In the unrelenting wake of the Trump administration’s policies targeting the foundation of US science, Fridays have taken on new meaning for researchers. Since the end of January, the administration’s science agencies attempted to freeze grant disbursements, fired thousands of employees on Valentine’s Day, censored diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts, impacted graduate school admissions and hiring, and proposed to cut grant funds.
“This [has] already been disruptive to science in the country. This is going to have its impact, even if everything [is] restored next week,” said Erich Jarvis, a neuroscientist at The Rockefeller University. He added, “We must be more resistant and rebellious to stop and turn this around because if we don't, we're all going to be in trouble.”
The message from these policies was clear: Science is under attack.
Feeling powerless but determined, John Patrick Flores, a graduate student studying bioinformatics and computational biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, wanted to do something. Inspired by the 2017 March for Science, a global movement opposing the Trump administration’s stance on climate change and science, Flores sought guidance from one of its organizers, Jonathan Berman. On a Zoom call, Berman gave Flores the run-down on how and why he started the movement. Right after the call, Flores spotted a Bluesky post from another graduate student looking to organize a protest. He reached out, and they teamed up.
By early February, Flores had connected with other like-minded peers on Bluesky—an encounter he called serendipitous. Together, they formed the core leadership team of early-career researchers: Colette Delawalla, a clinical psychologist at Emory University, biologist Emma Courtney at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Sam Goldstein, a health behavior researcher at the University of Florida, and quantitative social scientist Leslie Berntsen, founder of the think tank stemEDify, which provides instruction on applying social science. “Our skillsets are just so complimentary to each other,” said Flores, noting that this helped the team quickly get to work.
The team coined themselves and their grassroots operation Stand Up for Science (SUFS) and called for a National Day of Action. They called for scientists to join their movement on March 7 to take a stand against the Trump administration’s attack on science. With the help of more than 100 volunteers from some 30 states, the team has organized official rallies in Washington, D.C. and across the country.
Their mission is to defend science as a public good and pillar of social, political, and economic progress. Their platform focuses on three policies: ending censorship and political interference in science, securing and expanding scientific funding, and defending DEIA in science.
Speakers at the Washington, D.C. rally include former National Institutes of Health director, Francis Collins, science communicator Bill Nye, and several elected representatives and senators who will share their perspectives. Other rallies will include “Ask a Scientist” panels, student speakers from area universities, and advocacy activities to champion the importance of science.
As the SUFS rallies approach, excitement is building across the scientific community. While some attendees plan to travel for hours to their nearest rally, the SUFS team also urges scientists nationwide to join campus and workplace walkouts at noon local time. Flores remarked that his department even rescheduled a seminar because the invited speaker wanted to attend the local Raleigh rally. Jarvis also noted that he planned to rearrange his lab’s schedule to allow those interested to attend.
Christina Nowicki, a postdoctoral researcher studying engineered bacteria for use in cancer therapy at the University of Chicago, described the last few weeks as “wild times for the science field.” As she carries out her daily research—whether tending to animal experiments or growing bacteria—policy changes have become a recurring topic in lab meetings. After receiving an email from her department head encouraging a group walkout to attend their local SUFS protest, she decided to join.
“I think it’s something the scientific community needed. I’ve had people reach out to me saying, ‘we feel so empowered that I’m going to the rally,’” said Flores.
With the core leadership team buzzing with excitement, Flores hopes this is just the beginning. The team plans to use this momentum to continue the fight for science. “We're hoping that this can serve as a story to inspire the next generation and to get people to stand up with us.”
“We're doing this because we care,” he added. “But also, we believe that science is for everyone. Everyone benefits. It doesn't matter [what] political affiliation you have, at the end of the day, science is for everyone, and that's what we're what we're fighting for.”
