BY BAS BELLEMAN, HOGER ONDERWIJS PERSBUREAU (HOP)
Donald Trump’s anti-science policies are having serious consequences for Dutch researchers as well.
So say the results from a survey conducted by news agency HOP, NU.nl, investigative platform Investico, and De Groene Amsterdammer.
The universities have yet to issue a coordinated response to these developments, and some lack clear insight into the situation. A few institutes are taking action—Leiden is organising a meeting, and Rotterdam and Groningen are setting up support centres. But most universities are referring their researchers to their supervisors, existing help desks, or to a few general guidelines available on university websites.
Since taking office as president of the United States, Donald Trump has been undermining academic freedom in numerous ways. For example, there is now a list of banned words—such as diversity and gender—that scientists are no longer allowed to use if they want to qualify for government funding.
Survey and interviews
The impact of this new direction is being felt in the Netherlands as well, according to a survey of over two hundred scientists from twelve different universities, including the University of Groningen.
A third of those surveyed say they are already experiencing the effects. Partnerships with American researchers are being halted, conferences are being cancelled, or funding for research is disappearing.
Seventeen scientists report that certain ‘datasets and/or software’ have become unavailable since the changes at American scientific institutes. They mention two major U.S. programmes in the fields of climate and health sciences as examples.
‘Paused’
One institute that has been collecting international health data for decades, the DHS, is ‘currently paused.’ Several climate datasets from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) have also been decommissioned.
There is growing concern about whether these developments in the U.S. might spill over into the Netherlands. Researchers were asked: aside from government budget cuts, do you feel the academic climate is changing here as well? Over a third of respondents answered yes.
On Thursday, 15 May, UKrant will publish an in-depth story on this issue: How Trump’s Attack on Science Is Also Impacting Dutch Researchers: ‘In the End, Everyone Loses.’ On Tuesday, 21 May, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) will host an evening event at De Balie in Amsterdam on this topic, which will include a presentation of the survey findings.