The National Science Foundation (NSF) has reportedly allocated over $2 billion towards injecting “woke” ideology into scientific research during the Biden administration, according to a report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation. This infusion of funds has been directed towards projects that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) concepts or incorporate neo-Marxist views into scientific research.
A considerable portion of the NSF grants, totalling more than 10%, combined with federal dollars exceeded $2.05 billion, financed ideologically backed projects. These projects were classified under five categories – ‘Status’, ‘Social Justice’, ‘Gender’, ‘Race’ and ‘Environmental Justice’. Notably, DEI’s investment amount under the Biden administration soared from 0.29% in 2021 to over 27% by April 2024.
Anna Krylov, a chemist at the University of Southern California, described these findings as “only the tip of the iceberg.” She added that besides these grants, ideological and non-scientific criteria have started influencing the funding of technical projects. Krylov emphasized that significant changes were needed to eliminate DEI influences from funding agencies and other institutions, reduce bureaucratization of science, and restore merit-based focus.
This comes amidst a political shift where Donald Trump regained his presidential post and Republicans took control over both chambers of Congress in the 2024 elections. This political shift is considered a critique of the Democrats’ focus on woke ideology. Going ahead, such grants will likely be scrutinized by the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a private advisory organization led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. They will investigate federal spending and present recommendations on potential cuts to the returning Trump administration.
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