The director of science and technological policies, Michael Kratsios, criticized the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in research funded by the federal government, calling them “foreign” in a speech on Monday.
During remarks in front of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, Kratsios called for a reduction in “paperwork” in scientific research and promoting what the Trump administration labeled “Golden Standards Science”. According to this standard, there is a “suspicion of blind consensus”, he said, arguing that there is a “crisis of confidence in scientists” which comes from fears that political prejudices have an impact on research.
Kratsios specifically stressed that Dei was antithetic to this mission, echoing a common refrain for the Trump administration, which has research To get rid of The federal government of these programs, posts, offices and research.
“Dei’s initiatives, in particular, degrade our scientific business,” said Kratsios. “Dei represents an existential threat to the real diversity of thought which forms the foundation of the scientific community.”
The remarks of the National Academy of Sciences – a non -governmental membership organization aimed at promoting good scientific principles – occur while the efforts of the Trump administration to reshape the federal government had an impact on the research funded by the federal government. The National Science Foundation, for example, has canceled Hundreds of subsidies that do not align with Trump administration policies – such as those which mention diversity, equity or inclusion – and Plans described To get rid of a division that focuses on equity in Stem education.
Kratsios said that scientists cannot “be in order to score points for an ideological program” and that these DEI considerations have an impact on research itself. “A closed political fashion concerned with symbolic victories divides colleagues and deforms the design of demand and research,” he said.
Her remarks were followed by a discussion with the president of the National Academy of Sciences Marcia McNutt, who said that she was concerned about the 50% reduction in the administration in the NSF higher education scholarships program. McNutt said that his own NSF graduate scholarship had obtained it where it is today.
“Are these scholarships not a great way to select the best and most brilliant and encourage them in the STEM,” she asked Kratsios.
He replied that the private scholarship she mentioned is “huge and had an impact on many, many people across the country”. But Kratsios said that support for the next generation of scientists should not be the responsibility of the federal government, and that there should be a collaboration “to assume the burden together to inspire the next generation of Americans”.
Speech and discussion come in the midst of criticism of the current administration by the scientific community. In March, hundreds of researchers in a open letter Accused the administration of “destabilizing” the American scientific company. Earlier this month, former NSF leaders and the National Science Board chairs said to the Congress creditors That the “draconian budgetary plan” and the agency’s staff reductions “take a decade or more to recover”.