This is a quick follow up to yesterday’s post about the ‘pause’ on funding for essentially all medical research in the United States. This is a big, big deal and our team, notwithstanding its very small size is very much on it. And if you’re in that community your tips are very important.
Just a few moments ago I was on an editorial call where I heard about a number of leads and rumors about what’s happening we’d been able to report out and knock down. The relevant point I want to note is that the TPM community has always had a lot of academics and research scientists in it. They’re overrepresented in our club, to use their lingo. If you’re in that category you are quite literally on the front lines of this story – one that is very much in motion and in which just what is happening remains unclear. You are likely to see things happen first. We know there’s been a general pause of all the meetings, reviews and travel that serves the on-going flow of research grants for medical and other scientific research. The best way to categorize this is that we’re still at the point that based on what we know we cannot yet categorically rule out that this is something like the pauses that have taken place in the turnover of other administrations. But all signs suggest it’s something different. So, as I said, you’re likely to see clues and new information first. If you do, tell us. Shoot us an email at our normal tipline. If we’ve already gotten that news, no problem. But you’re bit of information may be new. It may be something we can report out and advance. So just keep this in mind. In some news stories the news comes out in Washington first. And the standard players get that news since they’re mostly in Washington. But in this case the administration is trying to move as covertly as possible. You may know that a grant or category of research has been canceled before the brass does in DC. So keep this in mind and keep in touch.
