US scientists axe ‘woke’ to maintain cash flow
(MENAFN) American researchers are increasingly removing terms linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from grant renewal applications to avoid losing government funding, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has moved aggressively to dismantle DEI programs, which he has long criticized as “divisive.” Introduced under former President Joe Biden, these initiatives were aimed at boosting representation of racial and sexual minorities in federal agencies. The Trump administration, however, has branded them “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
According to the WSJ, more than 600 grant applications since October 2024 have dropped language tied to DEI, including words like “diverse,” “underrepresented,” and “disparities.” The outlet reviewed thousands of applications for National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded projects in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, noting that some researchers even shifted studies originally focused on minority populations.
Johns Hopkins University confirmed that federal agencies had requested “modest modifications” to research proposals before renewing funding.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order launching a review of all government DEI policies. In a March address to Congress, he declared that his administration had ended the “tyranny” of DEI across federal institutions, the private sector, and the military, stressing that jobs and grants should be awarded based on merit rather than race or gender.
The White House has also targeted elite universities, including Harvard, over their handling of pro-Palestinian protests and DEI programs, suspending federal funds and limiting international student admissions.
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