Wow! Yay! The Senate just rejected Trump’s proposed science cuts, voting 82–15 to boost funding for NOAA, NASA, and the NSF. The bill already passed the House 397–28. Strong bipartisan support for science still exists.
Meme-style illustration: At the top, white comic-style text reads, ‘I’m a little too self-aware to enjoy life and a little too delusional to give up.’ Below, a softly colored, sketch-like drawing shows a white cat holding and smoking a cigarette against a muted green background.” Artist @tonkatsukats on Instagram
applying to science phds in the US in 2025:
🧪🧬🔬
Less than one week to get your applications in! #DisabledInSTEM
Crawling out of the grad applications bunker to signal-boost our lab's latest preprint ✨📄
Early morning view of the mountains west of Salt Lake City. Depicts a golden blue sky, snow capped mountains with hints of pink, and a dirt/gravel running trail with three runners and two dogs ahead in the distance. Taken from the Bonneville Shoreline Trail heading north.
Rare can suck, but at least my treks up to Huntsman come w/ spectacular views! 😍 Pic from my run this AM on the BST just above HCI. 6 mo ago I could barely walk to lab. This month I ran 50 mi. 🏃🏽♀️ Wouldn’t be able to run like I do w/o access to the proper treatment. #RareDiseaseDay #DisabledInSTEM 🧪
usually I’d say we’re cooked, but I’m afraid I won’t have the money to cook after this 🫠
Yes, I know Substack is a place for newsletters (i.e. news/commentary), but I’m there for a curated selection of writers.
Listening to #Substack posts = my ideal podcast. Distilled thought, unburdened by chatter. Mostly personal essays in my feed, valued for their incisive yet nuanced reflection often absent from podcasters’ extemporaneous musings. Any other Stacks I should sub to? (Don’t care for news/commentary.)
Mentoring a bright 9th grader on her science fair proj has been an absolute joy. Seeing so much of my younger self in the way her amazing 🧠 works reminds me how transformative the right mentorship can be. Being the mentor I once needed is both a privilege & a full-circle moment💖
Mentorship works! 🧪
#STEM is full of #neurodivergent 🧠s ...and yet, the field remains deeply hostile toward us. 😕 This hostility, in part, our own making? Have years of coerced self-denial—masking in the name of assimilation—perpetuated the burden reinforcing the very system that harms us?? How do we break the cycle?⛓️💥🧪
Good to know! While tuition may be cheaper abroad, it’s a non-factor for me as I’d only consider fully-funded programs (tuition covered and a modest stipend) here; nearly all STEM PhDs are. Plus, the cost of relocating & traveling back home (which is important to me) adds a significant $$$ burden.
👀👀 Noted!! ✅
Ty for sharing your exp! Been considering them. Hesitant bc many intl progs are tuition-based &/or have limited funding and "benefits"/insurance for intl stu. Or have master's prereq. Def something I’d need to research more.
Appreciate hearing about progs that have been supportive. Gives me hope!
6/ Those who’ve navigated this:
How did you identify programs with good health insurance, assess coverage when deciding, and/or advocate for support once you were there?
I can’t keep ✨delaying✨ my plans 💁🏽♀️
I’d be so grateful for any 💡 insights & advice 💬 from this community (& our advocates)!! 🙏💖🫶
5/ It shouldn't be this way. ⚖️ A search for 'intellectual fit' should not be overshadowed by questions of survival. 🤷🏽♀️ Yet, I find it impossible to center my search around 'research fit' when the existential question of whether I can physically make it through grad school at all looms so large🤨☁️ /🧵
4/ Finding direct, unambiguous info on coverage is maddeningly elusive, even for someone in a research-centric field. 🕵🏽♀️ For so many of us, questions about coverage are critical—how can we focus on 💡groundbreaking💡 research when we're left wondering if we can even afford our ✨life-saving✨ meds?💉 /🧵
3/ The catch?🎣 Programs are rarely upfront about what their “student insurance plan” covers. 🫥 For those requiring ongoing, specialized care, the promised resources often fall short. 📉My PCP closely tracking my labs this fall? That was the difference between me getting by & barely making it 🥲 /🧵
2/ And now... in light of recent events?? 😵
I'm confronted by the question I've long tried to avoid: Which programs provide truly adequate health insurance?
🙋🏽♀️For those of us whose bodies betrayed us—especially before/during grad school—insurance isn't a 'nice-to-have' but an absolute necessity 🫠 /🧵
1/ 🧪 Another callout to the #DisabledInSTEM community for advice/insight! ♿️
🔍 My PhD program search has inevitably shifted: from a pursuit of 'research fit'—curating my "Cool PIs" list, nerding out, & dreaming big—to, as of Nov 🗳️, more fundamental questions of where I will be safe and supported. /🧵
A graphic made on Canvas stating that the DisabledInSTEM 2025 Mentorship Program is now open and that applications are due December 7th. It also states this is going to be the fifth year of the program. On the pink ombre background, there are colored test tubes and glasses in the corners.
It's time to start organizing the 2025 #DisabledInSTEM Mentorship Program! Feel free to reach out with any questions!
Mentee application: forms.gle/Xgha7wf6vrwa...
Mentor application: forms.gle/mc5a8Bc6mXJX...
💯💯 Been exploring more of SLC. It’s been a nice shift, especially after a ‘fun’ summer health-wise. It’s a balance, but getting outdoors keeps me grounded. 🥾🏔️
Also excited to get back into my art for the holiday season—nothing like a little DIY to keep things interesting on an academic’s budget! 🎁🎨
Aren’t we all?! I suppose the real answer is none of us have it fully figured out—though some definitely have it easier.
For many of us, preserving our sense of self is often in constant and direct opposition to the need to assimilate just to survive. 🙀
Ty for sharing your experience & for fostering safe spaces! I’m in UT where such spaces are far more limited. Academia often fxns as a microcosm—immediate environments can differ significantly (for better or worse 🤷🏽♀️) from the broader institution or state. Stories like yours are so encouraging!
Hey disabled, queer, neurodivergent, womxn of color, and/or femmes in STEM! 🧪🌈✨
How do you keep your sense of self intact while fighting to survive in the academic grind? 🦄🫠👩🏽🔬
Welcoming any and all advice, solidarity, and community to keep me going. 💬💖🫶🏽
#DisabledInSTEM #PrideInSTEM #WomenInSTEM
![A screenshot from a Slack Channel. PI writes “this is my punishment for not immediately scanning in my comments on your draft and send [sic] them to you” and sends a photo of a chewed up stack of papers. PI writes, “will reassemble and send My dog ate your thesis…oldest excuse in the book”. Student responds, “Tragedy! But now doggo will be very smart”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tyzlnffui5ik62r7ra3h7drs/bafkreic6q74vonjosoasyrm6htzz67wte2532c2nasrgkjxvv65pksaf6y)
A screenshot from a Slack Channel. PI writes “this is my punishment for not immediately scanning in my comments on your draft and send [sic] them to you” and sends a photo of a chewed up stack of papers. PI writes, “will reassemble and send My dog ate your thesis…oldest excuse in the book”. Student responds, “Tragedy! But now doggo will be very smart”
Featured in my banner, the dog that ate my thesis. 🧪
