Let’s Stand Up for Science.
And to do it, I want you (yes, you) to answer the question:
‘How have I benefitted from Science?”
Give it a moment, and your answers will come tumbling in. They can start in the kitchen, where the coffee you just brewed and the cranberry bread you’re making for supper are only possible because of the science involved. Maybe you’ll think again when you brush your teeth and realize that physics and chemistry are keeping your teeth healthy. Or on your trip to work, where the energy that gets you here is exactly a personal benefit of science. Maybe you’ll go further to the worth of your daily blood pressure medication. Or deeper, when you think about a friend whose life was saved by treatments only possible because of science. Your list will be very long. Every single person’s list of science benefits is very long. You do not need any science training to make such a list.
When we think this way, science research loses its elite sheen, loses the sense that jobs in science research are for the few privileged or talented enough. Science impacts every person, every hour, every day. As we say across our Bridge to Science outreach programs, science is useful, not scary. You can do some simple subtraction to really get the point. If you removed the personal benefits of science, we would mostly not be alive. Science is a benefit for everyone, every hour of every day.
So Let’s Stand Up for Science in our next Northeastern University College of Science Community Meeting (March 11 2-3pm EST)! COS staff and faculty are invited to share a personal moment that answers the question ‘how have I benefitted from science?’ Please fill in this short form and we’ll accommodate as many 1-2 min. items as possible!
As the swirl of shocking actions by federal government officials against the NIH and NSF continues, let us be optimistic that funded science research will go forward. The process of peer review is an exceptionally powerful mechanism to recommend funding, and we are encouraged that review panels are happening. We are also thrilled that awards are being communicated, and that some of our junior faculty have received notifications of intent to fund NSF CAREER Awards, other NSF grants and other federal awards. We will announce these when the official notifications are through, but the initial indications are wonderful!!
To all our investigators – proposal submissions are down in general, making this an excellent, perhaps slightly less competitive time, to submit your grant proposals! Get in line for funding! Our fantastic grants administration teams led by Scarlyn Guiterrez-Nunez and Andrew Caldwell are there to collaborate with you on award submissions and usage. As expanded below, Associate Dean Erin Cram, Associate Dean Tara Duffy and Associate Director Vance Blankers will discuss your funding goals, and help you get thoughtful input on your proposal ideas.
Thank you for your important work, thank you to everyone involved in submitting grant proposals. Thank you for building the Good Power of Science.
