Biden Admin To Spend Over $2 Million To Diversify Marine Biology, Climate Science

The Biden administration's National Science Foundation (NSF) is allocating over $2 million in taxpayer funds to promote diversity in marine biology and climate science. The NSF is providing grants to four universities to conduct studies on how to incorporate anti-racist and equity-driven initiatives into the fields, focusing on BIPOC storytelling and standpoint centering. Chrystal George Mwangi, an associate professor at George Mason University, is the principal investigator of the study and will receive $1.2 million in funding. The study aims to create "a replicable and scalable model for equity-centered support in STEM collaborations." The NSF also allocated funding for similar diversity initiatives in other fields. In December, the agency provided more than $170,000 to study the effects of "microaggressions" on biomedical engineering education and workforce. Biden's NSF is also interested in diversifying engineering classrooms. In a separate grant, the agency provided more than $323,000 to Florida International University to transform engineering classrooms "towards racial equity" by training engineering professors to become "agents of change." Critics point out that qualifying for marine biology and climate science jobs require years of intense scientific training and hard work. Although capable individuals from all demographic groups have the capacity to succeed in these fields, the NSF appears to be more interested in promoting ideological diversity.