Post AuguNt4txDdVodUnFQ by gtw@mastodon.nz
 (DIR) More posts by gtw@mastodon.nz
 (DIR) Post #AuguNt4txDdVodUnFQ by gtw@mastodon.nz
       2025-06-01T14:27:42Z
       
       0 likes, 1 repeats
       
       This isn't a budget; it's an obituary.https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/00-NSF-FY26-CJ-Entire-Rollup.pdfThis proposal "saves" $5.1B a year by eliminating funding for 240,100 scientists.To put that figure in perspective, it's less than the cost ($5.4B) to just 500 US companies of last year's CrowdStrike fiasco.Browse through the current list of 1669 cancelled awards: https://grant-watch.us/nsf-data.html and then predict next year's cancellation list of five times that size.  Can you imagine that new list might contain an award funding some scientist who over the course of the year might have learned something that would eventually allow somebody somewhere to avert the next CrowdStrike?  If so, then that discovery would MORE than have paid for the funding for everything all the other 240,099 scientists would have done.I don't think a word exists to describe how foolish this proposal is.  I suppose I'll just have to say it's doubleplusunwise.#NSF #science
       
 (DIR) Post #AuguNz6tWinOWYTTBg by gtw@mastodon.nz
       2025-06-01T14:29:33Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       Sources:The requested budget https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/00-NSF-FY26-CJ-Entire-Rollup.pdfThe $5.1B cut is shown in Summary Tables - 3The 240,100 scientists eliminated are shown in Summary Tables - 6The $5.4B CrowdStrike cost to 500 US companies (well, 499 actually): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce58p0048r0o