Reference News Network reported on April 5 that according to a report from the website of The Washington Post on April 1, more than 1,900 scientists jointly signed an open letter warning that the Trump administration is threatening the independence of science and urging it to "stop the massive attack on American science." The letter, released on March 31, stated that since taking office, President Trump and his team have caused upheaval in America's research system - cutting funds, terminating grants, and attempting to eliminate viewpoints they do not accept.

"Our political beliefs may differ, but as researchers, we stand united in our desire to protect independent scientific research," the scientists wrote in the letter addressed to the American people. "We are sending out an SOS signal to deliver a clear warning: the country's scientific endeavors are being destroyed."

The signatories of the letter are all members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, representing the topmost group of American scientists. Their letter paints a picture of a crisis in America's research community, including researchers revising their papers and grant proposals, removing scientific terms flagged by federal agencies; abandoning research projects; and even removing their names from work.

"The government is preventing research on topics it dislikes, such as climate change; and preventing research on subjects that might lead to conclusions it does not like, such as vaccine safety and economic trends," the scientists emphasized. "An atmosphere of fear has descended upon the research community."

This letter was published as the Trump team was conducting a comprehensive reform of the federal government, dismissing thousands of employees and attempting to significantly restructure federal agencies. For a long time, regardless of changes in political climate, the federal government has been a stable source of funding for the research sector, but this area has not escaped the actions of the Trump administration either.

Among Trump's first measures after assuming office were halting all expenditures related to "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) projects and ordering the U.S. to recognize only two genders: male and female. Some experts criticized this move for ignoring the complexity of biology. Many researchers were shocked, worried about whether their work would receive funding and be free from political interference.

According to The Washington Post, by March, grants to the National Institutes of Health had decreased by nearly 60%, with many research projects at risk. Meanwhile, employees of the National Science Foundation have been screening research projects for certain keywords - such as "trauma," "diversity," and even "female" - to determine if their work violates Trump's executive orders. Last week, Trump expanded his focus to the Smithsonian Institution, promising to eliminate what he called unpatriotic thoughts within the institution. The Smithsonian operates 14 educational and research institutions.

Richard Aslin, a senior scientist at Yale University School of Medicine and one of the writers of the letter, said scientists hope "to make the American public aware that this is not just about us losing jobs. It will cause the nation to lose a very valuable resource - honestly, it is this resource that makes America the envy of the world."

He said that over the past 50 years, government funding for the scientific community in the United States has remained largely stable - and this stability is crucial given the potentially lengthy cycles involved in scientific discovery and innovation.

According to The Washington Post, the U.S. government spends approximately $200 billion annually on research and development. It is the largest funder of so-called "basic research," which may not be immediately applicable or may eventually yield revolutionary results but requires significant time to complete.

Aslin said that Trump's cuts were "unprecedented," and that when he spoke with colleagues in Europe, they were shocked, as the U.S. is clearly the leader in the scientific field.

He pointed out that anxiety is evident in the scientific community - some who refused to sign the letter said they were concerned about retaliation.

Recent events, Aslin said, have unsettled "many, many scientists," most of whom are not politically inclined. He added that terms such as "climate change" being labeled as politically charged have made researchers uneasy. They ask, "What will happen next? What will be the next unacceptable word?" (Translated by Zhu Li)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7489704957780705832/

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