An audience of close to 100 in the Indiana Memorial Union State Room East, plus over 70 livestream viewers, assembled for the “Stand Up for Science” town hall on Wednesday afternoon, seeking to confront what organizers described as a movement against the sciences in the United States.
The forum was held by Concerned Scientists at IU and its student group affiliate Advocates for Science at IU. Geophysics professor and organizer Michael Hamburger said in his opening remarks that the event’s goal was to combat “a broad-side attack on the sciences and universities as a whole.”
Founded more than eight years ago in response to President Donald Trump’s 2016 election, CSIU is a coalition of university faculty, staff and students “dedicated to strengthening the essential role of science and evidence-based decision making, at all levels,” according to the group’s mission statement. Although the group’s members are affiliated with IU, the organization itself operates independently of the university to fight against the politicization and defunding of the sciences.
The first month of Trump’s second term has reignited CSIU’s worries about independent research and scientific academic freedom. Event speakers cited developments like a recently proposed (though temporarily blocked) policy that would cut National Institutes of Health funding to research institutions by more than 67% and mass firings at federal science agencies as evidence of the administration’s threat to universities and scientific integrity.
“Today, we’re witnessing unprecedented attacks against research, education, and objective policy making,” Freedom Eiden, an ASIU student affiliate said. “Today’s turnout is a testament to the opposition to attacks on the scientific community.”
The forum also touched on concerns about the Trump administration’s threats to universities to cut diversity, equity and inclusion programs or face funding losses. Forum speakers argued that cutting DEI was another example of higher education being politically targeted by the new administration.
“DEI reflects our core values as scientists and citizens,” Armin Moczek, chair of the biology department, said. The room welled up with worried murmurs as speakers mentioned an Indiana state Senate bill taking aim at DEI in schools and shared anecdotes of being told to remove “language of DEI” from grant proposals.
While the forum largely cast a sober tone, it also celebrated the forward steps CSIU has taken throughout its history. Since CSIU’s founding, it has hosted influential speakers like former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, conducted meetings with Indiana legislature members to discuss concerns, submitted formal comments on regulatory policy and spearheaded science education programs.
Speakers championed these accomplishments as reasons for what they called “constructive hope” — not blind optimism, but using the belief in the possibility of progress to propel productive action.
To share thoughts and suggestions with the group, Concerned Scientists at IU can be reached at the general address of csatiub@gmail.com. More information on CSIU is available on the organization's website.
