Marianna Zhang
@mariannazhang.bsky.social
developmental cognitive scientist & postdoc @ NYU | social categories, development, language, climbing, caving | 🗽🌬️🌉🗽 | she/她
mariannazhang.github.io
mariannazhang.github.io
Pinned
Marianna Zhang
@mariannazhang.bsky.social
· Apr 26
yesterday, my postdoc funding (salary and research funds) was cancelled by the National Science Foundation, effective immediately. I received the same generic, vaguely threatening, typo-ridden email as many of my colleagues who have had their awards terminated recently. (1/n)
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
The MindCORE Fellows Application is open!
We seek applications from recent PhDs in neuro, psych, ling, philo, comp sci, or other cog sci discipline for our 3-yr postdoc.
MindCORE is Penn's interdisciplinary effort to understand human intelligence & behavior.
mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/post-doctora...
We seek applications from recent PhDs in neuro, psych, ling, philo, comp sci, or other cog sci discipline for our 3-yr postdoc.
MindCORE is Penn's interdisciplinary effort to understand human intelligence & behavior.
mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/post-doctora...
October 8, 2026 at 5:36 PM
The MindCORE Fellows Application is open!
We seek applications from recent PhDs in neuro, psych, ling, philo, comp sci, or other cog sci discipline for our 3-yr postdoc.
MindCORE is Penn's interdisciplinary effort to understand human intelligence & behavior.
mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/post-doctora...
We seek applications from recent PhDs in neuro, psych, ling, philo, comp sci, or other cog sci discipline for our 3-yr postdoc.
MindCORE is Penn's interdisciplinary effort to understand human intelligence & behavior.
mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/post-doctora...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
NEW: In March the White House released an FY27 budget request that zeroed out the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). For months it was unclear what would happen. Now, with FY26 over, the damage to SBE is coming to light.
My reporting:
My reporting:
‘Complete devastation’: How NSF gutted its social sciences research
Agency body that funds sociology, linguistics, and archaeology studies in U.S. gave 90% fewer new grants this year
www.science.org
October 6, 2026 at 8:13 PM
NEW: In March the White House released an FY27 budget request that zeroed out the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). For months it was unclear what would happen. Now, with FY26 over, the damage to SBE is coming to light.
My reporting:
My reporting:
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
We are searching for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position, with a research focus on developmental and/or social psychology. Please apply or forward to anyone who might be interested! facultypositions.stanford.edu/jobs/assista...
Assistant Professor, Psychology - Stanford University, California, United States
The Department of Psychology at Stanford University is seeking applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position, with a research focus on developmental and/or social psychology. In addition ...
facultypositions.stanford.edu
September 3, 2026 at 3:18 AM
We are searching for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position, with a research focus on developmental and/or social psychology. Please apply or forward to anyone who might be interested! facultypositions.stanford.edu/jobs/assista...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
Scoop: For nearly a year, NSF has struggled to make new grants. Now we know that it will not catch up.
In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
Exclusive: NSF set to issue lowest number of new grants in four decades
The US science-funding agency is withholding $1 billion of its budget so that the money can go to a special White House project.
www.nature.com
August 20, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Scoop: For nearly a year, NSF has struggled to make new grants. Now we know that it will not catch up.
In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
NEW: NSF has been funding research at a fraction of its historic rate. Last week, the agency finally began distributing money to its directorates and is now likely to pick up the grantmaking pace.
But these allocations also amount to substantial cuts across the sciences. My reporting:
But these allocations also amount to substantial cuts across the sciences. My reporting:
Delays have kept new NSF grants to a trickle — that could be about to change
The agency is finally ready to distribute a spate of new grants, but it is also preparing substantial cuts to areas such as biological and social sciences.
www.nature.com
April 23, 2026 at 5:19 PM
NEW: NSF has been funding research at a fraction of its historic rate. Last week, the agency finally began distributing money to its directorates and is now likely to pick up the grantmaking pace.
But these allocations also amount to substantial cuts across the sciences. My reporting:
But these allocations also amount to substantial cuts across the sciences. My reporting:
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
Saving SBE starts before the bill is written.
SBE needs a distinct FY27 appropriation. If your sch. is on the list, get a group of colleagues to meet w your House/Sen. offices. Esp. for Republican seats, direct constituent comms matter. Timeline/templates/updates:
www.paigeamormino.com/pages/9337
SBE needs a distinct FY27 appropriation. If your sch. is on the list, get a group of colleagues to meet w your House/Sen. offices. Esp. for Republican seats, direct constituent comms matter. Timeline/templates/updates:
www.paigeamormino.com/pages/9337
Paige Amormino - Saving SBE starts before the bill is written.
Right now, NSF SBE does not have its own separate line of funding in the FY2027 budget structure. This matters because if SBE is not specifically protected ...
www.paigeamormino.com
April 4, 2026 at 4:43 AM
Saving SBE starts before the bill is written.
SBE needs a distinct FY27 appropriation. If your sch. is on the list, get a group of colleagues to meet w your House/Sen. offices. Esp. for Republican seats, direct constituent comms matter. Timeline/templates/updates:
www.paigeamormino.com/pages/9337
SBE needs a distinct FY27 appropriation. If your sch. is on the list, get a group of colleagues to meet w your House/Sen. offices. Esp. for Republican seats, direct constituent comms matter. Timeline/templates/updates:
www.paigeamormino.com/pages/9337
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
BREAKING: In response to huge cuts in Trump's budget request, NSF is shuttering its SBE directorate. Staff will be transferred to other parts of the agency and "grants that align with Administration priorities" will be maintained.
That & more w/ @maxkozlov.bsky.social & @edwrdchen.bsky.social
That & more w/ @maxkozlov.bsky.social & @edwrdchen.bsky.social
Massive budget cuts for US science proposed again by Trump administration
Budget proposal would also curb federal payments for scientific publishing.
www.nature.com
April 3, 2026 at 10:47 PM
BREAKING: In response to huge cuts in Trump's budget request, NSF is shuttering its SBE directorate. Staff will be transferred to other parts of the agency and "grants that align with Administration priorities" will be maintained.
That & more w/ @maxkozlov.bsky.social & @edwrdchen.bsky.social
That & more w/ @maxkozlov.bsky.social & @edwrdchen.bsky.social
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
Concerned about the possible dismantling of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Directorate of NSF?? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Find out what's happening and what we can do to protect behavioral science with @fabbs.org Friday April 10th at 1:30 ET. Register at us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Find out what's happening and what we can do to protect behavioral science with @fabbs.org Friday April 10th at 1:30 ET. Register at us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Massive budget cuts for US science proposed again by Trump administration
Budget proposal would also curb federal payments for scientific publishing.
www.nature.com
April 6, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Concerned about the possible dismantling of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Directorate of NSF?? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Find out what's happening and what we can do to protect behavioral science with @fabbs.org Friday April 10th at 1:30 ET. Register at us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Find out what's happening and what we can do to protect behavioral science with @fabbs.org Friday April 10th at 1:30 ET. Register at us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
NSF GRFP applicants (and mentors): Was your application Returned Without Review and deemed ineligible despite fitting in the allowed topics?
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at [email protected] so we can compile + follow up
Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at [email protected] so we can compile + follow up
Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter
February 2, 2026 at 5:58 PM
NSF GRFP applicants (and mentors): Was your application Returned Without Review and deemed ineligible despite fitting in the allowed topics?
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at [email protected] so we can compile + follow up
Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at [email protected] so we can compile + follow up
Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
This is good news for NIH-funded behavioral scientists and for the public; it resolves an unfortunate Catch-22 situation that inflated administrative burden and occasionally excluded basic behavioral science from funding opportunities:
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-OD-26-032: Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) Will No Longer Be Considered Clinical Trials by the NIH
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) Will No Longer Be Considered Clinical Trials by the NIH NOT-OD-26-032. NIH
grants.nih.gov
January 29, 2026 at 4:14 PM
This is good news for NIH-funded behavioral scientists and for the public; it resolves an unfortunate Catch-22 situation that inflated administrative burden and occasionally excluded basic behavioral science from funding opportunities:
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
The New York Times reports that a group of “scientific” racists misused National Institute of Health data (that families were assured would be protected) to write bogus papers on supposed to biological racial differences. Gift link.
Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:15 PM
The New York Times reports that a group of “scientific” racists misused National Institute of Health data (that families were assured would be protected) to write bogus papers on supposed to biological racial differences. Gift link.
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
There’s video floating around. You don’t want to watch it.
News feed will be updated continuously. No paywall.
www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
News feed will be updated continuously. No paywall.
www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
Live: Man shot by federal agent in south Minneapolis this morning, witnesses say
More than a hundred protesters and observers have gathered near E. 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.
www.startribune.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:48 PM
There’s video floating around. You don’t want to watch it.
News feed will be updated continuously. No paywall.
www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
News feed will be updated continuously. No paywall.
www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026
Thirteen of the agency’s advisory councils, which must review grant applications before funding is awarded, are on track to have no voting members.
www.nature.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:46 PM
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
some parents, esp white parents, fail to answer their children's questions about race or provide colorblind messages ("race is not important"). but are these effective? 🗣️ we find they aren't! structural explanations seem to be more constructive (1/5) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
How Colorblind and Structural Messages Affect Children's Reasoning About Novel Group Disparities
Children experience a variety of messages about racial–ethnic socialization from their parents, teachers, and other sources, who might not answer children's questions about race, or might explicitly...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:48 PM
some parents, esp white parents, fail to answer their children's questions about race or provide colorblind messages ("race is not important"). but are these effective? 🗣️ we find they aren't! structural explanations seem to be more constructive (1/5) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
Another ~monthly update on the state of the #psychjobs market: more jobs continue to trickle in, though at a decreasing pace. We've nearly hit parity with covid in absolute terms, although the prior year baseline was higher this year than that, so we still see a slightly larger relative decrease.
November 4, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Another ~monthly update on the state of the #psychjobs market: more jobs continue to trickle in, though at a decreasing pace. We've nearly hit parity with covid in absolute terms, although the prior year baseline was higher this year than that, so we still see a slightly larger relative decrease.
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
Absolutely chilling story by @aniloza.bsky.social on censorship in grant titles at NIH and how researchers are complying and sometimes fighting back. "They are trying to make people afraid to use the word equity," said one program officer. "It's highly effective." www.statnews.com/2025/10/29/n...
Scientists had to change more than 700 grant titles to receive NIH funding. Health disparities researchers fear what’s next
The titles of more than 700 multi-year NIH grants have been changed this year, according to an analysis by Jeremy Berg, a former agency official
www.statnews.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Absolutely chilling story by @aniloza.bsky.social on censorship in grant titles at NIH and how researchers are complying and sometimes fighting back. "They are trying to make people afraid to use the word equity," said one program officer. "It's highly effective." www.statnews.com/2025/10/29/n...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
Announcing such a major change to NSF GRFP this late in the cycle is incredibly cruel. 2nd yr students (mine included) have been working so hard on their proposals despite ongoing uncertainty. They are driven and passionate about being outstanding scientists and helping those coming up behind them.
September 26, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Announcing such a major change to NSF GRFP this late in the cycle is incredibly cruel. 2nd yr students (mine included) have been working so hard on their proposals despite ongoing uncertainty. They are driven and passionate about being outstanding scientists and helping those coming up behind them.
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
Princeton is running its Presidential Postdoctoral Program again this year. If you are interested in applying to work with me, please reach out by October 10 so that I can consider all interested applicants and support a candidate for my lab this year.
dof.princeton.edu/faculty-deve...
dof.princeton.edu/faculty-deve...
Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellows
We encourage early career scholars to pursue a career in academia by supporting their postdoctoral work at Princeton
dof.princeton.edu
September 11, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Princeton is running its Presidential Postdoctoral Program again this year. If you are interested in applying to work with me, please reach out by October 10 so that I can consider all interested applicants and support a candidate for my lab this year.
dof.princeton.edu/faculty-deve...
dof.princeton.edu/faculty-deve...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
New: A legal challenge to NSF's 1600+ grant terminations just hit a roadblock. Judge Cobb (appointed by Biden) ruled against the plaintiffs, largely on the basis that district courts no longer have jurisdiction for contract-based APA violations. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
September 10, 2025 at 11:51 PM
New: A legal challenge to NSF's 1600+ grant terminations just hit a roadblock. Judge Cobb (appointed by Biden) ruled against the plaintiffs, largely on the basis that district courts no longer have jurisdiction for contract-based APA violations. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
Applying to the NSF-GRFP (or another fellowship) on a tight deadline?
We built a 7-week guide + timeline to get you from draft to submission. It’s not too late — you’ve got this! ✨
🔗 cientificolatino.com/apply-in-7-weeks
#NSFGRFP #GradSchool #Fellowship
We built a 7-week guide + timeline to get you from draft to submission. It’s not too late — you’ve got this! ✨
🔗 cientificolatino.com/apply-in-7-weeks
#NSFGRFP #GradSchool #Fellowship
September 9, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Applying to the NSF-GRFP (or another fellowship) on a tight deadline?
We built a 7-week guide + timeline to get you from draft to submission. It’s not too late — you’ve got this! ✨
🔗 cientificolatino.com/apply-in-7-weeks
#NSFGRFP #GradSchool #Fellowship
We built a 7-week guide + timeline to get you from draft to submission. It’s not too late — you’ve got this! ✨
🔗 cientificolatino.com/apply-in-7-weeks
#NSFGRFP #GradSchool #Fellowship
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
1. Federal funding for research promotes tech, biomedical, and scientific discovery in the US, and provides training for the sci/tech workforce that has brought immeasurable wealth to the US over the past 75 years.
Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.
Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.
Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve the process of Federal
www.whitehouse.gov
August 8, 2025 at 1:13 AM
1. Federal funding for research promotes tech, biomedical, and scientific discovery in the US, and provides training for the sci/tech workforce that has brought immeasurable wealth to the US over the past 75 years.
Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.
Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.
📣 new paper! people use some categories to generalize (e.g., we generalize something we learn about one tiger 🐯 to other tigers 🐅), but not others (e.g., we don't generalize from one pedestrian 🚶 to other pedestrians 🚶♂️). how do people learn what categories allow for generalization? 🧵
July 31, 2025 at 6:10 AM
📣 new paper! people use some categories to generalize (e.g., we generalize something we learn about one tiger 🐯 to other tigers 🐅), but not others (e.g., we don't generalize from one pedestrian 🚶 to other pedestrians 🚶♂️). how do people learn what categories allow for generalization? 🧵
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
🧪 BREAKING (good news): Senate subcommittee says NO! to Trump's proposed slashes to NASA & NSF funding.
Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.
See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.
🧵 1/3
Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.
See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.
🧵 1/3
Subcommittee Markup of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
www.appropriations.senate.gov
July 10, 2025 at 12:23 AM
🧪 BREAKING (good news): Senate subcommittee says NO! to Trump's proposed slashes to NASA & NSF funding.
Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.
See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.
🧵 1/3
Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.
See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.
🧵 1/3
Reposted by Marianna Zhang
We can’t depend on a filibuster to “solve” a bad budget for either the NIH or NSF. You need to follow this advocacy alert and make sure those budgets are better than the huge cuts proposed. www.ascb.org/society-news...
Protect NIH and NSF Funding – Your Voice Is Urgently Needed - ASCB
In the next six weeks, Congressional committees will decide how much funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) will receive for Fiscal Year 2026. While ...
www.ascb.org
July 2, 2025 at 11:48 AM
We can’t depend on a filibuster to “solve” a bad budget for either the NIH or NSF. You need to follow this advocacy alert and make sure those budgets are better than the huge cuts proposed. www.ascb.org/society-news...
I reference this resource *so* frequently, super readable and helpful! highly recommend to anyone who does experiments!
Experimentology is out today!!! A group of us wrote a free online textbook for experimental methods, available at experimentology.io - the idea was to integrate open science into all aspects of the experimental workflow from planning to design, analysis, and writing.
July 1, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I reference this resource *so* frequently, super readable and helpful! highly recommend to anyone who does experiments!