iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

NIH: Due to the historically high # of app submissions, we will only discuss 30% of apps, not 50% in study section Also NIH: Due to the reduced # of apps we will discuss, we will only meet for one day instead of two. Makes sense......

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Reposted by Bill Wuest

elizabethginexi.bsky.social @elizabethginexi.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

‼️NIH is proposing to change NIH Peer Review outcomes. Instead of impact scores they propose 3 categories: "Most competitive" "Competitive", or "Not discussed" This RFI link will accept your comments/feedback on this proposal until 10/13/26. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

grants.nih.gov

NOT-OD-26-088: Request for Information (RFI) on Proposed Changes to Reporting Outcomes from NIH Peer Review

NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Request for Information (RFI) on Proposed Changes to Reporting Outcomes from NIH Peer Review NOT-OD-26-088. NIH

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Depends if they are “need blind” or need aware. Honestly both seem similar if intent. I can’t see the math working out where this does anything but limit opportunities for those families making under 200k. Frustrating.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Curious to see if this is actual good will to level the playing field or instead will make it incredibly hard for these kids to get into college.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

My first ever college job was working in the Hesburgh library on the 5th floor, where all the chemistry books were found. I got the Q section on lock.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

If by insane you mean mind blowing, I know right! I never thought of it either. 😀

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

If only grill grates ran parallel and you could just put the hot dogs into the ruts to keep them from rolling…..#protip

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Spain just won the World Cup…..

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

The winship cancer center in Atlanta has a huge helix statue outside the front entrance, left-handed…..we also have a state rep running for congress who is a scientist, logo in her ads are left-handed…..

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

The 70% of faculty who voted for this change could have already limited the number of A's in their classes to 20% if they wanted right? What if faculty viewed their class GPA as a proxy of their teaching ability, maybe they would view it differently? Grades communicate content mastery not ranking!

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

When looking at REPORTER I see 102 "new" awards. Ie yrs 01, 06, 11 since April 1. Not a ton but slowly moving. Seems like R35s are moving the most quickly IMO.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

On the top of review panels, has anyone heard if the NSF GRF review panels met this year? Curious if we are on schedule, as much as that can be or way behind.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

I kind of like this crowd sourcing idea especially in the age of big data. You could also consider the csr sending the actual study section roster to applicants and having them select 6-8 names as best fits with explanations why or something similar.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Jcim, jctc, biochemistry, j med chem, acs id, jacs, ol, joc, acs central science, etc. still waiting for that experimental p Chem or inorganic project lol.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Ha I was thinking about this too. Would be curious to see what’s the most acs journals one group has published in. I think my group is at 13 different ones.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

For perspective I know of 3 top 30 private school programs who are making 1, 2, and 4 organic offers this year respectively. In a typical year it’s safe to say each would make 30-40. I have also heard that even big state schools are only taking 25% of normal levels. It’s awful.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

As I understand it, this is one of the primary reasons it’s so hard to develop an active antibiotic against gram negatives! The pH difference from outside the cell to cytoplasm to inside varies dramatically. Not surprising that this translates to more complex organisms. Nice work!

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

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?

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Looks like this worked. Solicitation is up and deadline was moved back 2 weeks. Nice job.

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Reposted by Bill Wuest

Jason “Obstacle to Progress” Williams @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

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/

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io

An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

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Reposted by Bill Wuest

Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

This may be the most important paper ever published about NIH funded research. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.org

What if NIH had been 40% smaller?

Replaying history with less NIH funding shows widespread impacts on drug-linked research

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

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.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

I believe nigms cancelled f31s awhile back.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

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.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

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.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

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.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

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.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

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.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Ours at Emory is also happening.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

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?

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

I have that exact record in my office! I remember reading the background and finding it online.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

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....

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

I use this paper in my chem Bio class as well. So good! Crazy this compound hasn’t made it to the market imo.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

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.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

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??

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

we are due for some wins, right? maybe? ugh.....

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

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....

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

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

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Congrats Erin!! Well deserved!

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Reposted by Bill Wuest

Keith Boykin @keithboykin.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

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.

11alive.com

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.

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Reposted by Bill Wuest

Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Closing the department of education will clearly be disastrous but what is not as obvious is how it will impact higher ed. Pell grants, federal loans, etc are all distributed through this organization. Without staffing, few, if any loads will be given. Universities are taking it on all fronts.

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Reposted by Bill Wuest

Derek Lowe @dereklowe.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

If you found the antibiotic work I blogged about today interesting and useful, then gosh, that’s too bad. Because as it stands Elon Musk’s child army is ripping all that stuff to bits.

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Bill Wuest @wmwuest.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

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