There are phrases that seep into the lexicon of work, repeated so often they lose meaning. Or worse—they begin to reshape what we find acceptable. “The new normal.” “Lean operations” (almost always referring to headcount, not process improvement). And the one I cannot stomach anymore: “Doing more wi...

There’s plenty to be said about the current volatility in federally funded research: unpredictable executive orders, shifting rules and compliance notices, open threats of budget cuts or clawbacks. It’s destabilizing—but also a distraction.

Because even without the noise from Washington as of late,...