The National Science Foundation is combing through research grants, flagging projects tied to diversity, equity and inclusion to comply with Trump-era executive orders.
Carolyn Y. Johnson, Scott Dance, and Joel Achenbach report for The Washington Post.
In short:
- NSF staff are reviewing active research projects for keywords like “diverse,” “equity” and “institutional,” which may signal activities violating executive orders that restrict diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
- Federal agencies, including the CDC and AHRQ, have scrubbed public health documents referencing gender identity, with terms like “transgender” and “nonbinary” flagged for removal.
- Scientists argue that the keyword screening undermines scientific integrity and the peer review process, which relies on evaluating intellectual merit, not political litmus tests.
Key quote:
“This [keyword-based vetting] is unprecedented within the history of the NSF.”
— Morteza Dehghani, professor of psychology and computer science, University of Southern California
Why this matters:
This politicization of research threatens scientific independence, potentially erasing health data critical for marginalized groups. By policing language, federal agencies risk stifling research that addresses health disparities, social determinants of health and the complex realities of diverse populations.
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