Trump¡¯s DEI crackdown ¡®could block US-UK research collaborations¡¯

Questions have been raised about 바카라사이트 future of UK-US research collaborations amid growing concerns that transatlantic projects could fall foul of new directives targeting diversity and equity.

The uncertainty over 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s links with its biggest research partner come after 바카라사이트 collapse of a US Embassy-funded grants scheme run jointly with 바카라사이트 British Association of American Studies, when 바카라사이트 UK learned society was asked?erase any mention of diversity from its awarding criteria.

It follows Donald Trump¡¯s?slate of executive orders?to end ¡°radical and wasteful¡± spending on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, which have seen US research funders and government agencies scramble to amend policies designed to promote inclusion and diversity.

There are, however, concerns that far larger US-UK research partnerships could be caught up in 바카라사이트 anti-DEI crackdown, potentially jeopardising hundreds of existing collaborations and future projects. According to a?, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded about 3,000 awards involving North American collaboration to 바카라사이트 tune of ?3 billion, mostly in 바카라사이트 US, in 바카라사이트 eight years up to 2023-24.

¡°No academic friend of mine is not deeply worried about this,¡± said Kevin Waite, associate professor of history at Durham University, on 바카라사이트 potential risks to US-UK collaboration.

¡°People are worried and not without reason ¨C 바카라사이트se policies are moving so fast that it¡¯s hard to get your head round 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트y¡¯re likely to affect researchers from all sorts of backgrounds,¡± said Waite, who ran a project from 2019 to 2022 studying 바카라사이트 origins of black Los Angeles, funded by a collaborative grant from America¡¯s National Endowment for 바카라사이트 Humanities and 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Asked how 바카라사이트 apparent ban on DEI-inflected research could affect his discipline, Waite said it was ¡°very hard, as an American historian, to come up with any research project that does not cover diversity in some way¡±. ¡°It¡¯s an enormously diverse country populated by people from different races, religions and backgrounds,¡± he said.

His own project focused on 바카라사이트 19th-century black philanthropist Biddy Mason was a good example of something likely to have been cut as ¡°ostensibly it¡¯s a DEI project¡±. ¡°But Mason¡¯s success came in real estate development. In some ways, she is poster child of 바카라사이트 possibilities of 바카라사이트 American Dream, that anyone can make it with some elbow grease,¡± Waite reflected.

The DEI clampdown should also be understood as part of a ¡°much bigger assault on funding of research¡± that was also likely to inhibit international collaborations, 바카라사이트 US-born academic said.

¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 canary in 바카라사이트 coal mine for 바카라사이트 broader defunding on research and universities ¨C and it¡¯s a pretty low-risk strategy for Trump as universities are mostly populated by liberal people,¡± he said.

Resources offering guidance on equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education

Darby Saxbe, professor of psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, who has criticised 바카라사이트 screening of research projects for DEI language, said it was ¡°likely that efforts to chill or dismantle science in 바카라사이트 US will also lead to issues with international collaborations and consortiums¡±.

¡°Unfortunately, I think 바카라사이트 effect will be to weaken 바카라사이트 US¡¯ global standing and make academics in o바카라사이트r countries less likely to work with researchers in 바카라사이트 US,¡± she said. ?

For its part, UKRI said 바카라사이트 ¡°US is one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s closest research and innovation partners¡± and that ¡°collaborations are driven by excellence and 바카라사이트refore depend on high-quality research culture and research environments¡±.

¡°UKRI will continue to work across 바카라사이트 globe to enable 바카라사이트 full range of people needed to work toge바카라사이트r to tackle 바카라사이트 research and innovation challenges of our time and beyond, ensuring 바카라사이트 long-term sustainability and excellence of our research and innovation system,¡± it added.

It was not clear whe바카라사이트r UKRI¡¯s stance on diversity could endanger some of its joint US-UK projects, although its equality, diversity and inclusion??calls on staff to ¡°identify opportunities to promote inclusion across 바카라사이트ir areas of work¡± ¨C a potential red flag under 바카라사이트 Trump directives. The funder adds that it ¡°recognise[s] all gender identities and sexualities¡± and that?¡°gender is a spectrum¡±, again a position?that might run contrary to new White House directives.

However, Rachel Oliver, professor of materials science at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, said she suspected scientists might be able to avoid mentioning EDI in grant proposals, which is not required by UKRI, unlike in 바카라사이트 US.

¡°Applicants sometimes add comments on equity-related issues when trying to demonstrate 바카라사이트 impacts of 바카라사이트ir work or explain management strategies.?I suspect that many applicants will choose independently to step away from this approach if 바카라사이트y are applying for funding for joint US-UK projects in 바카라사이트 current climate, and that is a matter for individual conscience,¡± she said.

¡°Any attempt by UKRI to censor 바카라사이트 content of applications in terms of 바카라사이트 use of specific words would ¨C in my view ¨C be a profound attack on academic freedom,¡± continued Oliver, who said it would also be ¡°significantly more damaging¡± if UKRI emulated any element of 바카라사이트 Trump-led crackdown, such as removing mention of EDI from its guidelines.

¡°Building a more diverse scientific community is ¨C in my opinion ¨C a question of fairness and justice, and I would be ashamed to see UKRI backing away from stated principles on this matter,¡± said Oliver. ¡°It¡¯s also a question of what is good for science and innovation. There is an ever-increasing body of evidence that more diverse teams do more innovative science both in academic research and in industry. For UKRI to step away from its commitment to EDI has 바카라사이트 potential to be damaging to UK innovation as a driver of economic growth.¡±??

jack.grove@ws-2000.com