People, Place and Health Collective
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pphcollective.bsky.social
People, Place and Health Collective
@pphcollective.bsky.social
2.2K followers 37 following 63 posts
Public health research that is people centered, place oriented & data driven. We study drugs, infectious diseases + intersecting epidemics. Based at the Brown University School of Public Health.
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pphcollective.bsky.social
Find the images for download and a booklet here:
medium.com/pphc/how-nih...
How NIH works
An explainer on how biomedical research is funded in the United States
medium.com
June 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM
pphcollective.bsky.social
A green background with cash visible in the background. In white text: “BEFORE YOU GET YOUR GRANT. KNOW THE RULES! Scientists & their institutions are accountable to NIH for the money they spend. Every purchase needs to be logged & all progress on a study needs to be documented in yearly progress reports. NIH also distributes awards yearly; rather than all at once.” A boat is on a rocky pixelated sea, on its mast is the American flag. Storm clouds are ahead and there is lightning. The text says: “that is how the process is supposed to work. Since January 2025, American science has faced an unprecedented disruption. Billions have been cancelled or delayed. This independent process is under threat. Jobs lost. Cures not discovered. Drugs delayed.”
June 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM
pphcollective.bsky.social
Blue background. A group of 3 pixelated scientists stands before a long table. The NIH logo delivers them the grant. Before them are two pieces of paper, one with a grant score and one with notes. Elsewhere in the page is a scientist working a table and another one napping. TEXT: “SENDING GRANT.. YOUR GRANT HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO A STUDY SECTION. This is a committee of scientists in the field who have all been awarded NIH grants in the past. This is a volunteer, appointed position. All grants are reviewed before a study section meeting and receive a score & comments. But not all grants get discussed at the meeting. The top scoring grants then go on to a separate council meeting for a final decision. GRANT REVIEW IS TOUGH WORK! Hours are spent reviewing before a meeting & discussing during a meeting.” Blue background. At the top stands a pixelated scientist who is crying because his grant did not get funded. At the bottom is a pixelated scientist who is happy because his grant did get funded. TEXT: “YOUR GRANT WAS NOT FUNDED. Most grants that are submitted to NIH do not get funded. Success rates vary per institute but on average only 18% of grants are funded. You got feedback and can try again if you want. A lot of good science is not funded because there is a finite amount of grant money provided by Congress. PLAYER UPDATE — (inside a green text box, in black text) — YOUR RIVAL — DR. SEXYSCIENCE HAS HAD HIS GRANT PROCEEDTO THE COUNCIL MEETING. LETS HEAD THERE NOW. A pixelated image of NIH’s Bethesda campus is visible. In a green box is the text: “It’s a beautiful day in Bethesda, Maryland.The council meeting is about to begin.” Blue background. In front of a table are pixelated wizard sprites, who represent NIH advisory council members. They also have sheets of paper in front of them with notes and scores. Text: “The advisory council of an NIH institute is made up of external experts in the field who take into consideration the rankings of the study section members and then make final recommendations for funding. These recommendations are then sent to the institute director who may approve the grant. THE COUNCIL HAS DECIDED YOUR FATE.THE GRANT IS RECOMMENDED FORFUNDING.”
June 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM
pphcollective.bsky.social
Collective members Professor Brandon Marshall and Abdullah Shihipar wrote more about this in an article for The New Republic, warning about the consequences cuts would have on tackling the overdose crisis.

newrepublic.com/article/1930...
Gutting the Government Could Reignite the Drug Overdose Epidemic
A small federal agency tasked with mitigating the impact of addiction is facing deep cuts on multiple fronts, threatening to roll back years of lifesaving work.
newrepublic.com
May 31, 2025 at 2:32 PM
pphcollective.bsky.social
This was echoed by more than 300 experts in the addictions and substance use field who wrote a letter to Congress warning about the impacts cuts to HHS and Medicaid would have.

prod-i.a.dj.com/public/resou...
prod-i.a.dj.com
May 31, 2025 at 2:32 PM
pphcollective.bsky.social
This is all happening as overdose deaths finally decline.

“We can’t mistake this progress for victory. Sustained investment is essential if we want to build on this momentum instead of backsliding.” Professor Alex Macmadu told the WSJ.

www.wsj.com/health/drug-...
Fatal Overdoses Fall to Prepandemic Levels
A significant drop in deaths tied to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids fueled the decline.
www.wsj.com
May 31, 2025 at 2:31 PM
pphcollective.bsky.social
Once again - 8.6 million people could lose their care. That's bound to include thousands, if not millions of people who access substance use treatment.
white text on red: Cuts to Medicaid will force 8.6 million off coverage. This could means thousands if not millions of people who will no longer have access to treatment for opioid use disorder.
May 31, 2025 at 2:31 PM