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bright green plant cells in long diagonal rows
Plant Biologist Jane Silverthorne Dies at 69
Silverthorne shaped the development of many NSF programs driving innovation in plant biology and agriculture. 
Plant Biologist Jane Silverthorne Dies at 69
Plant Biologist Jane Silverthorne Dies at 69

Silverthorne shaped the development of many NSF programs driving innovation in plant biology and agriculture. 

Silverthorne shaped the development of many NSF programs driving innovation in plant biology and agriculture. 

policy

White House on sunny day
No More Paywalls on Federally Funded Research: White House
Shawna Williams | Aug 25, 2022 | 2 min read
The Biden administration will by 2026 require that all publicly funded work be deposited in designated repositories immediately on publication.
Artist’s rendition of light blue monkeypox viruses in front of a black background.
FDA To Stretch Monkeypox Vaccine Supply via Intradermal Injection
Shafaq Zia | Aug 12, 2022 | 4 min read
The newly authorized intradermal vaccination only requires one-fifth of the usual vaccine dose. This will help stretch out the limited vaccine supply, experts say, but only if healthcare personnel receive sufficient training.
a view of Washington, DC at night from across the river in Virginia
Reorganization Would Shift Responsibility for US Pandemic Response
Shawna Williams | Jul 21, 2022 | 2 min read
The Biden administration plans to elevate the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to its own division in a bid to improve the response to current and future public health emergencies, The Washington Post reports.
Street view of an office building partially obscured by green trees
Many Japanese Scientists’ Jobs at Risk from Labor Law Loophole
Dan Robitzski | Jul 19, 2022 | 2 min read
Universities and institutes are preparing to terminate thousands of technically temporary researchers by next spring instead of granting them the permanent employment mandated by a 2013 labor law.
A shipping pallet of vaccines with Novavax's logo on it
FDA Authorizes Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 14, 2022 | 3 min read
Agency members express hope that the availability of a traditional, protein-based vaccine might convince holdouts to get vaccinated.
A line of people wearing monkey masks and holding signs stand along a street
Opinion: Time to Take Animal Rights Harassment More Seriously
Jim Newman | Jun 17, 2022 | 5 min read
Two recent court rulings shine a light on the disturbing tactics used by some activists to target biomedical researchers who study animals.
mixing blue and pink smoke, symbolic of the muddled boundaries between sexes
Opinion: Biological Science Rejects the Sex Binary, and That’s Good for Humanity
Agustín Fuentes | May 12, 2022 | 5 min read
Evidence from various sciences reveals that there are diverse ways of being male, female, or both. An anthropologist argues that embracing these truths will help humans flourish.
A building at the Stanford University campus at sunrise
Stanford to Launch New Climate Change School This Fall
Amanda Heidt | May 5, 2022 | 4 min read
The launch of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability—the first new school at the university in 70 years—comes thanks to a $1.1 billion gift from a venture capitalist and his wife.
EXCLUSIVE
White rabbits are held in place with transparent restraints in a research laboratory
Lawsuit Alleges USDA Secretly Relaxed Animal Welfare Inspections
Dan Robitzski | Apr 7, 2022 | 5 min read
A Harvard Law School lawsuit filed on behalf of animal welfare organizations accuses the United States Department of Agriculture of offloading the burden of inspecting animal research sites to a private third party, resulting in a system that the lawsuit describes as largely self-policing and less rigorous.
President Biden meeting with a group of people in the oval office
Biden Orders More Research on Long COVID
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Apr 6, 2022 | 2 min read
A new presidential memorandum requires the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate a government-wide push to generate a research action plan for the condition.
sign reading "bio-security precautions, no unauthorized personnel"
Opinion: Coronavirus and Regulating Access to High-Risk Pathogens
Michael Parker, Shreya Kalra, and Bryce Kassalow | Feb 10, 2022 | 10+ min read
Overbearing restrictions on research into toxins and pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 could undermine public health and security in the long run.
The White House
Eric Lander Allegedly Bullied, Disrespected Staff
Amanda Heidt | Feb 7, 2022 | 4 min read
More than a dozen current and former members of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy have shared details of alleged mistreatment, prompting President Biden’s top scientist to issue a formal apology.
Sign on front of a US embassy reads Embassy of the United States
Mysterious Havana Syndrome Not a Foreign Attack: CIA
Jef Akst | Jan 20, 2022 | 2 min read
Sharing interim findings of an investigation into strange illnesses among US diplomats and intelligence officials, the CIA says it’s unlikely that they are the result of directed energy or other weapon levied by an adversary.
A Theranos sign outside the company's headquarters
Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Convicted of Fraud
Amanda Heidt | Jan 4, 2022 | 4 min read
After a week of deliberation, a jury returned a guilty verdict on four charges related to wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
university building
Harvard Chemist Found Guilty of Lying About Chinese Funding
Chloe Tenn | Dec 22, 2021 | 3 min read
In a win for the US Department of Justice’s China Initiative, Charles Lieber was convicted of hiding his financial ties to China from federal agencies.
Lab with white walls, door, and two chairs with lab coats
MRC Lead Apologizes Following Bullying Allegations
Catherine Offord | Dec 17, 2021 | 1 min read
In a statement issued by UK Research and Innovation, stem cell biologist Fiona Watt said she was devastated to learn of the impact of her actions and behavior on colleagues.
Puzzle of US and Chinese flags
Opinion: Policymakers’ Harmful Anti-China Obsession
Christopher Tonnu Jackson | Sep 28, 2021 | 3 min read
Justifying science funding through the lens of global competition risks fostering racial bias and discrimination.
Illustration of a female scientist on a laptop sitting on top a large pill capsule, with science-related imagery around her
Opinion: Scientists Must Combat Scientific Dogmatism
Ahmed Alkhateeb | Sep 23, 2021 | 5 min read
Correcting misinformation and providing reliable data are collective responsibilities of the research community.
women-banner
NIH Changes Extension Policy to Better Support Women PIs
Chloe Tenn | Sep 20, 2021 | 2 min read
The revision allows more time on previous extensions due to COVID-19 and other life events such as childbirth that disproportionately impact early-career women in science.  
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