Opinion: Diversity statements should not be required for federal STEMM grant funding
Federally funded research in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) is a crown jewel of American higher education that confers enormous benefits upon the U.S. and the world. The integrity of the processes by which funding decisions are made is critically important to the success of the enterprise and its support by the public who pay for this research. As documented in a recent commentary that I and several colleague published in the journal Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, considerations of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have been introduced into federal science funding decisions. I believe these threaten serious damage to this important ecosystem and require critical analysis before they are routinely implemented.
STEMM funding by federal agencies has fueled the great success of U.S. science, advancing knowledge production and improving the human condition worldwide. Each of the major U.S. funding agencies — the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Defense has a distinct mission, and in 2024 they will together distribute more than $90 billion dollars in research grants.
