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Independent Sage says scientists must fight for diversity initiatives or see important voices silenced
Academics need to stand up against the potential silencing of minority voices in research as a result of US president Donald Trump’s attack on diversity, an influential group of UK scientists has said.
According to Independent Sage, which formed during the Covid pandemic as an alternative to the government’s official Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, a “new war” on diversity, equity and inclusion in US research has been waged by Trump since he became president in January.
Since his inauguration, Trump has ordered the termination of roles and projects related to DEI in federal organisations or that receive federal funding, and there are reports that research grant applications are being scrutinised for ‘woke’ language.
“The list of ‘prohibited words’ include ‘gender’, ‘transgender’, ‘pregnant person’, ‘transsexual’, ‘non-binary’, ‘women’, ‘elderly’ and ‘disabled’,” Independent Sage says in the paper. “Universities [that] continue DEI initiatives are threatened with the loss of all federal funding, with over 50 currently under investigation by the administration.”
The group said this censorship is even extending to international universities receiving US funding. It cites Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s characterisation of diversity programmes as “poison” as an example of the problem manifesting in the UK.
“DEI in science are not ‘nice to have’ or about ‘wokeness’,” the report concludes. “They are essential for scientific excellence. Silencing minoritised voices restricts the pool of talent, leads to knowledge gaps and exacerbates inequalities in society.”
It adds: “Now is the time to stand up—loudly—for DEI in science.”
‘Watching with horror’
Christina Pagel, professor of operational research at University College London and lead author of the paper, told Research Professional News that Independent Sage had been “watching with horror as the Trump administration attacked DEI initiatives and research”.
“They started on day one of the presidency and have only escalated since, and are particularly concentrating on the sciences and universities,” she said. “We expected to see universities and scientific bodies come to the defence of DEI—not just because it’s morally required but also because it improves the quality of the science. But instead journals removed DEI language and US universities are scaling back their DEI programmes.”
Pagel said Independent Sage wanted to “make the case ourselves as loudly as we could”.
Advantages of diversity
The report says that science “thrives on innovation, collaboration and problem-solving”.
“Scientific ability is not restricted to one sex, ethnicity, religion or to the able bodied,” it states. “Embracing diversity has the simple advantage of widening the pool of talent from which scientists are drawn.
“But, over and above that, diversity enriches the scientific process by fostering different ways of thinking and problem-solving. Research has shown that diverse teams are more innovative, produce higher-impact work and are better at tackling complex problems.”
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