Bill Wuest
@wmwuest.bsky.social
300 followers 420 following 38 posts
GRA Distinguished Investigator & Chemistry Professor at Emory. Research leverages natural product total synthesis to combat bacteria/antibiotic resistance. Father, mentor, entrepreneur, Yankee/ND Irish fan. https://wuest.emorychem.science/
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wmwuest.bsky.social
New NSF GRFP announcement is out. MAJOR CHANGE: Only senior UG and 1st year grad students appear to be eligible..... Why the change? Anyone know?
wmwuest.bsky.social
Looks like this worked. Solicitation is up and deadline was moved back 2 weeks. Nice job.
Reposted by Bill Wuest
jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social
Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io
wmwuest.bsky.social
Also worth pointing out the MIRA mechanism, which sounds closer to what was suggested - betting on the athlete not the proposal. With all the cuts I worry this program won’t be able to continue as intended or planned.
wmwuest.bsky.social
I believe nigms cancelled f31s awhile back.
wmwuest.bsky.social
I dont have that data (I think that med school accepts seem similar) but I do not think this 5 course sequence is THAT different that a normal 2 semester gen chem, 2 semester organic, quantum sequence, with a little biochem added. The bigger difference is the electives needed to be offered after.
wmwuest.bsky.social
Nope not quite what we do. 1st semester is structure-focused (~95% gen chem), 2nd is 70/30 gen chem/orgo, focusing on equilibria mainly, 3rd is 100% orgo, 4th is ~50/50 orgo/biochem. 5th is p chem (quantum mostly). These are my own estimates but am fairly familiar with the curriculum.
wmwuest.bsky.social
I typically review all files twice a year (week before enrollment). I actually make this a lab job for a grad student aspiring to be pui faculty and they help organize and conduct the interviews too.
wmwuest.bsky.social
Oh I agree but I have found that by asking the right questions we can trim the number down to 4-5 then conduct brief zoom interviews to land on the best fits, at least imo. Success rate and long term retention have gone up and students really appreciate the clarity.
wmwuest.bsky.social
Instead of relying on emails why not create an application form for anyone interested to complete? Then they won’t have to guess at what you are looking for & you can level the playing field for all. We have found this approach super useful in my lab! Happy to share more info if you are interested.
wmwuest.bsky.social
Ours at Emory is also happening.
wmwuest.bsky.social
Has anyone else received manuscript reviews that were AI-assisted? We got our 1st one. Text raised suspicions & was "verified" by GPTzero as 90% AI. Assuming that our manuscript had to be uploaded to a system to then be reviewed raises copyright and privacy concerns. Are there any repurcussions?
wmwuest.bsky.social
I have that exact record in my office! I remember reading the background and finding it online.
wmwuest.bsky.social
Yeah, they were very close to approval by a startup company (Phase 3 I think). However, the IPO to fund the trial was "shorted" by investors and ended up bankrupting the company. I believe Roche picked up the IP. It is sad how often this happens in ABX research....
wmwuest.bsky.social
I use this paper in my chem Bio class as well. So good! Crazy this compound hasn’t made it to the market imo.
wmwuest.bsky.social
you and me both. i even got my RPPR in 8 weeks early and realized one journal put a 12 month embargo on them instead of the necessary 3.....ugh.
wmwuest.bsky.social
I am getting very nervous about NIHMS service. If papers aren't uploaded there then grants can technically be withheld. The delay for NIHMS uploading has noticeably increased. Any word on this infrastructure??
wmwuest.bsky.social
we are due for some wins, right? maybe? ugh.....
wmwuest.bsky.social
Sounds like there might be plans to award additional fellowships from the HM list down the road. Perhaps they wanted to get out the UG specific awards ASAP to allow for grad school accepts? Perhaps I am being too optimistic....
wmwuest.bsky.social
NSF GRFP Awards by the Year:
2021 - 2074
2022 - 2193
2023 - 2555
2024 - 2036
2025 - 1000

Again, these funding cuts will have drastic longterm effects on the scientific future of the US.......

@jeremymberg.bsky.social @altnih4science.bsky.social
wmwuest.bsky.social
NSF GRFP Awards by the Year:
2021 - 2074
2022 - 2193
2023 - 2555
2024 - 2036
2025 - 1000

Again, these funding cuts will have drastic longterm effects on the scientific future of the US.......

@jeremymberg.bsky.social @altnih4science.bsky.social
wmwuest.bsky.social
Congrats Erin!! Well deserved!
Reposted by Bill Wuest
keithboykin.bsky.social
Rodney Taylor is a beloved Georgia barber who came to the United States from Liberia with his mother when he was only two years old. He applied for citizenship but was denied. But this year, ICE arrested him, locked him up, and has scheduled him to be deported to a faraway country he's never known.
Recently engaged, beloved barber arrested by ICE | How his immigration story is questioning the system
Rodney Taylor, a Georgia barber, has been pursuing permanent residency for years. Now, he faces deportation to Liberia despite being in the U.S. since childhood.
www.11alive.com