SFG Supports the Funding of Science

March 1, 2025

Executive orders, promulgated by the Trump administration during its first days and weeks in office, endanger the health, welfare, and general prospects for the pursuit of happiness of all the world’s people.  Several of these orders directly target the lifeblood of the basic science and biomedical research enterprise of the United States, which feeds world-wide collaborations that have placed humans on the moon, protected us from the worst plagues, lessened the mortality of cancers, brought us to the brink of tapping limitless energy sources, lifted the fog and pain of mental illnesses, revealed deep secrets of the cosmos, enhanced childhood survival, fed millions through agricultural advances, and achieved many other large and small victories that have undeniably improved life on earth. 

The scientific enterprises of the United States have grown over the last century into robust, self-correcting, and efficient engines of ingenuity and societal transformation.  A major tenet of these enterprises is a deep commitment to peer-review, the process by which scientists of many types bring their expertise and honest intentions to bear for the purpose of identifying the most promising and impactful science.  In turn, the scientific community has relied on generations of dedicated scientists and administrators working within government agencies to translate the wisdom of the peer review process into resources that foster the growth of productive and promising avenues of research.  

As funded projects have generated novel findings, new opportunities for commercialization in the technology, therapeutic, and other business sectors have emerged, yielding immense wealth and worldwide advances in health and well-being. For many patients with life-threatening diseases, participation in clinical trials, driven by new scientific discoveries, is not just an option but often a last hope for survival. The ongoing cessation of clinical trials has devastating consequences, cutting off access to potential life-saving treatments and halting critical research progress.

This contract between science and society has been arbitrarily and capriciously violated by the current administration.  The administration’s attempts to slow or block the release of approved funds, to decrease institutional support for essential infrastructure, and to interfere with peer review processes are unacceptable.  Like any high performing organizational structure that suffers disruption for chaotic reasons, the administration’s actions risk permanent damage to future generations of citizens and citizen scientists unless current executive orders are reversed. 

The Society for Glycobiology (SFG) fosters the growth and represents the interests of basic, biomedical, chemical, computational, and analytic scientists working to understand the function and structure of glycoconjugates, which influence almost all aspects of normal cell and tissue function in all organisms on earth and contribute to the pathophysiology of many chronic and acute human diseases.  Because glycoscience touches such a broad range of disciplines, glycobiologists that study these processes are especially appreciative of support from the NIH and NSF and wish to stand in solidarity with those who would protect these vital public agencies. 

The leadership of the SFG, representing our broad membership, are disheartened to witness the displacement of valuable science and support staff from our premier federal agencies, and we mourn the predictable impact that these moves will have on the future of our shared missions. We urge our members, as well as our colleagues in other domains of biological, biomedical, chemical, and related research endeavors to speak out by contacting their elected representatives, correcting misconceptions when opportunities arise, and respectfully engaging in discourse with anyone who will listen.  While it is true that we get the government we elect, we can also reasonably expect that elected officials will be open to learning of the historic successes of federally funded research in the United States and the impact that it has had on every corner of our society, independent of prevailing political persuasions.