Still, it's hard to be silent, even just limiting the discussion to science-related issues. Changes of presidential administrations always carry a certain amount of perturbation, as the heads of many federal agencies are executive branch appointees who serve at the pleasure of the president. That said, the past week was exceptional for multiple reasons, including pulling the US out of the WHO as everyone frets about H5N1 bird flu; a highly disruptive freeze of activity within HHS (lots of negative consequences even if it wraps up quickly); and immediate purging of various agency websites of any programs or language related to DEI, with threatened punishment for employees who don't report their colleagues for insufficient reporting of any continued DEI-related activities.
Treating other people with respect, trying to make science (and engineering) welcoming to all, and trying to engage and educate the widest possible population in expanding human knowledge should not be controversial positions. Saying that we should try to broaden the technical workforce, or that medical trials should involve women and multiple races should not be controversial positions.
What I wrote eight years ago is still true. It is easier to break things than to build things. Rash steps very often have lingering unintended consequences.
Panic is not helpful. Doomscrolling is not helpful. Getting through challenging times requires determination, focus, and commitment to not losing one's principles.
Ok, enough out of me. Next week (deadlines permitting) I'll be back with some science, because that's what I do.
29 comments:
While the goals of DEI are laudable, most attempts to act on them are bureaucratic, unfair, and create a new class of witch finders. They also damage academic diversity by seeping into funding calls, as well as the public perception of science.
I’m glad to see it all burn, and deeply grateful to those who spoke up over the years against this pseudo scientific nonsense. Many colleagues say the same in private.
Fully agree with the fellow anonymous poster above. I never want to hear about "racist math" again or witness shameless assaults on women's rights and common sense. Or witness the complete waste of precious science funding on "researchers" who have not and will not produce anything of consequence, distributed on the basis of color and gender criteria instead of scientific merit. Most of all, I am hoping we reach a state where I can post my opinions eponymously without risking losing my job.
Doug, Do you know if things similar to the HHS/NIH stuff is likely to happen at DOE?
National lab DEI pages have nearly all vanished already if that helps…
I think there is a lot of room between “numbers are inherently colonialist” nonsense and “making sure drugs are safe for women is ‘woke’ “.
Anon@9:33, if you mean some big pause and suspension of activities, that doesn’t seem to be happening at DOE, NSF, etc., at least not yet. HHS seems to be special. The webpage for DOE PIER plans, which were required as part of proposals until a few days ago, is gone.
Yes, bummer.
I was talking about the travel and grant review cancellations.
Ok, yes, that's what I was referring to. Thanks
Hm, no. The NIH cancelled review sessions etc. travel also seems impacted,.I heard.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00231-y
As a NIH funded researcher I am sick of the DEI mafias who are relentlessly working not to support the science, but creating an artificial division in the scientific community which never existed. In conferences I hear how my colleagues secretly hate this - but cannot speak up. Faculty positions in universities are covertly going through rampant corruption where in the name of an open call, they get a large pool of candidates with the only aim to choose a DEI candidate. This is bullying and must stop. I do not mind my study section getting postponed for a month. But someone had to address the elephant in the room and I am happy that is happening. Finally.
Totally agree. These DEI mafia are ruining the biomedical sciences research.
It is like awakening from a dream. I am ashamed that it took Trump to be elected to change it, but here we are!
As a naturalized US citizen, it took me personal toil and sacrifice to craft a successful career path in biomedical research, which included several awards and accolades. I have worked with colleagues across the spectrum of diversity attributes and have witnessed nothing but genuine repect and collaborative spirit in both academic and industry positions. The 'quartan fever' of the forced plague of DEI 'initiatives' over the last 8-10 years had truly reached a point of abject ridiculousness leading to 'uber-woke' squads of self-righteous ignoramuses disrupting senior management and board meetings and implementing 'cancel culture' in a blind and indiscriminate way. Therefore, it is not surprising that the current 'corrective measures' have been implemented. The pendulum has shifted to the middle again, and meritocracy had regained its status as an inoffensive and useful principle to enhance productivity in a meaningful and FAIR way across sectors.
Amen and Bis Bravo!!! Enough of the insanity and DEI Gestapo...
I appreciate your acknowledgement that science is carried out by humans, and we should aim for science to be humane. I strongly agree with your statement that "Treating other people with respect, trying to make science (and engineering) welcoming to all, and trying to engage and educate the widest possible population in expanding human knowledge should not be controversial positions."
Yes, science should welcome all who are capable of contributing. It doesn't care about your color or gender. Only your ability to further it matters. In that sense, it is extremely discriminating, as it should be.
I’m curious to all the DEI-bashers on here: do you genuinely believe that white males don’t have systemic advantages that make it easier for them to succeed in STEM, on average, than members of other underrepresented groups?
It’s one thing to say that DEI programs as implemented in practice are counterproductive, inefficient, etc… and need to be reformed, done better, w/e. It’s another thing entirely to believe there’s nothing wrong with a system where one group has well documented, systemic privileges that enable them to almost always win.
Also Doug, thank you for having the courage to make posts like these in the face of so many naysayers.
There is a lot of anti-DEI sentiment in the comments, but little attention to the abrupt halt of all NIH functions which will have devastating consequences for us, our friends and colleagues, and the immense number of trainees that depend on NIH funding, at all times, to continue their career. This interruption is already going to disrupt a funding cycle that will result in a lapse of funding enough to end many postdoc careers. And, interestingly, this will impact minority researchers more than it will white, male researchers. An anti-DEI result, indeed.
Well said.
Can't be a coincidence that all the anti-DEI posters have chosen to post anonymously. The KKK also wore masks.
Anonymous, because of my job. But I am in favor of choosing diversity candidates *when equal skill is present*, until the workforce reflects the make up of society at large. This balances out the systemic advantages that people like me (white middle aged male permanent resident) have enjoyed for a long time. Once percentages have equilibrated, we go back to pure meritocracy, until we see that things are sliding back. Rinse and repeat.
In all jobs presumably? No rest until the NFL and indeed Alaskan crab fishing are completely representative? Kindergarten teachers?
So are you saying you believe white males as a group, genetically, are intrinsically superior in their ability to do STEM?
Keep staying in the denial mode that sane people rose against the woke madness. I am still up for tenure and do not want to ruin my chance by going against the woke sentiment and mafia. By the way - I am Indian with a brown skin.
There it is! Anyone with a different viewpoint from the DEI religion is demonstrably a KKK member, racist, nazi, etc. I see that being one of the principal reasons why the election was lost has not yet sunk in. Little hope to expect religious fanatics to reason. Keep digging your hole.
PPP, respectfully: The solution to discrimination is not more discrimination. To cite one example, when math-illiterate black kids are unable to compete you don't select them by fiat in positions they are not qualified for, or eliminate math requirements as racist. You fix the shitty schools that didn't prepare them, instead of infantilizing them and setting them up for failure down the line. In my long career in physics I have yet to meet anyone who by words or actions made me think they're racist.
Yes, all groups. Note the *at equal qualifications* (slightly better phrasing of what I meant, being not a native speaker myself).
I would not settle for lower qualifications. But at equal, choose to diversify. Now crab fishing won't have many applications from minorities, so I see this as a nonexistent problem. If a minority applies and is as skilled, take him. Unlikely to occur anyway. K teachers. Yes, again, if a male applies (a minority there...), and has the same qualifications, take him, until make up represents society. This won't disadvantage female candidates by much because the number of males applying is rather low anyway.
No, we are not genetically superior. But many decisions are influenced by biases, unconscious or not, based on background of decision maker and candidates. See the tests with job applications of the same resume with a "black" name and a white name. Undeniable.
I think Anon at 9:31 was directing the “genetics” question to Anon at 9:11, not the original comment by Anon at 9:06.
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