Concerns about the threats facing science in the United States of America
The Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) stands with our colleagues throughout the Americas and around the world in voicing our concerns about the unprecedented threats facing science in the United States of America today. We have voiced similar concerns about attacks on the scientific enterprises of other countries in our region, such as Nicaragua and Argentina. But the current threats to U.S. science are even more alarming because of the greater global scope—in terms of investment, leadership in science-driven technology and innovation, and education—that U.S science has traditionally had.
The United States has played a significant role in advancing science and research throughout the Americas, acting as a hub for scientific innovation and collaboration. The U.S. has contributed to a broad range of scientific disciplines, from healthcare and environmental studies to space exploration and renewable energy, through its world-class research institutions, corporate innovations, and leadership in technological development.
The main rationale being given for the current drastic cuts to funding, indirect costs, and staffing at U.S. federal scientific agencies is economic. Yet, as we wrote in a previous statement3, Science is not an expense, but an investment. The United States has been the global economic leader due to its continuous investments in Science, Technology and Innovation throughout the last decades, inspiring other countries to make similar investments in ST&I5. IANAS hopes that the U.S. will continue to be a role model for the development of ST&I throughout the Americas.