Shea (she/her)
solar physicist, early career research scientist, heliophysics community manager, STEM policy advocate, outreach coordinator, education enthusiast, avid mentor AND mentee, neurospicy woman in STEM, activist, humanist
- This has been floating around already, but please consider sending how #NSF has impacted your life. This is one of the many ways we can push back and effectuate substantive change. #SaveNSF #savescience #withoutnsf youtu.be/xnt2V4ygBG0?...
- The article doesn't mention #NASA #heliophysics enables space weather forecasting that helps protect tech and humans in space. Astronauts going to the moon, Mars, ISS, etc. need our science to keep them safe and healthy. Not to mention the myriad ways the Sun impacts us on Earth. #fundscience
- "These cuts will almost certainly entail the abandonment of Curiosity... Hubble... Voyager... New Horizon... Roman Space Telescope... and the Mars Sample Return..." #rejectPBR #savescience #NASA @nasawatch.bsky.social @senateapprops.bsky.social @democrats-appropriations.house.gov
- "These cuts will almost certainly entail the abandonment of Curiosity... Hubble... Voyager... New Horizon... Roman Space Telescope... and the Mars Sample Return..." #rejectPBR #savescience #NASA @nasawatch.bsky.social @senateapprops.bsky.social @democrats-appropriations.house.gov
- The fallout of the NSF dismantlement has begun. #savensf #savescience #NSFfunded #NSF #ucar @ncar-ucar.bsky.social
- "nearly all [Unidata] staff will be furloughed... May 9... we will not have resources available to address any but the most critical issues. All other activities... will be suspended." The photo of the team at the end is heartbreaking. With the message "We hope to see you again very soon."
- This is NOT good. Still wrapping my head around what the fallout of this will be. But definitely NOT GOOD. Check in with your NSF Fed friends, y'all. They might be getting bad news right now. www.science.org/content/arti... #savescience #savensf #WeekOfAction #advocacy #NSF #NSFfunded
- An informative article about the implications of the destruction of NSF. www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
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- Are the directorates mandated? Because if they are that's why they're staying around. They can't dismantle anything that Congress explicitly said must exist. Not that that's going to help any of us who have NSF grants submitted.
- A great article in which a colleague, Frank Eparvier, talks about how cuts to the #NASA budget (as proposed in the recent Presidential Budget Request) would be devastating to universities and the administrations goals of human spaceflight. #StrongerTogether #savescience #WeekOfAction #heliophysics
- It's not about advancing human civilization anymore, it's about grifting and power. That's what Citizens United and Reaganism amplified, and Trump is displaying in its purest form.
- That may be true in this moment, but that's not how it should be and that's not how it has to be. If people speak up, we can make substantive change.
- ‼️CALLING ALL SCIENTISTS‼️ Share how your government-funded research benefits society. They only have 37 examples so far and we ALL know there are orders of magnitude more than that. publicusaresearchbenefits.com #WeekOfAction #SaveScience #ScienceImpacts #NASA #NOAA #NSF #NIH #NIST #DOE
- Heads up Feds, esp those at NASA Goddard. One of the Unions (GESTA) sent the following out (partial screen shot - it's all I got). Check the USE IT Act information here: www.gsa.gov/real-estate/... Apparently the tracking method will be VPN use? @roguenasa.altgov.info @nasawatch.bsky.social
- Word on the street: "They want each building to have different ID numbers or to use your government mobile phone or other draconian method. DHS apparently has to take a photo in their office from their computer and send it in every day."
- Re: the PBR. This plot was created by folks at NYT, and it is only the top-line-item of budget recommendations. the devil is in the details (see comments for breakdown) I'm not getting into NIH or other science funding agencies.
- more details specific to #NASA www.nasa.gov/wp-content/u...
- Talking points for calling Congress about supporting #NSF. Unsure of the source, but the content is excellent. Thanks into the ether for whoever put this together. #savescience #savensf #fundscience #federalfunding #advocacy @democrats.senate.gov @budget.senate.gov @senateapprops.bsky.social
- Ok y'all, a LOT has happened in the last 24 hours and the fallout is still being assessed. I need a moment to process things myself but in an effort to keep people informed, here's the basic rundown. I'll post more detailed information on direct impacts as I wrap my brain around things.
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View full thread5) I've heard that many #NOAA employees got a 60 day notice of firing (and many more will be let go over the summer). This is likely going to significantly impact SWPC and probably other space weather line offices at NOAA. (unconfirmed, trying to get eyes on the 60-day notice email sent out).
- To clarify item 5) the "employees" are contractors, not Feds. Continuing to look for more information.
- #EPA is looking at a -54.5% overall cut. The only line items not being cut are the general and Indian Reservation Drinking Water Programs; however, Clean and Drinking Water State Loan funds are being dramatically slashed -- regulate drinking water but don't provide funds to support it.
- #DOE Office of Science is looking at ~$1.15B cut, which is a big number but DOE overall is "only" looking at a -9.4% cut. The vast majority of the proposed DOE cuts are to Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) cancellation and cuts to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
- #NOAA is not a specific line item here (part of the Department of Commerce), but they are looking at a $1.5B cut, 1.3B of which is for "Operations, Research, and Grants" @noaa.gov @commerce.senate.gov
- #NSF proposed cut is -55.8%, with the majority of that being cut from "General Research and Education" -- from which most grants are funded
- #NASA SMD is looking at a ~45% cut, even though NASA overall is only 24%. @nasawatch.bsky.social @roguenasa.altgov.info
- I'm not sure what else we can do besides activate and advocate. There is science that we're being paid to do, but the science and scientists are being threatened. If we want to keep doing the science, we need to take action to stop the bleeding. If we don't, we are literally all out of our jobs.
- There is certainly more that I am missing. EVERYONE CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NOW. I am working on confirming things and also putting things in a publicly-understandable format. I will write or find some standard language for calling/writing to your Senators and Reps, but don't wait for that.
- 3) The FY26 PBR has dropped. Suffice it to say, it does not look good for ANY science agency. Those key for funding #heliophysics are #NASA (-24% total cut from FY25, with a -45% cut to #SMD specifically), #NSF (-56% cut) and #NOAA (budget cut by $1.5 billion, mainly to grant funding).
- 4) I'm hearing reports that additional FY24 #NASA ROSES programs are going to be cancelled in the near future (unconfirmed so far but from reliable sources). Still no word on ROSES 2025.
- 1) "[NSF staff] were told on 30 April to “stop awarding all funding actions until further notice,” according to an email seen by Nature." -- No NSF funding for the foreseeable future. I'm looking for an NSF public comment on this but haven't seen one so far. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
- 2) "Effective May 5, 2025, #NSF is applying a standard indirect cost rate not to exceed 15% to all grants and cooperative agreements awarded to Institutions of Higher Education" -- I've said it before: as #nih goes, so goes the rest of science. www.nsf.gov/policies/doc...
- I guess we're not hearing back about our epic NSF grant we submitted in February for the foreseeable future 😭😭😭
- "Staff members at the [NSF] were told on 30 April to “stop awarding all funding actions until further notice,” according to an email seen by Nature... The email does not provide a reason for the freeze and says that it will last “until further notice”. " #NSF #federalfunding #savescience
- "Staff members at the [NSF] were told on 30 April to “stop awarding all funding actions until further notice,” according to an email seen by Nature... The email does not provide a reason for the freeze and says that it will last “until further notice”. " #NSF #federalfunding #savescience
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- The program officers are doing everything they can. This was not their decision. Their hands are tied behind their backs
- ‼️NASA ROSES 2024 B.16 H-ARD (Heliophysics Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning-Ready Data) program has been cancelled‼️ Notifications have been sent to PI's from NSPIRES. The Step-2 proposal deadline was Apr 17. Proposals will not be reviewed. #savescience #heliophysics #NASA #federalfunding
- This is not only unfortunate for future funding, but important and much needed ML-ready data infrastructure will no longer happen, AND all the PI's and Co-I's "wasted" their time writing to an open solicitation that is no longer being competed.
- Please note again, this is not the fault of "Real NASA" -- if they had not wanted this call in ROSES24, it would not have been open in the first place. If your proposal has been effected, please do not take this out on your NASA contacts. They do not like this anymore than you do. #StrongerTogether
- 📢‼️CALL TO ACTION: In solidarity with the labor rights movement, targeted once again by federal policies, there are peaceful May Day protests happening everywhere tomorrow. Anyone who can safely participate should check to see where a protest is happening near you. www.mobilize.us/mayday/
- Tomorrow, May 1, is May Day, rooted in the labor movement. It gained significance after the 1886 Haymarket Affair, when workers rallied for an 8-hour workday. Today, it’s observed alongside International Workers’ Day, honoring labor rights & social justice. #MayDay #InternationalWorkersDay
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View full threadFor folks on the SF Bay Peninsula, I invite you to come join our @indimidpen.bsky.social peaceful protest in Redwood City after work. #mayday #workersrights #LaborRights #FamilyLeave #FairWages #MinimumWageEarners #minimumwageincrease #sickleave #unionstrong #UnionsForAll
- A flyer if it's useful to anyone. Feel free to make changes for your own local events.
- Go out to show your support for unions, fair wages, worker benefits and protections, paid family and sick leave and vacation, mandatory breaks during shift work... Show that we, the people, are what makes this country run. And most importantly, show up for everyone who cannot show up for themselves.
- Tomorrow, May 1, is May Day, rooted in the labor movement. It gained significance after the 1886 Haymarket Affair, when workers rallied for an 8-hour workday. Today, it’s observed alongside International Workers’ Day, honoring labor rights & social justice. #MayDay #InternationalWorkersDay
- There will not be a call for Astrophysics Explorers Program Small Explorer (SMEX) mission proposals in 2025. Previously, the Announcement of Opportunity was expected this month (April). The AO is now delayed for (at least) a year. #NASA #SMD #funding #roses2025
- This could be due to the current budget uncertainty at NASA, but there are other feasible explanations also. I have not heard confirmed reasoning for the delay one way or another. My guess is that it's a conglomeration of impacting factors, the budget being one.
- From a reliable source: "It's not official yet, but be prepared for news about GDC... Likely to be canceled. Higher-ups at NASA are asking people to not advocate for it for at least a few weeks."
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View full threadUnsure the right way forward, but I trust our NASA HQ folks to do what's necessary to protect us. They've done a great job so far, staving off probationary firings and keeping the reorganization fairly small scale.
- Let's just all be prepared to advocate our asses off once the PBR is released. #publicpolicy #heliophysics #NASA #savescience #savegdc #advocacy
- The only argument I can think of for not advocating for GDC because of this news is that it's regarding the negotiations for the passback. NASA agrees to cut GDC so that the president's budget can go to Congress and then maybe we can advocate?
- 📢‼️PSA: Save your grant records and documentation from NSF (and other agencies) on research.gov. Ideally do so before 10pm Eastern tonight. You can also download the entire nsf public data here: www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/... #savescience #saveresearch #freedomofinformation #dontdeletemydata
