In response to the second Trump administration’s relentless attacks on science, our democracy, and our rights and freedoms, the Union of Concerned Scientists is launching Science Rising: a new initiative to mobilize scientists and science supporters against the Trump administration’s anti-science and authoritarian actions, and lay the foundation for reimagining future federal science policy for the public good.
Why is UCS tapping the scientific community to speak up, show up, and rise? As UCS President and CEO Dr. Gretchen Goldman and her co-author, Harvard Kennedy School Professor Dr. Erica Chenoweth, wrote in their Science magazine op-ed:
“The ability to tell the truth, especially when it does not suit any particularly partisan aims, is an essential prerequisite for a free society. Scientists can leverage their substantial social standing and trustworthiness to preserve this vital ingredient.”
When decisions that affect our lives are based not on science and evidence, but instead on lies and propaganda, we need truth-tellers. We need people who believe in and are guided by integrity, justice, and science. We need creative people who can reimagine our institutions so that they serve the public, not the powerful. Scientists and their supporters can help protect science and our democracy—by rising together. UCS Senior Director of Strategy and Communications Matt Heid lays out the plan.
AAE: What are the goals of Science Rising?
MATT HEID: Ultimately, we are working to ensure the return of a pro-science, pro-democracy federal government that centers the best available science, facts, and evidence to inform the decisions that affect the health, safety, and well-being of us all.
Our goals are four-fold:
- Minimize the harm being inflicted by the Trump administration’s anti-science and anti-democratic actions on people and communities across the country.
- Counter the administration’s ongoing efforts to consolidate and normalize authoritarian rule.
- Make progress where possible now while laying the groundwork for future progress, with a particular focus on what comes after the 2028 election—the most likely next opportunity for transformative change.
- Inspire and mobilize the scientific community, and science supporters everywhere, to take action.
In many ways, Science Rising is building upon—and supercharging—the tremendous work we did countering this administration’s actions during its first year and a half in office, and drawing from some of the key lessons we learned about the most effective ways to respond.
AAE: UCS has been in this fight for a while. What are the most successful tactics to defend science?
MATT HEID: We’ve seen that one of the most effective ways to slow down or stop the administration’s anti-science moves is a powerful and immediate response, followed by sustained and focused action. This is particularly crucial because we know that one of the administration’s primary strategies is to constantly “flood the zone” with outrageous behavior that distracts and draws attention away from its most recent actions.
To that end—and as part of Science Rising—we’re actively developing and deploying more robust capabilities for immediately and forcefully calling out, and successfully pushing back against, the administration’s actions.
AAE: What can regular people do to counter these attacks on science and democracy?
MATT HEID: First of all, you can bookmark www.sciencerising.org. We provide resources and opportunities for scientists and science supporters to take action to protect science and our democracy. (Stay tuned for a guide that will walk you through booking meetings with your elected officials during Congress’ August recess.)
There are many opportunities to get engaged and take action in ways that align with your interests, capabilities, and tolerance for risk. You can pressure your elected representatives, especially those in Congress, to defend science and democracy. You can call out the administration’s propaganda and lies—and advance the real facts and evidence instead—within your own social and community circles, or by authoring an op-ed in your local media. Remember that demonstrations of courage are contagious: participate in and support marches, rallies, and other events to build and showcase solidarity and inspire others to get off the sidelines and engage. And you can support and provide mutual aid for others, especially for those who are most vulnerable to the administration’s attacks.
AAE: What do you see as the role or responsibility of scientists to speak up in our current political climate?
MATT HEID: Scientists have a crucial role to play as trusted messengers in our society. Indeed, most people in the United States—77 percent—trust scientists to act in the public’s best interest, according to a Pew Research poll from January.
Put another way: When scientists speak, people listen. This past year has clearly demonstrated that putting your head down, staying quiet, and hoping for the best is not an effective strategy for countering this administration’s relentless assault on science. At the same time, we recognize that everybody is in a different position, with different levels of risk, and that it’s crucial for scientists to know and evaluate their personal risk tolerance.
Those who can more safely speak out should, and loudly! Those facing greater personal or professional risks should calibrate their actions accordingly. But everybody, no matter what their risk tolerance might be, can do something.
AAE: Science Rising states that the groundwork for reimagining federal science and our democracy will be laid in the future. What can we do better, or get right in the future that wasn’t working for people even before President Trump returned to office?
MATT HEID: We don’t want to go back to the way things were before all this—to return to a status quo that sometimes perpetuated inequities in the ways science was used and applied across different parts of society. Instead, our goal with Science Rising is to develop, support, and advance a better, more equitable vision for science in the future, while simultaneously ensuring that critical science the administration is currently working to suppress can continue unfettered.
For an example of the former, UCS is urging Congress to support the recently introduced Scientific Integrity Act, a critical step toward safeguarding federal science from political interference and ensuring policies that impact everyday people are guided by the best available evidence.
And for the latter, Science Rising includes our Independent Science Initiative, which is working to ensure that critical science continues outside of government. This effort to foster and build an alliance for independent science initially focuses on supporting independent committees that can continue the work of federal science advisory committees the administration has shut down.
AAE: How is UCS looking to its supporters to be part of this campaign?
MATT HEID: One of the core strategies for Science Rising is to build unity within the scientific community, which includes anyone and everyone who is passionate about protecting and advancing science and democracy in these challenging times. If you’re a scientist or other technical expert, you can join the more than 20,000 experts in the UCS Science Network, who have signed up to apply their skills to local and national issues they care about. You’ll find training and opportunities to engage as an advocate within and for your own community.
And beyond that, all of our supporters can help build and strengthen our collective power. That means encouraging and motivating others to get involved, especially those who have been sitting on the sidelines. That means calling out the administration’s authoritarian actions for what they are, and building greater awareness and understanding of the threat and risks to our democracy. And that means spreading the message that we do have the power to build a better, safer, and more just future for us all.