Sign in

Brian O'Meara

@omearabrian.bsky.social
6K followers 8.8K following 59 posts

I study diversification, species delimitation, trait evolution & similar questions, often using new methods. Also random coding projects. College prof living in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. Opinions my own. He/Him

PostsRepliesMedia
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 4h
“no review panels are scheduled, although about 600 proposals are still pending with SBE” So 600 teams of scientists got preliminary data, did analyses, wrote up proposals, got budgets approved, etc, based on NSF saying there were funds in this area. And now their work is just sitting there
057
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 9h
The Predictive Biology Hub based within the University of Maryland - College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences is welcoming applications from postdoctoral scientists across UMD interested in joining the inaugural Impact Fellowship cohort. Apply by 10/23
sites.google.com
Predictive Biology Hub: Impact Fellowship
Mission
188
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 5h
Generally my approach, too. But I was looking at a repository of info today with a code of conduct that said "Discuss with the data owners [...] the research question, and involve them in the analysis, writing, and co-authorship of results". I'm going to respect their code by not using their data
010
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 5h
Snarky asides? "Most people are careful to do analyses well (but see Beaulieu et al., 2026, for a counterexample)"
140
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 5h
Not that I know of; sometimes EvolDir will post PhD positions but not always. A lot of programs just have something like a dozen available GTA lines a year and pick the "best" potential new students to fill them, but they don't necessarily advertise these as jobs per se.
010
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 6h
As someone who spent years gathering DNA data (check genbank) I see the need to reward/encourage those putting in this essential work; I also see the benefits of freely sharing data, esp after publication (with limited exceptions: poaching?). But I don't see that a hybrid approach is justifiable.
240
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 6h
I'm always curious if people who require co-authorship to use their published data (so they get a veto on later use) extend the same policies to hard-earned discoveries they use themselves. Are the taxonomists who described their species, the software developers, DNA sequencers, etc. also coauthors?
2151
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Shelly Gaynor @shellygaynor.bsky.social · 8h
Recruiting students to your Ecology and Evolutionary Biology PhD program? Make sure your stipend information is up-to-date in the Biology PhD Stipend database: mlgaynor.com/BiologyPhDSt...
mlgaynor.com
Biology PhD Stipends
Biology Ph.D. stipend database with live summaries from the shared Google Sheet.
01219
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Achim Zeileis @zeileis.org · 20h
🚨 After 20 years of service, the R-Forge code-sharing platform will be retired. #rstats Timeline: - Until end of 2026: Normal operations. - Jan 2027: Switch to read-only, but SVN continues to work. - Jan 2028: SVN also read-only. Reason: The underlying FusionForge software is no longer maintained.
1129
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Achim Zeileis @zeileis.org · 06/10/2026
🚨 New CRAN Task View: Package Development and Maintenance #rstats #cran By Lluís Revilla and Heather Turner @heathrturnr.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy URL: cran.r-project.org/view=Package...
Screenshot of the CRAN Task View "Package Development and Maintenance" at https://CRAN.R-project.org/view=PackageDevelopment
24419
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Ethan Linck @elinck.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
fun fact: @cjbattey.bsky.social wrote this (translating Joe Felsenstein's popG from Java) while a TA for Lorenz Hauser's popgen class in grad school
281
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Jhan C. Salazar, PhD @jhancsalazar.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Happy to share that the last chapter of my dissertation is finally out in Evolution! 🦎⛰️ I'll share a longer thread soon about what we did and found. Huge thanks to all my coauthors: @jblosos.bsky.social, @juvelas.bsky.social, Steven Poe and Adam Algar doi.org/10.1093/evol...
doi.org
Repeated evolution of high-elevation occupation in tropical lizards
Abstract. Since Darwin and Humboldt, researchers have sought to understand how species adapt to elevation. Although tropical reptiles are typically most di
16229
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 07/10/2026
For over a decade, the National Science Foundation’s SBE has funded my work, leading to discoveries that have improved how we do science, including mechanisms for efficient grant proposal contests that are now used worldwide.
015433
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
You have time to make and wear the costume. #BeMemorable
020
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
NEW: In March the White House released an FY27 budget request that zeroed out the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). For months it was unclear what would happen. Now, with FY26 over, the damage to SBE is coming to light. My reporting:
science.org
‘Complete devastation’: How NSF gutted its social sciences research
Agency body that funds sociology, linguistics, and archaeology studies in U.S. gave 90% fewer new grants this year
8634488
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
How did this happen? Officially, proposals went through the same process as before: peer review, program officer recommendation, section head approval. Unofficially, the choice was taken out of SBE's hands, going above the directorate head, Christina Freyman and to NSF leadership.
In the past, panels of independent scientists vetted proposals; program officers recommended those found worthy, and section heads approved them. But a new, unofficial process has removed decision-making power from all directorate staff and leadership. Only a few proposals in administration priority areas, such as cognitive science and AI, were allowed to move ahead, according to the former staffers. Program officers sent them to Freyman, who met with Simon Malcomber, NSF’s chief science officer. “Then he would come back with some decision,” a former staffer explains. “So it wasn’t his decision-making. He was in consult with others.” If Malcomber said a proposal was acceptable, a program officer was given the green light to officially recommend it. “They were very, very careful in terms of never putting anything in writing about what the process was,” the former staffer says. NSF did not respond to questions about the process.
213341
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
In addition to spending less money and making fewer new grants, SBE also dramatically narrowed where it made those new grants. Areas such as economics, sociology, and archaeology received few to no grants.
Grantmaking gutted
The National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) awarded far fewer new awards than typical in fiscal year 2026—just 91. (The fiscal year runs from 1 October to 30 September.) Most of the new grants focused on cognitive science and artificial intelligence, in alignment with White House priorities; offices that support fields such as economics, sociology, and research ethics, as well as postdoctoral fellowships, awarded no grants at all.
315953
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
In the last couple of years, we've seen multiple critical collections (museums, herbaria) close. The IUCN--the global authority on the status of biodiversity--recently published on how important these kinds of facilities are in conservation. Every day, the dead are working to protect the living.
iucn.org
From collections to conservation: the indispensable role of natural history museums
The IUCN Species Survival Commission has published a Position Statement on the vital role of biological collections in biodiversity conservation: a formal acknowledgement that natural history museums,...
117299
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I’m not a fan of how open publishing has largely become “pay many thousands of dollars to companies with huge profit margins to host a pdf while expert volunteers review” but that’s a different fight. And as April says, AI companies just license traditional papers, too
020
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
They get closed content, too: for example, buying, scanning, and shredding books. The additional cost isn’t going to slow them down given the tremendous amount of money flowing through these companies for now. But paywalls and hidden code do slow down actual people.
120
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Science Magazine @science.org · 05/10/2026
A recent analysis in Science of more than 116,000 bird songs has revealed that the astonishing variety of passerine birdsong is built from just eight basic acoustic motifs, like trills, whistles, and harmonic notes. Learn more on #WorldAnimalDay: scim.ag/3SziyeL
A phylogenetic distribution and trait correlates of acoustic motifs in passerine birds. Hedline reads: The global biogeography of passerine songs
120870
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Gwênlyn Glusman (she/her) ☸️ @gwenlyn.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I have modernized and enhanced the NSF COA generator tool. Results now update dynamically • Published under more than one name? Covered! • Other people share your name? No problem! • You prefer searching by ORCID? Go ahead! Give it a try. Feedback, bug reports, feature requests are MOST welcome! 🧪
05327
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Dr. Who intro theme song on PBS. Didn't actually watch the show until I was an adult, but just the music alone got me as a kid. I would very quickly change the station or turn it off.
030
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"So how did the US finally adopt the metric system?" "Well, there was a brief craze for 'Artificial Intelligence' so a lot of things got named 'AI <something>'. Then it became 'Super Intelligence' and they all changed to 'SI'. When the bubble popped, they pivoted to Système international d'unités.
030
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Jessica Budke 🌱🥼🔬 @mossplants.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Just listened to this great piece on @scifri.bsky.social about the importance of collections. www.sciencefriday.com/segments/are... Consider making a donation at any level to support your local natural history collection. Support @utkherbarium.bsky.social here herbarium.utk.edu/give/
sciencefriday.com
Are natural history museums in trouble?
The country’s oldest natural history museum, in Philadelphia, has closed its doors to visitors. Will other museums follow?
03221
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I modified my rnsf #rstats package so now it's easy to install (piggyback package helps with the large cache). Has public info on all NSF grants since 1960. remotes::install_github("bomeara/rnsf") bomeara.github.io/rnsf/index.html Bergograms by region, grant change by state, subject changes, etc
Bergogram (line plot by day of year) of number of awards by region in each of the past few years versus past years. All regions had declines, though the South fared better than the others.Plot of change of funding per state. A few states have experienced an increase but most have experienced substantial decreases.Line plot of grants awarded per day this year and past years. We are entering what historically has been a fallow period.
1159
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
James Balamuta @coatless.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
No compute server sits behind the site. A static host hands out the files and the reader's browser does the computing, so GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages or your own web server can publish it.
A card for the R package webrarian. Very large text reads "R in the browser". Under it, a red stamp tilted like a library date stamp reads "NO COMPUTE SERVER". A line says "A static host hands out the files. The reader's browser does the computing." Four dark labels name places to publish: GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages and your own server. The webrarian hex logo, a brick-red library shelf, sits on the right.
191
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Devistating. And against Congress's directive. SBE was included in the 26 budget and the NSF section states that "no directorate shall receive more than a 5 percent reduction relative to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level."
010751
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Mike Wiser @drmikewiser.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Remember: Darwin's note of "I am very poorly today & very stupid & hate everybody & everything" was written on Oct 1 (1861). Thus we are free to celebrate Very Poorly And Very Stupid Hatred Day today.
2283126
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Sam Price @evovert.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Seconded!
061
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Also it keeps score on a global ranking list. So people are going to deliberately make stagnant pools to raise huge numbers of mosquitos and position this nearby so they can “win”
130
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
GBIF @gbif.org · 01/10/2026
📣 Remote contractor wanted! We're on the hunt for an expert on molecular OTU clustering and target-gene classification services as part of the GBIF SPLICE project🧬 📍 Application deadline: 30 October 2026 ⌚ 12 month contract 🔗 gbif.link/SPLICE-con...
Photo of a dumbo octopus with the text remote contractor in white text overlaid
047
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 30/09/2026
One of the most harrowing things about academia, when you're a grad student, is how vulnerable you are to how you're perceived by more senior researchers. Your career advancement depends on confidential letters of reference & private discussions amongst faculty. You have no information or control.
14892147
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Alejandro Ordonez @anordonez1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"🌿 We're hiring at @econovoau.bsky.social! Postdoc position forecasting how land-use change, climate shifts & rewilding will reshape European plant diversity. Biodiversa+ REDESIGN project, Aarhus Uni. 2 years. Closes 1 Nov 2026. 🔗 www.au.dk/om/stillinge... #ecology #postdoc
au.dk
Postdoctoral researcher in biodiversity forecasting, vegetation dynamics and rewilding - Ledig stilling på Aarhus Universitet
Ledig stilling ved Institut for Biologi - Økoinformatik og biodiversitet, Aarhus Universitet
01322
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Joe Brennan @biologyjoe87.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Currently in two book clubs for Otto & Day’s math modeling for biology book (one with pop bio people and one with early career researchers from the recent ecology GRC). First time revisiting it since I initially read it 6 years ago! Been so much fun rederiving and analyzing the classic models 🧮 🧬 🤔
1192
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Ethan Linck @elinck.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I'm hiring a postdoc to help build tools for inferring complex speciation histories with genomic data. strong computational skills are a must, but this is a training opportunity. 60K$+ salary, 2 years, details flexible. please reach out! (and repost) ad here: jobs.montana.edu/postings/53150
jobs.montana.edu
Postdoctoral Researcher
The Department of Ecology at Montana State University is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Scholar as part of NSF-funded research on speciation under alternating cycles of gene flow and isolation (fundi...
16078
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Matt Friedman @friedmanlab.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Faculty curator position in vertebrate paleontology! Great opportunity to work with outstanding colleagues at LSUMNS: lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/LSU/jo...
lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Assistant Professor
All Job Postings will close at 12:01a.m. CST (1:01a.m. EST) on the specified Closing Date (if designated). If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application progre...
02226
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Chris Smith @chriscrsmith.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I'm hiring a postdoc in population and evolutionary genetics at Indiana University Bloomington! We're a computational lab working on spatial demographic inference using genomic data and machine learning. You can apply here: indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/34508
indiana.peopleadmin.com
Indiana University Academic Positions
14670
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The 988 suicide prevention hotline's Press 3 option — which provides specialized services to LGBTQ callers — has been restored more than a year after the Trump administration shut it down. Confirmed by HHS and the office of Senator Tammy Baldwin, who led on legislation that forced its restoration
3433581066
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Lars Brudvig @lars-brudvig.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Join us through the Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship in EEB! Conduct your own research, mentored by 2+ EEB faculty. $65k salary + research/moving $. All areas of EEB welcome. Apply by 11/1 I co-chair this search and am happy to field questions Spread the word! eeb.msu.edu/initiatives/...
eeb.msu.edu
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
178116
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Catherine Sheard @sheardcat.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I absolutely love this paper -- Menezes & Podos in Evolution demonstrate that loudness is linked to body size and gap width, but apparently not to habitat or mating system, across 123 Brazilian & US species. academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
academic.oup.com
Evolutionary drivers of vocal amplitude in birds
Birds can surpass all other terrestrial vertebrates in vocal amplitude, yet why some birds sing louder than others remains unclear. Using calibrated field
1217
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Seth Finnegan @sethf.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship program is accepting applications until November 1. If you're a finishing Ph.D student or recent grad interested in coming to Berkeley to work on a project in paleobiology/paleoecology/geobiology please feel free to reach out! ppfp.ucop.edu/info/
ppfp.ucop.edu
University of California | President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
02334
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Jeremy Van Cleve @vancleve.theoretical.bio · 29/09/2026
My group is recruiting a Ph.D student for Fall 2027! We're a friendly group of mathematically-minded and computationally-inspired biologists studying topics including social evolution, host-pathogen interactions, genetics, and demography. See vancleve.theoretical.bio for more info!
vancleve.theoretical.bio
van cleve research group
Van Cleve Research Group – theoretical evolution & ecology at the University of Kentucky
05370
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Nate Upham @n8upham.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Excited to be at the @caryinstitute.bsky.social this week! Register and you can also watch my talk on Zoom (nice logo @bahanbug.bsky.social ! I take no credit there...)
0104
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Anita Devineni @anitadevineni.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The Emory Biology department is hiring a tenure-track ecologist at any rank. Deadline is Nov 1, link below! As I've said many times before, I couldn't ask for a more supportive department. Our faculty colleagues, dept chair, and admin staff are truly awesome ❤️ apply.interfolio.com/191783
2115145
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
GGBN @ggbnoutreach.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Congrats to the NEON Biorepository at Arizona State University for receiving funding from NSF to co-lead a project aimed at creating a national resource for sequencing and analysing the DNA of important species! news.asu.edu/20260924-env...
news.asu.edu
Decoding important wildlife DNA | ASU News
There is a wealth of knowledge to be found in the DNA of our nation’s spectacular wildlife. A team of researchers co-led by Arizona State University will create a national resource to sequence and ana...
1189
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Society for the Study of Evolution @sse-evolution.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The application to join the SSE Access, Inclusion, and Community Committee has been extended to September 30! Joining a committee is a great way to get more involved with SSE and make a positive impact on the community. www.evolutionsociety.org/news/display...
SSE logo. text: Access, Inclusion, and Community Committee Applications Now Open, September 30, evolutionsociety.org.
043
Brian O'Meara @omearabrian.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
They allow artisanal AI: Noonien Soong handmade a few and that’s (often) fine, but mass uniform production (synths on Mars in Picard) is bad. Similar with food and music: lots of small scale work by amateurs or single establishment owners. The only exception is ship classes bc CGI/models are $$$
120
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Josef Uyeda @pseudacris.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
If you're submitting a reference letter for a PRFB, I was surprised to not see any option for deleting and reuploading, which contradicts the info provided in the email requesting it. In fact, as soon as you select the file it is uploaded and you can't change it. Was fine for me, but beware.
01216
Reposted by Brian O'Meara
Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬 @daveyfwright.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
And so it begins
Poster that says "Bridging stratigraphic palaeobiolology and phylogenetics"
2201