I started writing here in 2005 as Director of George Mason’s Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study. The blog went on hiatus from 2014-2018 while I served as head of the National Science Foundation’s $750M Biological Sciences Directorate, where I was NSF lead for President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative and co-chair of the White House Life Sciences Subcommittee.
Since returning to George Mason as Distinguished University Professor of Neuroscience and Public Policy, I’ve been writing about how science policy actually works—not from the sidelines, but from inside the decision-making rooms. After presiding over the review of thousands of grants, managing large-dollar budgets, and working with everyone from Nobel laureates to members of Congress, I’ve learned that most people—even successful researchers—don’t really understand how the machinery operates.
This blog shares that insider perspective. You’ll find analysis of science funding, reflections on big science initiatives, and occasional bridges to other complex systems, such as aviation policy (the subject of my next book).
I also publish these posts as a newsletter at Science Policy Insider, where you can get them delivered to your inbox.
The ideas and views here are my own, though I occasionally get editorial assistance from colleagues, friends, and AI tools.
—Jim
Discoverers and Discoveries 