidimiller.bsky.social breaking down what the House's version says right now: bsky.app/profile/davi...

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Jul 14

👎 BOOOO

Draft bill includes general provisions (applies across NSF, NASA, NOAA) to...

1st screenshot: bar funding of DEI initiatives (of course, without defining what that means...).

2nd screenshot: bar **all** funding to those who "educate", "train", or "inform" feds about DEI issues.

SEC. 551. None of the funds made available by this Act or any other Act may be used— for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, training, programs, offices, officers, policies, or other executive agency functions.

SEC. 558. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to review, process, or approve applications for Federal grants, contracts, cooperative agree ments, or other agreements by any individual or organization that educates or otherwise trains or informs Federal employees about diversity, equity, inclusion, critical race theory, implicit bias, unconscious bias, or culturally relevant teaching.

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 18

More on the Senate bill and NSF's FY26 STEM ed budget based on the committee's report: www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

The GRFP + a number of broadening participation programs would maintain current funding levels. The Trump admin's proposal for comparison: cen.acs.org/policy/resea...

Table of the NSF STEM education budget. Amounts are in thousands of dollars.

STEM education: 1,000,000
Graduate Research Fellowship Program: 285,000
Advanced Technological Education: 75,000
Improving Undergraduate STEM Education [IUSE]: 90,000
Centers for Research Excellence in Science and Technology: 24,000
HBCU—Undergraduate Program: 36,500
IUSE: HSI: 46,500
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program: 16,500
ADVANCE: 18,000
Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate: 8,000
Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation: 49,500
Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program: 67,000
CyberCorps, Scholarships for Service: 63,000
Advancing Informal STEM Learning [AISL]: 60,000

The Committee’s recommendation provides $1,000,000,000 for
STEM Education. The recommendation is $172,000,000 below the
fiscal year 2025 enacted level.

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 18

And here's the bill text that was approved by the Senate committee: www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

It would give the NSF $1 billion for STEM education.

For comparison:
FY2024: ~$1.2 billion
President's request: $288 million

Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 17

From the Senate committee bill summary:

NSF: $9 billion
NASA: $24.9 billion
NOAA: $6.1 billion
NIST: $1.6 billion

www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

Save NSF @savensf.bsky.social · Jul 17

📰 Save NSF has another newsletter coming out this week. Sign up for our mailing list, so you don't miss out on any important updates or resources.

www.savensf.com/join-our-list

#SaveNSF #stayuptodate

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 17

For even more context, here's a summary of what Congress passed in FY2024: cen.acs.org/policy/resea...

Lawmakers slash US science funding

Many federal agencies, except the DOE, brace for cuts until Oct. 1

cen.acs.org

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 17

For context, here is what the Trump administration requested back in May: cen.acs.org/policy/resea...

Proposed White House budget would slash science funding

Plan called ‘disastrous’ and ‘catastrophic’ by lawmakers and science advocates

cen.acs.org

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 17

From the Senate committee bill summary:

NSF: $9 billion
NASA: $24.9 billion
NOAA: $6.1 billion
NIST: $1.6 billion

www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 17

Bill passes 19-10 and is off to the full Senate for consideration. The bill currently keeps NSF's budget flat at $9 billion.

Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 17

Senate Appropriations Committee is resuming consideration of the bill that contains the FY 2026 budgets for agencies like NASA, NOAA and NSF. Watch the markup here: www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/ful...

@nature.com has a good summary of what's happened so far: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Full Committee Markup of Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Acts | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

www.appropriations.senate.gov

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Reposted by Krystal Vasquez

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · Jul 17

19 ayes and 10 nays on the bill, so the it passes and will be reported to the broader Senate.

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Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · Jul 17

A quick note for bandwidth reasons, I've mainly been summarizing what's been going on with the FY2026 NSF budget over on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/krystalvasquez).

But I'm still making sure to share info from good sources talking about it here!

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