We can't have a future without science

Video and pictures from the Stand up for Science Rally at the Rhode Island State House

Hundreds of people gathered on the south side of the Rhode Island State House on Friday for the Stand Up for Science Rally. The main rally was in Washington, D.C., but sister rallies reportedly took place in over 30 US cities and overseas as well.

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From the Stand Up for Science website:

On March 7, 2025, we rally to defend science as a public good and pillar of social, political, and economic progress.

We call on policymakers, institutions, and the scientific community to uphold the integrity of science, protect its accessibility, and ensure its benefits serve all people. To achieve this, we seek the following policy actions.

1. End Censorship and Political Interference in Science

   1. Science thrives on open inquiry and evidence-based decision-making. We demand:

   2. An end to government censorship: Prohibit all forms of political censorship in scientific research, including restrictions on the topics of scientific research that are eligible for federal funding.

   3. Restoration of public access to scientific information: Restore all scientific data, reports, and resources on federal websites to pre-January 31^st, 2025 status, ensuring full public access to primary scientific sources.

   4. Protection of research independence: Mandate legal safeguards against political interference to preserve the integrity of federal research and communication.

   5. A commitment to freedom of scientific expression: Protect scientists’ rights to communicate their findings freely, without fear of retaliation or suppression.

2. Secure and Expand Scientific Funding

   1. Publicly funded science drives innovation, strengthens the economy, and improves lives. We demand:

   2. Restoration of federal research funding: Reinstate federal funding for scientific research across all disciplines to FY 2024 levels and commit a 20% increase in federal scientific funding over the next three years followed by annual increases indexed to inflation to ensure sustained scientific advancement.

   3. Reinstatement of wrongfully dismissed federal employees: Rehire all unlawfully terminated scientists and administrators at federal agencies (including, but not limited to, the NSF, NIH, CDC, EPA, NOAA, NPS, NWS, NASA, FWS, and FDA) with full back pay and benefits.

   4. Removal of the 15% cap on indirect funding for NIH-funded grants and reinstatement of indirect funding policies as they existed prior to January 1, 2025.

3. Defend Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Science

   1. Science is strongest when it includes everyone. Attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are attacks on science itself. We demand:

   2. Preservation of equitable access to STEM: Maintain and expand federal programs that broaden participation in STEM training and careers.

   3. Protection for minoritized scientists: Enforce anti-discrimination protections for minoritized scientists to ensure equitable participation and impact.

   4. Reinstatement of DEIA initiatives: Restore all DEIA programming within federal agencies to pre-January 1, 2025 status, ensuring continued progress toward equity.

Science is for everyone. Science keeps us safe and enables us to live longer, healthier lives. We call on leaders at every level, regardless of political affiliation, to champion and protect scientific research, education, and communication—for the progress, prosperity, and well-being of all.

The wind was fierce at the Rhode Island event, hindering the audio recording, and the event was long—four hours. I was able to record the speakers only for the first two hours of the event.

Here’s the video:

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