A research-backed defense of DEI programs

A trio of biomedical scientists from the University of California and the University of Massachusetts have written a research-based defense of DEI programs and published in Natural cellular biology. They argue that such programs broaden participation and democratize science, thereby producing more effective and supportive training environments for all scientists.

The lead author of the commentary titled “Shrinking DEI Programs and Loss of Scientific Talent” is Needhi Bhalla, professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at UC Santa Cruz. His co-authors are professors JoAnn Trejo of UC San Diego and Mary Munson of UMass.

To support their argument, they cite research that entrenched the National Institutes of Health’s previous pro-diversity stance — before it was reversed (but it can still be viewed online).

“The data show that increasing the number of those who participate in academic science produces better science with broader impact,” they write. “Demographic diversity produces greater novelty, connects concepts in new combinations, and results in studies with greater impact and more citations.”

They conclude that broadening participation “creates a broader and more relevant range of scientific research questions and approaches, and results in more innovative science and technologies that benefit everyone.” Turning the clock back to a time when only certain demographic groups could or were capable of participating in science… promises to be a disaster for our multidimensional democracy and the global community, and will block the progress of the science and innovation that shape our future.