Hannah Jaffe-Walt (Host)

Lately, Annika has been trying to get her mind around a new situation that is deeply confusing for her and lots of people. She's tracking scientific meetings that are not happening. When President Trump was inaugurated, he put a freeze on research grants.

Lately, Annika has been trying to get her mind around a new situation that is deeply confusing for her and lots of people. She's tracking scientific meetings that are not happening. When President Trump was inaugurated, he put a freeze on research grants.

Lately, Annika has been trying to get her mind around a new situation that is deeply confusing for her and lots of people. She's tracking scientific meetings that are not happening. When President Trump was inaugurated, he put a freeze on research grants.

This meant the meetings where scientists like Annika get together at the National Institutes of Health to assess new research, they're called NIH study sections, those meetings were off. But then a judge said the administration couldn't pause all research grants, so the meetings were theoretically back on.

This meant the meetings where scientists like Annika get together at the National Institutes of Health to assess new research, they're called NIH study sections, those meetings were off. But then a judge said the administration couldn't pause all research grants, so the meetings were theoretically back on.

This meant the meetings where scientists like Annika get together at the National Institutes of Health to assess new research, they're called NIH study sections, those meetings were off. But then a judge said the administration couldn't pause all research grants, so the meetings were theoretically back on.

They were listed on an NIH website as scheduled, but Annika says they did not seem to be happening. The website showed they were, but scientists were saying they weren't. Scientists who had submitted grants literally had no idea if their grant had been reviewed and moved on to the next step of the funding process.

They were listed on an NIH website as scheduled, but Annika says they did not seem to be happening. The website showed they were, but scientists were saying they weren't. Scientists who had submitted grants literally had no idea if their grant had been reviewed and moved on to the next step of the funding process.

They were listed on an NIH website as scheduled, but Annika says they did not seem to be happening. The website showed they were, but scientists were saying they weren't. Scientists who had submitted grants literally had no idea if their grant had been reviewed and moved on to the next step of the funding process.

But Annika learned there was a place you could get a way better picture of whether a meeting was going to happen or had already happened.

But Annika learned there was a place you could get a way better picture of whether a meeting was going to happen or had already happened.

But Annika learned there was a place you could get a way better picture of whether a meeting was going to happen or had already happened.

And if they're not posted to the Federal Register, they cannot meet. It's a strange feeling knowing you're in the middle of an upending. knowing that something fundamental to the way that you live is changing. But you can't understand or see the scale of change as it's happening. You just can't. You have to wait. What I like about Annika is she rejects this. She is not waiting.

And if they're not posted to the Federal Register, they cannot meet. It's a strange feeling knowing you're in the middle of an upending. knowing that something fundamental to the way that you live is changing. But you can't understand or see the scale of change as it's happening. You just can't. You have to wait. What I like about Annika is she rejects this. She is not waiting.

And if they're not posted to the Federal Register, they cannot meet. It's a strange feeling knowing you're in the middle of an upending. knowing that something fundamental to the way that you live is changing. But you can't understand or see the scale of change as it's happening. You just can't. You have to wait. What I like about Annika is she rejects this. She is not waiting.

Annika immediately began scraping data from federal websites, finding all the meetings that were supposed to happen, cross-referencing them with the Federal Register, reaching out to scientists to see if the supposedly scheduled meetings did in fact occur, compiled all that into a Google spreadsheet, and posted it online.

Annika immediately began scraping data from federal websites, finding all the meetings that were supposed to happen, cross-referencing them with the Federal Register, reaching out to scientists to see if the supposedly scheduled meetings did in fact occur, compiled all that into a Google spreadsheet, and posted it online.

Annika immediately began scraping data from federal websites, finding all the meetings that were supposed to happen, cross-referencing them with the Federal Register, reaching out to scientists to see if the supposedly scheduled meetings did in fact occur, compiled all that into a Google spreadsheet, and posted it online.

Anxious and confused scientists all over America began consulting Annika's spreadsheet and passing it around to see, is my study section actually happening? Has my grant been reviewed? Is there any point in submitting my next grant? Will I be able to keep my lab open?

Anxious and confused scientists all over America began consulting Annika's spreadsheet and passing it around to see, is my study section actually happening? Has my grant been reviewed? Is there any point in submitting my next grant? Will I be able to keep my lab open?