New US government measures lead to confusion in the area of research

2025/02/04 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Etika
• Giza zientziak
• Berdintasuna
• Ikerketa-zentroak

Words such as confusion, chaos have been used by the media specialized in science (Nature, Science...) to describe the situation created by the new laws that the new US government has implemented.

In fact, with the departure of the country from the World Health Organization and the Paris Convention, the government has taken a series of decisions that directly contradict scientific activity. Among other things, it has suspended all programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, and has ordered the dismissal of investigations related to what it has called “gender ideology.”

At the NIH, the world’s largest biomedical research institution, some websites have been suspended. The journal Science reports that they have not removed articles that refer to prohibited terms (gender, transgender, pregnant person, etc.), but they have frozen grants for projects, meetings and travel related to them, and research grants.

What’s more, the U.S. Science Foundation (NSF) has suspended all scholarship payments to address the decisions of those who may break the law. NASA has also abandoned branches that are excluded from the new law, and research centers are studying their criteria for conducting clinical sessions. In fact, in official documents, they have eliminated the third option that they provided for neither women nor men, and from now on, instead of referring to gender, they have promised to refer only to sex, limited to two options: male and female.

The researchers warn that the loss of data related to diversity, equity and inclusion will have serious social consequences, since many health situations are directly related to social determinants (gender, sexual identity, ethnicity, economic and labor level, nationality documents, etc.). Therefore, for health research and the prevention and treatment of diseases, it is essential to take into account those aspects that have prevented them.

Another example is the social vulnerability index used by the Center for Infectious Diseases (CDC). In fact, the center uses this index to measure and consider the vulnerability of communities in public health plans: vaccinations, responses to natural disasters...

Scientists recognize that it is difficult to know to what extent the new measures will affect them, but they have no doubt that they will have adverse effects not only on American science, but also on citizens and international collaboration.