Science Foundation Staff's Protest Statement Put on Temporary Pause
The scientific community is raising alarm bells over the potential impact of the Trump administration's policies on the National Science Foundation (NSF) following the leaking of a document known as the Alexandria Declaration.
The Alexandria Declaration, named after the NSF's headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, is a statement of concern by NSF employees. It outlines multiple "categories of harm," including staff and grant terminations, massive budget cuts, and the unannounced relocation of the NSF headquarters from Alexandria, VA. The declaration requests congressional intervention to protect NSF employees from politically motivated firings and to end the illegal withholding of appropriated funds.
The concerns echoed in the Alexandria Declaration about the Trump administration include the undermining of scientific research and federal science infrastructure through severe budget cuts and interference with grant funding. This is seen as potentially devastating to U.S. science leadership globally, as stated by former NSF leadership. The document also reflects broader worries about censorship, scientific data access, and transparency, given the administration's policies that have been described as attempts at openwashing and limiting open access to federally funded science publications and data.
At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), several hundred current and former employees signed the Bethesda Declaration, criticizing the leadership of director Jay Bhattacharya. The Bethesda Declaration echoes similar concerns to those aired by workers at the NSF and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Notable signatories of the Bethesda Declaration include Chemistry Nobel laureates, such as University of California, Berkeley biochemist Jennifer Doudna, Stanford University's biorthogonal chemistry pioneer Carolyn Bertozzi, and University of Washington biochemist and protein designer David Baker.
In response, NIH Director Bhattacharya stated that the Bethesda Declaration contains "some fundamental misconceptions" about the policy directions NIH has taken. In response, Zeldin, the director of the EPA, placed 139 of the agency's workers who signed the document on administrative leave, pending an investigation.
Current and former EPA employees published their own Declaration of Dissent, highlighting problems with the leadership of Trump-appointed administrator, Lee Zeldin. The EPA's concerns included the repeal or reconsideration of health-based regulatory standards, dismantling the Office of Research and Development, and targeting EPA probationary employees.
The US plans to close the Chemical Safety Board by October, unrelated to the NSF, but mentioned in the "Related stories." The House science committee has aired the dissent declaration by NSF employees. The Trump administration's proposal could lead to federal funding for basic research falling to levels not seen since the 1990s, a worrying prospect for the future of U.S. scientific research.
[1] Source: The Washington Post [3] Source: Science Magazine
- The Alexandria Declaration, penned by NSF employees, outlines potential damages from the Trump administration's policies, such as environmental research hindrance, medical-condition studies undermining, and overall health-and-wellness concerns.
- In a similar vein, the Bethesda Declaration, signed by NIH employees, criticizes the leadership of Jay Bhattacharya and shares concerns about science infrastructure, specifically in the realm of health-based regulatory standards and employees' job security.
- Political news outlets report on the EPA's concerns expressed in their Declaration of Dissent, which includes the dismantling of the Office of Research and Development, targeting of EPA employees, and potential impacts on general-news topics such as chemical safety and health regulations.
