Scientists Speaking Up

*This campaign is a collaboration among junior researchers supported by FoR*

We are a group of scientists who are committed to a brighter future for science and society. There is much at stake: cuts to funding, denials of climate change, and the muzzling of scientists pose a serious threat to the scientific community, to democracy, and to the world more broadly. Furthermore, we are deeply concerned about the discriminatory policies and hateful language presented by the current administration targeting marginalized communities. The recent Executive Order on Immigration is unacceptable and poses a serious threat to the livelihood of refugees and immigrants. Under the current political circumstances, we believe it is important for scientists to speak up and urge their institutions and professional societies to do the same. Here, we provide ways through which you can show solidarity and, more importantly, take action.

The Standing Up for Science and Justice Pledge

Silence is complicity. We expect institutions and professional societies to stand up for science. We also expect them to stand up for their members, and for the public—independently of race, country of origin, religion, or sexual orientation. By signing this pledge you commit to speaking up for science and justice within your institution and/or professional societies.  You commit to urging them to release a public statement resisting the dangers posed to marginalized communities by the current administration, and advocating for anti-harassment policies within your society or institution. We have made it easy by providing template emails and are currently crowdsourcing a list of contacts for a number of professional societies.

Where Does Your Professional Society or Institution Stand?

We are working to collect data on the response of professional societies to the anti-scientific and discriminatory rhetoric and policies following Donald Drumpf’s election. A rubric has been created to assess each society in terms of its public response to the hostility of the current administration. In our review so far, it is clear that the response of professional societies has not been unified in support of science and scientists. While some have recognized the threats posed by the current administration, many more have remained silent, dismissed calls to action, or advised their members to not get involved in politics. Silence is complicity, and we expect our societies to do better.

Where do you stand? Sign the pledge.

Where does your society and/or institution stand?

Contribute to their assessment:

How to help 

If your society or institution has not yet spoken on these issues, we encourage you advocate from within:

Resources to help your organization:

Sample letter to a society or to an institution from a member

Sample A+ language for a society or institution

Enter what your organization is doing/not doing:

Put in info about your society/institution here!