Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Jun 25

Recent post on the blog:

Help! I’m an Early Career Researcher and genAI doesn’t know who I am

"Discovering that my work was being inaccurately represented by genAI was frustrating and concerning." - Tess Shirefley
researchwhisperer.org/2025/05/20/h...

#AcademicSky

Help! I’m an Early Career Researcher and genAI doesn’t know who I am

I’ve been a relatively slow-adopter of the genAI movement in academia. For a while now I’ve been under the (misguided?) perception that if I used genAI in any way to conduct my research, I would so…

researchwhisperer.org

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Tseen Khoo @tseenster.bsky.social · Jun 25

A good day to post this from @therealrw.bsky.social, written by the fab @geraldroche.bsky.social. All power to researchers' rejoinder arms over the next couple of weeks.

Writing an ARC DECRA rejoinder: An unofficial step-by-step guide
researchwhisperer.org/2022/04/28/w...

#AcademicSky

Writing an ARC DECRA Rejoinder: An Unofficial Step-by-step Guide

NOTE for those who don’t know what the ARC (Australian Research Council) or DECRA (Discovery Early Career Research Award) are: The funding body and specific scheme is not the crucial part here. Res…

researchwhisperer.org

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"spooky sukkot" daniel s. @self.agency · Apr 8

in case you're wondering, "what's the harm in claiming an extinct species has been brought back from the dead" when it most certainly has not, our interior secretary is already using it to justify taking animals off the endangered species list

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to work with others to “conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.”

The Department of the Interior is excited about the potential of “de-extinction” technology and how it may serve broader purposes beyond the recovery of lost species, including strengthening biodiversity protection efforts and helping endangered or at-risk species.

The Endangered Species List has become like the Hotel California: once a species enters, they never leave. In fact, 97 percent of species that are added to the endangered list remain there. This is because the status quo is focused on regulation more than innovation.

It’s time to fundamentally change how we think about species conservation. Going forward, we must celebrate removals from the endangered list - not additions. The only thing we’d like to see go extinct is the need for an endangered species list to exist. We need to continue improving recovery efforts to make that a reality, and the marvel of “de-extinction” technology can help forge a future where populations are never at risk.

Since the dawn of our nation, it has been innovation – not regulation – that has spawned American greatness. The revival of the Dire Wolf heralds the advent of a thrilling new era of scientific wonder, showcasing how the concept of “de-extinction” can serve as a bedrock for modern species conservation.

The Dire Wolf revival carries profound cultural significance as it embodies strength and courage that is deeply encoded within the DNA of American identity and tribal heritage.

Breakthroughs of this nature will inspire leading minds and future generations of innovators to chase the impossible, capture it, and unleash its potential!

The Department of the Interior looks forward to a vibrant future full of innovation that advances core missions such as wildlife conservation.

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JulieW67 @juliew67.bsky.social · Apr 8

#10minutesfromhome
Beautiful blossoms this afternoon

A cenotaph with a sculpture of an angel on the top surrounded by pink blossom trees. The sky is a clear blue

A close up of a beautiful pink blossom tree. In the distance is an angel sculpture which is blurred. The sky is a clear blue

A close up photo of a pink blossom tree with a clear blue sky

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RedPen/BlackPen @redpenblackpen.bsky.social · Apr 8

Reposting. Because it's another day but the same gaping maw

Four panel comic with two figures talking. Panel 1: figure in black "How are things going?". Panel 2: figure in red "well...". Panel 3: shows a giant swirling black cloud above with lightning coming out - red figure '... aside from the gaping maw of existential apocalypse looming overhead...'. Panel 4: red figure '... pretty good. Can't complain.'

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Susan Ferrari @srferrar.bsky.social · Apr 8

New set of NEH grant program cancellations:
DHAG
Fellowships Open Book Program
Dangers and Opportunities of Technology: Perspectives from the Humanities
Archaeological and Ethnographic Field Research
Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities

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The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Apr 7

No.

LSE Impact Blog @lseimpactblog.bsky.social · Apr 4

💥 New: Can AI make research more open?

🧑‍💻 Niki Scaplehorn & Henning Schönenberger
#ScholComms #OpenScience #OpenData

Can AI make research more open? - Impact of Social Sciences

Generative AI tools could have a transformative effect on open science by prompting the creation and publication of open datasets.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

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The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Mar 21

More important now than ever, everywhere.

#AcademicSky #HigherEd #Academia

DORA @dorassessment.bsky.social · Mar 21

On this International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we plug our “Debiasing Committee Composition and Deliberative Processes”, a 1-pager w/strategies for diversifying perspectives & reducing biases for hiring, promotion, tenure, and funding decisions.
sfdora.org/resource/ret...

Rethinking Research Assessment: Debiasing Committee Composition and Deliberative Processes | DORA

This is part of DORA’s toolkit of resources to support academic institutions that are improving their policies and practices. Find the other resources in the toolkit here. Debiasing Committee Composit...

sfdora.org

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

If you have a federal grant, I *highly* recommend going to this Friday's webinar on responding to grant terminations.

Lisa Brown, former general counsel at Dept of Ed, will present along with other lawyers.

Friday, March 21, 2-3 pm. More info & register here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/regist...

March 21, 2-3 pm ET: What to do when your federal grant has been stopped or terminated

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David Peetz @davidpeetz.bsky.social · Feb 22

Among those who reported experiencing harassment, women were affected almost twice as much as men by non-sexual forms of personal harassment.

theconversation.com/two-in-five-...

Two in five scientists in our survey reported harassment and intimidation. Often, the perpetrators are inside the institution

Science doesn’t occur in a vacuum – politics, harassment and intimidation can hamstring progress.

theconversation.com

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NIH Fellows United @nihfellowsunited.bsky.social · Feb 10

📢FUND DON’T FREEZE!📢

Join researchers and academics in DC on February 19th at 12 PM to stand up for research, education, and jobs! Federal attacks on science and academia put all of our futures at risk - let’s show them we won’t back down!

RSVP Here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

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ARC Tracker @arc-tracker.bsky.social · Feb 13

Whoa … this is getting real! Thanks, @mikejennions.bsky.social for putting this together. I'm blushing! 😊

Michael Jennions @mikejennions.bsky.social · Feb 13

Australian Researchers,

If you want to support @arc-tracker.bsky.social being awarded a Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science, sign this letter of support.
forms.gle/WxfVjk9JaGpn...

Q: "Are they eligible?",
A: "Let's find out"

Sign, repost & send the link to colleagues. Word of mouth. Do it!

Letter of Support for nomination of @ARC_Tracker for a Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science

In signing this form you endorse the proposal to nominate @ARC_Tracker for a Eureka Prize in the category 'Leadership in Science'. The list of signatories will be appended to the nomination form. I wi...

forms.gle

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ORCID @orcid.org · Feb 12

🔎 Trust is key in research—but how do we build it?

This #WatchItWednesday, learn how trust markers in ORCID records verify & strengthen researcher identities.

🎥 Watch now: https://shorturl.at/MFhPL

#LoveDataWeek #ResearchIntegrity #ORCIDonDemand #LoveData25

ORCID Short: Who do trust markers benefit anyway?

🤔 Who do trust markers benefit anyway? And why should you care? This #WatchItWednesday, explore 'ORCID's Community Trust Network' and learn how trust markers in ORCID records help uphold research integrity. 🔹 What are trust markers? 🔹 How do they appear in ORCID records? 🔹 Why do they matter for researchers? 🎥 Watch the highlights and check out the full webinar session: https://info.orcid.org/event/the-orcid-community-trust-network-how-orcid-members-elevate-trust-and-integrity-of-the-research-ecosystem/

shorturl.at

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The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Jan 23

😞

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · Jan 22

Devastating for scientists and their research, and everyone who benefits from that research.

I’m not sure if everyone outside academia is aware that a delay or “pause” in grant funding often means the researchers themselves are lost from the field, along with their expertise.

Nsikan Akpan @monscience.bsky.social · Jan 22

NIH appears to have canceled/postponed all of its study sections—the independent review panels that approve federal grants for health research.

Such grants fund the work/salaries of 300k people at more than 2,500 institutions

The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Jan 21

"This is a tale of a journal with a very weak data policy and what happens when a critical reader tests the limits of that policy." - Phil Davis, on the @scholarlykitchen.bsky.social blog, 17 January 2025.
#DataManipulation
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/01/17/d...

Does Altering A Dataset Merit Retraction? - The Scholarly Kitchen

Self-archiving on personal sites is perfectly permitted under many journal data policies. But what happens when an author alters the underlying data?

scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org

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The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Jan 21

Presenting at the conference "...I felt no need to downplay the status of [our centre] and had no questions over the legitimacy of our occupancy of that room at that time." - Emily Henderson, Conference Inference blog, January 2025.
conferenceinference.wordpress.com/2025/01/20/d...

DEAR@SRHE: Taking a Research Centre to a Conference (Emily F. Henderson)

What does it mean to take a research centre to a conference? This post reflects on how conferences spin us and institutional configurations around.

conferenceinference.wordpress.com

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Jess Rohmann @jlrohmann.bsky.social · Jan 20

💡 Have an idea to improve research culture & practice? 🧪
📝 Submit your proposal to the Responsible Research in Action Unconference (Sep. 22-24, Berlin)
⌚ Due Feb 9th
🙌 If selected, your fees & travel will be covered ➕ a motivated team will help make it happen! 💪
rr-in-action2025.org/info-for-app...

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The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Jan 1

Big thanks to @brkeogh.bsky.social for this resource - and make sure you check out the whole thread. 🔥

#AcademicSky #PhDsky #HigherEd

Brendan Keogh @brkeogh.bsky.social · Dec 31

I have updated the Academic Workload Tracker for 2025. I strongly encourage all academics to track how long you actually work, and at what tasks. It's a crucial way to counter the deliberate wage-theft of obfuscatory university workload models.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Academic Work Tracker Template v2.2 (2025)

docs.google.com

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The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Jan 15

Loving being at Deakin's Waterfront campus for Shut Up and Write. So beautiful. Come and join us at Waterfront Pantry every Thursday, 9:30 - 11:30 am.
#SUaW #DeakinWaterfront #AcademicWriting #ECRChat

The sign on the cafe table reads "Welcome to Shut Up and Write". Out the window there is sunshine, umbrellas and the bay in the distance.

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Zep Tepi @tepizep.bsky.social · Jan 10

🔥 🔥

60 German-speaking universities, science and research institutions have announced their decision to discontinue activities on X. (My alma mater among them! 👏 )

They stated their need to communicate in a fact-oriented, transparent and democratic environment, /2

idw-online.de/de/news845538

Goethe University Frankfurt and numerous other German universities withdraw from “X”

idw-online.de

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The Research Whisperer @therealrw.bsky.social · Jan 5

Our last post for 2024 may have gotten lost in the end-of-year frenzy so here it is again!

How to avoid post-dissertation doldrums (by Noelle Stern): researchwhisperer.org/2024/12/16/h...

#AcademicSky #PhDsky

How to avoid post-dissertation doldrums

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash A well-known motivational truism proclaims that the most dangerous time is when you’ve reached a goal. This maxim may explain why many doctoral candidates exper…

researchwhisperer.org

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Prof Chris Jackson @seismatters.bsky.social · Jan 4

I can’t remember who said it to me, but the problem with winning a research grant…can be winning a research grant…

Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Dec 22

Researchers spend approximately 45% of their time on administrative activities related to #grants rather than actual #research. The current #competition in research #funding has significant drawbacks; evidence-based improvements of the funding system are required: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

The costs of competition in distributing scarce research funds | PNAS

Research funding systems fundamentally influence how science operates. This paper aims to analyze the allocation of competitive research funding fr...

www.pnas.org

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Nick Sheppard @nickshepp.bsky.social · Jan 5

Those of us that work in HE, and especially University libraries, have a duty to learn how to contribute to @wikipedia.bsky.social and support our communities to do so!

Wikimedia and universities: contributing to the global commons in the Age of Disinformation: doi.org/10.1629/uksg...

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Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · Jan 1

Happy New Year!
(my cartoon for @newscientist.bsky.social)

Two scientists share an office.
The first, whose half of the room is neat and tidy, says
“My new year's resolutions are to jog to work every day, choose the healthy option at lunch, and run a pleasant, well-ordered workspace.”

The second, working in a total mess, replies
“In the interests of scientific rigour, I'll be the control, and change absolutely nothing.”

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Pat Thomson @patthomson.bsky.social · Jan 1

I’m making a comeback by explaining why I stopped blogging patthomson.net/2025/01/01/p...

Patter is back

Patter has been missing in action since the end of August. A bad case of blogging burn-out you might ask? Well, yes that’s true. I have been writing this patter thing for twelve years and I did hav…

patthomson.net

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