RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Science Funding Rules Are Changing. Nobody Panic. Okay, Maybe Panic a Little. It is easy to scroll past a federal rule change and think, “This has nothing to do with me.” But BIG changes may be coming to the way federal grants are reviewed, awarded, managed, and spent — and the...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Fired by Email: Why Trump’s National Science Board Termination Matters You may have heard that the Trump Administration recently fired the members of the National Science Board by email on April 24, 2026. If your first response was, “What is the National Science Board?” ...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Goodbye, 15% Cap: The Court Ruling and the Grant Budget Reality Behind It Quick takeaways Direct costs pay for the project’s work (people doing the work, supplies, travel, publication fees, etc.). Indirect costs reimburse the institution for the shared infrastructure that m...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Funding Isn’t Dead Yet: Finding Opportunities After the DEI Shake-Up At Ripen the MeriSTEM , we believe every aspiring scientist deserves a fair chance to explore the world of research. Believe it or not, there are still meaningful opportunities to gain training, mento...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Your Relative’s Alzheimer’s Treatment? Thank a Monkey. Here’s the truth: some science just can’t be done on humans. Want to test how toxic a new drug is? Or see what happens when a gene malfunctions? Good luck finding volunteers for that. That’s why we us...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Is Trump’s New Executive Order Fixing Science or Just Stirring the Pot? On 7 August, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled “ Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking .” If you're seeking federal grant funding, this order is relevant to you, so it's important to ...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. The Banned Word List: Science Funding in the Age of Unspeakables Back in February, the scientific community found itself embroiled in a bureaucratic mystery. Whispers began to circulate about a growing list of banned words that could supposedly doom a federal grant...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Who Else Is Confused About Their NIH Funding Status?" On 18 June, U.S. Massachusetts District Court Judge William Young, nominated by President Richard Nixon, ordered the reinstatement of numerous National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants that ...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Will Lead Exposure Affect Your Chances of College Admission? If you are a student preparing to take one of the many standardized tests necessary for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs at some universities, you may want to read further. A recent ar...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Spotlight on Diverse Scientists Making Important Discoveries: Is Your Favorite Hand Lotion Killing You Slowly? Did you know that some of your favorite personal care products might contain formaldehyde? A recent article in Environmental Science and Toxicology Letters unveiled that many products sold in the Unit...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Insider Hacks for STEM Success At Your Summer Research Internship (From Someone Who's Been There!) Congratulations to all the students who have secured a summer research internship! This is a fantastic opportunity to dive into the world of research and make a real impact. If you're feeling a bit ne...
RIPEN THE MERISTEM, INC. Science Funding Revolution: NSF's New Focus and the Fallout for Diverse Fields In a recent Science article , it was revealed that the future of science funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) will involve only five major areas: (1) artificial intelligence, (2) quan...