[By Guancha Observer Network, Chen Sijia] After Trump returned to the White House, the U.S. government significantly reduced research funding, causing a major impact on the U.S. scientific research sector. According to a report by The New York Times on April 22, since the Trump administration took office, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has canceled funding for more than 400 research projects. American scientists are concerned that this will cause the U.S. to lose its leading position in many areas of scientific research.

The National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency established in 1950, provides funding for most of America's scientific research, covering fields such as astronomy, quantum computing, microbiology, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Its budget for fiscal year 2024 is $9 billion, but outside observers generally worry that the Trump administration will cut funding.

According to a report on the Nature website on the 17th, all new research grants from the NSF have been frozen following instructions from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). On the 18th, the agency took further action, announcing the cancellation of grants intended to support ongoing research projects, terminating funding that does not align with its priorities.

The National Science Foundation announced that it will no longer prioritize funding for research related to "misinformation," as this may "infringe upon the constitutional rights of free speech for American citizens." The agency stated that activities with broad impacts "must aim to create opportunities for everyone across the country" and should not "favor certain groups at the expense of others."

The Department of Government Efficiency also published a post on the 18th, praising the National Science Foundation for canceling funding for 402 so-called "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) projects deemed wasteful, saving $233 million.

Photo: National Science Foundation Website of the United States

Casey Fiesler, an information science professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, told The New York Times that one of her three grants from the NSF, which was for a project on building artificial intelligence literacy, has been canceled. She did not receive any explanation, guessing it might be related to the issue of "misinformation."

"This came as a surprise to me; I thought this project was completely safe," Fiesler said.

Ember McCoy, who is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, said that the NSF canceled funding for her air pollution research project. McCoy said she did not receive any explanation, but she expected this result, noting that "the highest rates of air pollution in the U.S. are found in low-income communities and minority communities."

The New York Times reported that statistics show that as of April 21, the NSF has canceled more than 400 ongoing grant projects. A director of the NSF project revealed that so far, most of the canceled grants come from the agency's learning research department and STEM equity excellence department.

Noam Ross, executive director of the non-profit organization rOpenSci, and Scott Delaney, an epidemiology expert at Harvard University, statistically analyzed over 100 canceled research projects and noticed that most of these projects had been "highlighted" by Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

Last October and this February, Cruz released reports labeling 3,483 projects funded by the NSF as "suspect." He claimed these projects were aimed at "promoting agendas like DEI." However, last week, Democratic members of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology rejected the report, pointing out that Cruz incorrectly categorized terms like "biodiversity" into the DEI category.

Some American researchers worry that the reduction in research funding and interruption of projects could harm the academic community and society in the U.S. Jon Freeman, a psychologist at Columbia University, said, "It's shocking to see the government do this. This will make the U.S. cede leadership in scientific research to China and other countries. I think it will take at least ten years for the American scientific community to recover from this incident."

The measures taken by the Trump administration to reduce research funding have already led many American scholars and experts to reconsider their lives and careers. A survey result published by Nature on March 27 showed that over 75% of more than 1,600 surveyed American researchers are considering leaving the U.S.

Nature also reported on April 17 that scientists still employed by U.S. government agencies admitted that their work is becoming unsustainable. A chief researcher at the National Institutes of Health said the agency is now completely paralyzed and unable to function. "We can't hire people. We can't recruit personnel. We can't communicate with outsiders. We can't travel."

This researcher believes that although some policies were welcomed before Trump took office, the current U.S. government is "destroying everything... in a way that seems to enrich those involved... rather than truly making the government work better."

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7496347395857351187/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Feel free to express your opinions by clicking the "Agree/Disagree" buttons below.