Academic liberties in the United States under potential threat, according to RAS.
In a unified voice, more than 150 institutions and scientific organisations, including the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), have signed a declaration expressing concern over recent U.S. government restrictions on academic freedom and international research collaboration. The declaration, issued by ALLEA (All European Academies), highlights specific restrictions that pose threats to science and scholarship.
ALLEA, which represents over 50 academies from around 40 EU and non-EU countries, has outlined four main areas of concern. These include cuts to funding for major research agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF), policies restricting open access and transparency in research, growing nationalist and security-driven restrictions limiting international scientific cooperation, and broader implications for academic freedom.
The White House budget proposals have suggested deep reductions in NSF funding, a move that experts warn could "kill American science and boost China and other nations into global science leadership positions" by diminishing U.S. research capacity and global competitiveness. Additionally, debates continue regarding the implementation of open access policies for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research and concerns about censorship or takedowns of research outputs under political pressure.
Nationalist and security-driven restrictions on international collaboration risk undermining the international and collaborative nature of science. ALLEA and numerous European research organisations caution that such nationalist justifications for science funding and control threaten the integrity and openness essential to scientific progress.
The RAS, founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics, and related branches. The RAS President, Professor Mike Lockwood, expressed concerns about the impact of these restrictions on the careers of astronomers and geophysicists, freedom of speech, and the damage to future generations.
The RAS, which maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities, and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally, has endorsed the ALLEA statement. The RAS can be contacted via phone at +44 (0)7802 877 700 or email at press@our website.
The RAS accepts papers for its journals based on the principle of peer review, where fellow experts on the editorial boards accept the paper as worth considering. The society also has over 4,000 members, a third of whom are based overseas, including scientific researchers, historians of astronomy, and others.
The concerns stem from recent restrictions on science and scholarship by the U.S. government, including freezing billions in federal research funding and censoring research on topics such as climate change and gender. These restrictions target certain research areas for political reasons, which is seen as an attack on freedom of speech and akin to censorship of the most destructive kind.
The RAS can be kept up with on Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. For more information on the ALLEA statement, visit the ALLEA website. The RAS Supermassive podcast can be downloaded for further insights into the society's work and the current state of science and scholarship.
- The concerns outlined by ALLEA, including restrictions on open access and transparency in research, cuts to funding for agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF), and growing nationalist and security-driven restrictions limiting international scientific cooperation, have been echoed by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
- Political censorship, such as the targeting of certain research areas like climate change and gender, has been criticized by the RAS as an attack on freedom of speech and akin to censorship of the most destructive kind.
- The RAS, in support of education and self-development, encourages the study of environmental science and general news to cultivate a deeper understanding of the worldwide implications of climate change, medical-conditions, politics, and other essential issues.
