Stand up for Science
at Santa Clara University
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President Trump and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have launched an assault on science funding at the federal level. In solidarity with scientists across the country, the faculty and students of Santa Clara University are organizing a teach-in to protest these cuts, inform our community, and organize our resistance. Please join us.
Teach-in March 7, 2025
Teach-in March 7, 2025
March 7, 2025, 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Santa Clara University campus, outside SCDI
What is happening?
What is happening?
The recent onslaught of EOs and the deep budgetary cuts from the Trump administration have had catastrophic impacts on scientific research in the United States. They have halted programs, frozen payments, and laid off employees across federal agencies responsible for conducting scientific research, such as the NIH, NSF, CDC, NOAA, NWS, EPA, and USFS. So far, the impact of the EOs and the budget cuts means that billions of dollars in grant funding that could be used to support creating a more healthy diverse ecosystem in science vanished, at times overnight. Programs associated with DEI efforts have been especially targeted, including those supporting environmental justice, equity in science, and access to research.
Many of their actions are likely illegal, and groups bringing legal cases have had much success in federal courts with judges issuing restraining orders. However, the administration has been outright ignoring these orders or exploiting loopholes to keep grants from being awarded. The result has been widespread chaos and uncertainty both within the agencies and among researchers who have and apply for these grants.
Here are a selection of news articles below that describe the activities and effects:
‘Stand Up for Science’ Rallies Will Protest Trump Attacks on Research | Scientific American - an interview with SUFS organizers
Trump’s siege of science: how the first 30 days unfolded and what’s next | Nature - what is happening and what are the initial consequences
Inside the Collapse at the NIH | The Atlantic (gift link) - how leadership and members of the NIH are responding to conflicting orders
Ban on D.E.I. Language Sweeps Through the Sciences | New York Times (gift link) - shuttering of scientific programs and scrubbing of federal websites that support diversity, equity, and inclusion
Trump’s Executive Orders Rolling Back DEI and Accessibility Efforts, Explained | ACLU - explainer on the content and effects on the anti-DEI executive orders
‘Devastating’ cuts to NIH grants by Trump’s team put on hold by US judge | Nature - description of how targeted "indirect costs" support research
NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants | Nature - description of the unprecedented, political termination of grants based on research areas aligned with DEI in the biomedical workforce, LGBTQ+ health, gender identity
Why should I care?
Why should I care?
Across the US and California
Across the US and California
Data sources: NIH in your state | NSF | NASA | NOAA
Congress has called on the federal government to use your taxes to fund research through various federal agencies. Slashing funding and firing employees at these agencies has halted the flow of billions of dollars to California and shut down critical research programs. Larger economic effects from these cuts will soon be felt too, as every $1 of research funding returns $2.46 in economic activity.
"NIH is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. It is the main piston of a biomedical discovery engine that is the envy of the globe. Yet it is not a household name. It should be.
"When you hear about patients surviving stage 4 cancer because of immunotherapy, that was based on NIH research over many decades. When you hear about sickle-cell disease being cured because of CRISPR gene editing, that was built on many years of research supported by NIH.”
-Francis Collins, Former NIH Director
Here are a few news articles describing the immediate effects of these cuts on undergraduate students:
At Santa Clara University
At Santa Clara University
Many research labs and programs at SCU are supported by grants from NIH, NSF, and other agencies. These funds pay for research supplies, equipment, and stipends to student researchers.
Recent awards to SCU Faculty, many of which are from federal agencies
"Federal funding for scientific research, primarily from agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), plays a crucial role in advancing knowledge while providing Santa Clara students with invaluable opportunities to participate in high-impact research. Significant budget cuts or uncertainties in federal funding can severely impact our faculty's research programs, which depend on stable financial support to conduct experiments planned months or even years in advance."
-Eric Tillman, Associate Provost for Research
Federal support @ SCU by the numbers
Federal support @ SCU by the numbers
"Last Fall, collaborators and I submitted an NSF grant that would focus on how biology instructors become aware of racial justice and how that awareness translates into action in the classroom. Its impacts could have been monumental in creating a more inclusive science experience for undergraduate students who are taking biology courses. Additionally, it would have supported several undergraduates for five years to conduct research here at Santa Clara. The grant call that this was submitted under has now been archived, and while we have not yet received final word that we will not be funded, we believe it is only a matter of time given that our grant supports many of the areas that the Trump administration is targeting."
-Desirée Forsythe, Assistant Professor of Biology
"As a faculty member at a primarily undergraduate research institution, my biggest worry about the current funding climate is the impact it will have on young scientists. The funds we apply for from sources like the NIH and NSF provide our labs with the resources needed to train the next generation of scientists. I recently applied for a grant at the NIH that included funds for a research technician and stipends to support three undergraduate researchers over three years. This grant has stalled in the review process, and I am unable to hire these student researchers, which takes away precious training opportunities for our students. As this situation persists, it will not only impact students at SCU, but it will stymie the development of a whole generation of researchers at the undergraduate, graduate, and early-investigator level."
-Ian Carter-O'Connell, Associate Professor of Biochemistry
What can I do?
What can I do?
Educate your friends and family
Educate your friends and family
Talk to your friends and family members about what these cuts mean to you and should mean to them. Share your story on social media. Join the conversation.
Advocate at SCU
Advocate at SCU
There are meaningful actions that universities can take to support their faculty and students who are being targeted by the administration's cuts. Encourage SCU administration to take action.
A Dear Colleague Letter in Defense of DEI | Inside Higher Ed - 11 specific actions higher ed institutions can take to uphold their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
Frequently Asked Questions (SCU login required) - Q&A from the SCU administration regarding the current presidential administration’s policies, executive orders, and interpretations of existing law that have generated deep concern among many on our campus.
Contact your representatives
Contact your representatives
Contact your state's two Senators and your Representative in the House to tell them to fight for science research.
Find my representatives. If you live near SCU, your representatives are probably Ro Khanna (House), Alex Pedilla (Senate), and Adam Schiff (Senate). You should contact the representatives in the district where you are registered to vote.
Develop a very short script on one topic, for example "I am opposed to the sweeping cuts at NIH halting critical medical research," "You should refuse to confirm presidential nominations until NSF programs have been restored," or "I am against firing of employees at the CDC."
Call the phone number associate with your representative. You will be connected to a staffer (or directed to voice mail if they are busy) who is keeping a tally of what issues people are calling about. Tell them your name and address. Read your short script. Be counted.
Use the 5calls.org app to streamline your process, use provided scripts, and make five calls to your federal and state representatives every day.
App Store (iPhone) | Google Play (Android)
VOTE!
VOTE!
Register to vote. You are eligible to vote in Santa Clara County if you live on or near campus. You can register in California at registertovote.ca.gov. For other states, search for your state's Secretary of State's website.
Check your voter registration. Ensure that your address is up to date and that you haven't been purged from voter rolls. College students, because they move around a lot, can be targets for purges. In California, check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Vote in person or mail your ballot by election day. Deadlines vary on whether mail-in ballots must be postmarked or received by election day, so make sure to check your state's rules.
Who are we?
Who are we?
We are a group of STEM faculty members and student groups at Santa Clara University. We would love to talk to you about the impact of cuts to scientific research on our work!
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