About Science Policy Insider

How science funding really works—from someone who ran the machinery at NSF and NIH.

I’m Jim Olds, former head of the National Science Foundation’s $750M Biological Sciences Directorate (2014-2018), NSF lead for President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative, and co-chair of the White House Life Sciences Subcommittee.

Over three decades in Washington D.C., I’ve seen how science policy actually works—not from the sidelines, but from inside the decision-making rooms. I’ve reviewed thousands of grants, managed billion-dollar budgets, and worked with everyone from Nobel laureates to members of Congress.

What you’ll get here:

- The real story of how funding decisions get made

- Insider analysis of science policy debates and initiatives

- Practical insights on what makes big science succeed or fail

- Honest perspectives on the challenges facing research funding

This isn’t speculation or critique from the outside. It’s the view from someone who was in the room where it happened.

This newsletter is free

My goal is to share what I’ve learned and help people understand the machinery of science policy.

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Read more at jim-olds.org