Being informed is powerful. Please spread this information and contact your representatives about how this policy impacts you.
FEDERAL LEVEL
Formal Dissents from Employees across Federal Science Agencies
Employees at the NIH, EPA, NASA, and NSF have come forward with formal declarations of dissent, outlining their concerns with the policies enacted and proposed by the current Administration. These declarations have been addressed to the Administrators & Directors at respective agencies.Â
Bethesda Declaration (National Institutes of Health); issued June 9, 2025 - READ and SIGN in Support HERE
Declaration of Dissent (Environmental Protection Agency); issued July 1, 2025Â - READ and SIGN in Support HERE
All 139 employees that signed the EPA Dissent have been put on administrative leave by Administrator Lee Zeldin.
The NASA Voyager (NASA); issued July 21, 2025 - READ and SIGN in Support HEREÂ
Alexandria Declaration (National Science Foundation); issued July 21, 2025 - READ here
5/23/2025: Trump signs Executive Order "Restoring Gold Standard Science," which calls for a massive overhaul of how federal agencies handle scientific research. This executive order includes multiple sections calling for science to be practiced in a manner which it already is. Intentions of this Executive Order become clear in Section 7, which outlines that political appointees are empowered to find and punish research who don't align with Trump's agenda.Â
ACTION ITEM: Sign Stand Up for Science's Open Letter in support of science; this letter is for everyone that believes in science (you have the option to sign anonymously or add yoru name to the public list of signers)
STATE LEVEL
6/10-6/12/2025: Iowa Board of Regents (BOR), which is the governing body of the public Iowa universities, including University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa will be hosting a meeting at the Levitt Center (University of Iowa). One agenda item is voting on proposed anti-DEI and anti-critical race theory policy--with a reading occurring for the first and final time at that session. United Faculty issued a statement opposing this proposed policy on June 4th.
Update (6/9/25): After pressure from United Faculty and the public, the BOR has decided to add a second reading for the proposed policy and delayed the voting until July 30th.Â
Update (7/28/25): BOR has decided to further postpone their vote on this policy.
Update (8/7/25): BOR has released a revised policy, which has removed specific terms and definitions of "diversity, equity, and inclusion" and "critical race theory." They will vote on this revised policy on August 12th.Â
Summary of Legislative Session 2025:
Signed into law
SF 418: Removing gender identity from Civil Rights Act
HF 295: Allowing lawsuits against private entities that review college quality (regents universities would adhere to state’s lower standards that require, for example, censorship of material in a number of disciplines)
HF 856: Prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion positions in community colleges, local government (takes effect beginning in July 2025)
HF 299: Requiring schools to disclose vaccine exemption information
HF 437: Require new “School of Intellectual Freedom” at the University of Iowa (language in the bill sets this proposed school to be an “independent academic unit”; conservatives have been supporting this bill as a way to prevent Iowa from becoming too “left-leaning”, like in this article)
HF 1049: No medicaid coverage for gender dysphoria procedures and therapies
HF 516: Iowa resident quota for medical, dental residency programsÂ
Failed to pass
HF 401: Ban on college curriculum including identity politics, systemic racism as inherent in U.S. institutions
SF 180: Legal protections for individuals who refuse medical services for religious reasons (would have authorized individuals who refuse services such as vaccines to bring a civil action against healthcare providers and employers by using purposely broad language)
SF 304: Revoking minors’ legal capacity to consent to HPV vaccine
Failed to pass the funnel deadlines
HF 269: further banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs at regents universities
HF 854: prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion positions at private colleges whose students use the Iowa Tuition Grant
HF 420: Require Board of Regents to review all academic programs
HF 576: “Requires institution of higher education to adopt and enforce policy relating to certain expressions of support for terrorist activities or organizations…by nonimmigrant visa holders attending or working at the institutions”
SF 8: prohibiting disciplinary action against teachers who do not use student’s preferred name or pronouns
House Study Bill 84: Expanding restriction on LGBTQ+ topics in schools to grades 7-12