KERRY GRENSScience policy and other governmental actions that affect science, while barely getting a mention during the presidential debates of 2016, have been catapulted to the front page this year. On April 22, thousands of scientists and science supporters took to the streets for the first ever March for Science. For many, it was their introduction to advocacy, fueled by concerns over the newly inaugurated president’s attitude toward research—data on climate change, in particular.
Since then, a number of policy moves have affected the domestic and global scientific community. Here’s our roundup of 2017.
A number of government policies didn’t target research specifically, but affected scientists nonetheless. The federal travel ban blocking residents of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. left scientists uncertain about their career prospects and collaborations in the States.
For researchers from the affected countries who wouldn’t be able to fulfill work plans in the U.S., scientists across the globe opened up their labs. EMBO helped organize an online matchmaking list so stranded scientists could find colleagues in other countries with a spare bench.
A separate travel restriction implemented by the US government in July prohibited Americans from visiting North Korea, preventing a delegation of ...
