Comment on "Politicizing science funding undermines public trust in science, academic freedom, and the unbiased generation of knowledge"

TL;DR

This paper provides a critical rebuttal to Efimov et al.24, challenging the claim that U.S. science funding has become politicized to pursue DEI goals at the expense of merit. It conducts a detailed fact-check, arguing that DEI requirements are rarely mandatory elements of merit review, budgets are not micromanaged, and inclusion-related plans accompany but do not override scientific evaluation. It documents inclusion and diversity policies (e.g., NSF Broader Impacts, NASA Inclusion Plan, DOE PIER, NIH-PRIDE) and contends these initiatives can enhance scientific quality by aligning the workforce with the population. By reviewing empirical literature on systemic barriers and arguing for diverse teams, the paper asserts that DEI and meritocracy are not mutually exclusive and that inclusive policies can strengthen research outcomes; it also situates these arguments within a broader political context and emphasizes preserving an accurate historical record of 2024 funding practices.

Abstract

In a commentary published in mid-2024 (to which the present work is a direct response), a number of scientists argue that U.S. funding agencies have "politicized" the process by which grants are awarded, in service of diversifying the scientific workforce. The commentary in question, however, makes numerous unfounded assertions while recycling citations to a fusillade of opinion essays written by the same cabal of authors, in an effort to resemble a work of serious scholarship. Basic fact-checking is provided here, demonstrating numerous claims that are unsupported by the source material and readily debunked. The present work also serves to document the reality of inclusion and diversity plans for scientific grant proposals to U.S. funding agencies, as they existed at the end of 2024. It is intended as a bulwark against retroactive false narratives, as the U.S. moves into a period of intense antagonism towards diversity, equity, and inclusion activities.