Jeffrey Mervis

Tam Dao helped NIH investigate Chinese scientists as an FBI agent. Now he's got a grant to find out whether foreign intervention is even a problem at US universities www.science.org/content/arti...

Brian Stone and Rebecca Keiser are retiring from NSF after trying to hold off the assault from the White House. www.science.org/content/arti...

Has NSF ignored GAO's advice to review its decision on an $8 billion contract to support science in Antarctica? Some researchers think so. www.science.org/content/arti...

Trump's first speech about science deserves more analysis. Here's six takeaways on what the event says about his priorities. www.science.org/content/arti...

Trump outshone talks about the new "golden age of science" at last week's science summit. www.science.org/content/arti...

We don't have a crystal ball, but our forecast of how the midterm elections will impact US science is probably less rosy than many researchers would like www.science.org/content/arti...

New caucus on science will test if there's still room for bipartisanship in US Senate www.science.org/content/arti...

A deep dive into the memo that marks the end of how NSF has done business for 76 years www.science.org/content/arti...

Major new NSF initiative seeks answers to Colorado River water crisis. But some experts say it's asking the wrong questions. www.science.org/content/arti...

What's it like inside the new NSF headquarters? Scroll down to logbook to find out why you're unlikely to find out. www.science.org/content/arti...

California voters will get two chances in the next 18 months to fund billions in research. But the state initiative on the November ballot has a lot of strings attached. www.science.org/content/arti...

An existing NSF program allows graduate students to work for industry while earning their degree. So why does NSF think that a $47-million award to do the same thing--but on a smaller scale-- is a new idea? www.science.org/content/arti...

NSF slights the social sciences and STEM education in new solicitation for graduate research fellowships www.science.org/content/arti...

NSF is touting a dozen new solicitations announced this week as evidence that basic research still rules. But that's not what's really going on. www.science.org/content/arti...

Last week DOJ said 3 NSF STEM programs are unconstitutional and must end. But there's a lot more in that 12 August opinion, including hints of ways to improve diversity that might pass muster with the White House. www.science.org/content/arti...

Senate passage of its version of 2027 CR improves chances that Congress will eventually derail OMB's plan for sweeping changes in how federal government manages research dollars www.science.org/content/arti...

Trump's science advisor, Michael Kratsios, battled House Democrats to a draw over allegations of political interference at NSF at a hearing Wednesday. www.science.org/content/arti...

Your reaction to the new White House vision for science probably depends on what you think about the past 18 months under Trump. Here's why www.science.org/content/arti...

And here's the second story, about an important--but underreported--ruling by a federal judge knocking out the notorious clause the Trump administration has used to terminate grants that, after the fact, don't "effectuate agency priorities." www.science.org/content/arti...

Here the first of two news stories posting back-to-back. The Commerce Department's decision to ban "noise injection" for the 2030 census and numerous surveys is really about politics, not statistics. www.science.org/content/arti...

How diffrent is NSF's new policy that would prevent its grantees from collaborating with most Chinese research institutions and their scholars? Yesterday's House hearing provided an answer. view.aaas.sciencepubs.org?vawpToken=2E...

New book offers warts-and-all look inside US academic science in hopes of winning over the public. www.science.org/content/arti...

NSF falls in line with OMB and congressional Republicans in choosing outright ban on Chinese collaborations as only way to avoid security risks www.science.org/content/arti...

Should US academics X-out NSF's new XLabs initiative? Here are some key things to know about the $1.5 billion program. www.science.org/content/arti...

Neil Shubin chooses his words carefully, but the new NAS president would like the National Academies to be more forceful in advocating for science. www.science.org/content/arti...

If someone doesn't like your research grant, the US government may soon be able to help them sue you. www.science.org/content/arti...

Been wondering why NSF isn't spending most of its FY26 appropriation? A $1.5B tech initiative may be the reason. And big cuts to hundreds of research programs could be just the beginning of the bad news. www.science.org/content/arti...

A new NBER paper shows how hard it would be to measure whether young US scientists are voting with their feet to protest Trump's policies--or simply unhappy with their career prospects. www.science.org/content/arti...

New evidence of how biomedical research has become more political under Trump: New executive order reclassifying civil service science jobs as political hits NIH hard www.science.org/content/arti...

What Marcia McNutt didn't say in her State of Science farewell address this week at the National Academy of Sciences Sciencehttps://www.science.org/content/article/scienceadviser-octopus-mirror#scienceprudence

Democrats on the House select committee on China move away from panel's stance opposing any research collaborations with China in letter protesting Trump's firing of the National Science Board www.science.org/content/arti...

NSF uses staffing cuts to strip Inspector General's office of its ability to investigate research misconduct www.science.org/content/arti...

What if essentially all research collaborations with China were banned? There's a new bill before Congress that would do exactly that www.science.org/content/arti...

It's time "to inject" some science into Congress, says Jasmine Clark, whose primary election win in Georgia puts her on a glide path to the US House www.science.org/content/arti...

The political calculus behind whether NSF director nominee Jim O'Neill will testify before Senate HELP committee www.science.org/content/arti...

Microbiologist Jasmine Clark campaigned on her science background--and won. www.science.org/content/arti...

Here's what the US National Science Board wanted to say about competing with China before its members were fired www.science.org/content/arti...

Researching while Chinese: The full story of what is happening to Chinese postdocs--and faculty members--at the University of Michigan and Indiana University www.science.org/content/arti...

USDA says it's simply due diligence, but Indiana U. plant biologist who's been locked out of his lab thinks the US government is punishing him. www.science.org/content/arti...

"Panch" defends his former agency in debate over whether science is too conservative but says he won't comment on NSF's current leadership or the impact of Trump policies. www.science.org/content/arti...

Shirley Meng, a leader in developing next-generation batteries, explains why Trump's opposition to her passion triggered her move from U Chicago to Singapore; www.science.org/content/arti...

The FY27 budget process begins in earnest as a House panel proposes spending levels for NSF, NASA, NIST, and Census above Trump's request but below current budgets. www.science.org/content/arti...

Trump removes a thorn in his side by firing all 24 members of the National Science Board, NSF's oversight body. www.science.org/content/arti...

Is the GRFP at NSF back on track, or is this year's record class of graduate fellows only a temporary return to normal?https://www.science.org/content/article/nsf-names-record-number-graduate-fellows-rebounding-2025-dip

Trump requests the long-awaited successor to the NB Palmer. But $900 million isn't enough for an Antarctic research icebreaker. www.science.org/content/arti...

Wondering why NIH and NSF aren't making new grants? We explain what's happening at OMB. www.science.org/content/arti...

NSF leaders have just acknowledged what many scientists have long suspected: Presidential directives to boost AI and quantum have upended its traditional way of doing business. www.science.org/content/arti...

How the Trump administration blew up the upcoming one-and-only field test of the 2030 census www.science.org/content/arti...

Is Jim O'Neill a good fit for NSF?https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-s-nsf-pick-stranger-its-research-community

Some have speculated that Trump won’t be upset if the Senate votes down O’Neill as the agency’s 16th director. If that happens, the agency could be facing an extended period of interim leaders. 7/7