Ecologist Julia Earl from Louisiana Tech University had her grant prematurely canceled by the National Science Foundation (NSF) due to a misunderstanding.
The termination notice gave us no reason, except that the priorities for funding had changed.
Earl's research focused on insect diversity, exploring connections between forests, aquatic bugs, and water quality in the American South, using the word "diversity" 152 times in her grant.
This cancellation was part of a larger trend of grants being revoked due to misaligned priorities, affecting thousands of scientists nationwide.
Author's summary: Ecologist Julia Earl loses grant.