Trump v. Research: How We Could Turn the Threats into Opportunities - The Scholarly Kitchen

"As researchers and innovators at our core, we’re all about a good SWOT analysis. So, in this post, we share some thoughts on how, if all stakeholders worked together to stand up for research, the scholarly communications community could turn Trump’s threats into opportunities....

while it’s encouraging to see some organizations coming together within their existing siloes, that’s not enough. There’s a real opportunity – and imperative – for all stakeholders in the research community to join forces. Each group plays a vital role in the research endeavor. Now is the time to show our support for everyone’s contributions, and to help everyone understand that, by dismantling the research infrastructure through censorship and defunding, we hamper research progress and its benefits in the US and across the world. We call on the industry bodies that represent all these different stakeholders to leverage their relationships and networks to develop something that’s bigger than just a campaign — a movement that spans all individuals and organizations working to fund, conduct, support, and disseminate the science and scholarship essential for our survival and success....

How many headlines have you seen in the past couple of months that focus on what we, the people, are losing rather than what they, the institutions, are losing? The top three headlines from a quick Google search for “trump research funding cuts” brought up: Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH slashed science funding across states that backed Trump; How Trump 2.0 is slashing NIH-backed research — in charts; and Universities are facing big cuts to research funding. At Duke, it’s a time for ‘damage control’. Imagine how much more powerful it would be if, instead, they read more like: RFK Jr.’s NIH slashed science funding for cancer treatments that have saved XXX lives in the past year; How Trump 2.0 is slashing NIH-backed research estimated to generate $XX million in 2025; or Universities are facing big cuts to research funding: here’s how that will affect your community...."