So, Trump's presidential order can influence Swedish scientists

During Friday, manifestations are planned under the slogan ”Stand up for science“In some thirty American cities. A loud protest against the Trump administration's many proposals for cuts and restrictions on state -funded research.

« The older researchers I met cannot remind themselves an equally worried time since McCarthyism in the 1950s, when chasing alleged co-runners and communists at the universities, » says Mats Benner, a professor of research policy at Lund University.

He was in the United States last week to meet American scientists and discuss the drastic changes that the Trump government wants to push through.

– It is difficult to understand why you want to do this type of general attack on one of the few institutions that works really well in the US, says Mats Benner.

The state authorities that Finans research, such as NIH and NSF, is facing an economic steel bath with large staff cuts and reduced budgets.

– There are very large cuts that in turn affect the universities. It is obviously very serious if they are implemented and it will have a major impact on American research, says Katarina Bjelke, Director General of the Swedish Research Council.

She emphasizes that it is too early to say what effects will be, because many of Donald Trump's decision appealed and temporarily blocked by courts.

– But it is with concern that we follow what will happen. We want a good cooperation with American researchers, we are a small but strong research nation that is dependent on the outside world, says Katarina Bjelke.

The USA is a long time Sweden Individual most important research partner, especially in research that revolves around medicine and health. As many as 20 percent of all Swedish scientific publications take place in collaboration with American research institutes.

The uncertainty that has arisen since the Trump government began to announce cuts has already affected cooperation with American researchers to some extent.

– But the serious thing is if the plans are implemented, which can have major consequences for collaborations between Swedish and American researchers in the longer term. That is what we worry about, but it is still very unclear how it lands, says Katarina Bjelke.

Together with representatives of several Swedish universities, she will visit Washington next week to meet American partners to find solutions.

Reduced research grants Can also have direct impact on Swedish studies. Both in cases where they collaborate with US researchers with state funding, and for the US also financing research abroad.

– It is a small, but not insignificant proportion of the Swedish research corps funded by the US, says Mats Benner at Lund University.

The Swedish institution that receives the largest grant from the US authorities is the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Last year, it was SEK 60 million, which is a very small part of the total appropriations.

– We have indications that some projects have been adversely affected already, but we cannot yet fully overlook the consequences for KI's research and academic exchanges. More and more questions are coming in from researchers, employees and students. To follow the development, we have started a special resource group at KI, writes Vice -Rector Martin Bergö in a comment on DN.

Parallel to Savings packages and mass settlements are affected by the Academy by Donald Trump's presidential order to stop state investments in diversity, justice and inclusion, in English abbreviated Dei (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

There are reports that research financiers such as NSF have begun to flag applications that contain concepts such as gender, climate and ethnicity as suspects. At the same time coming information about NiH to withdraw already granted grants for research on trans issues, gender identity and Dei.

Mats Benner believes that if the Trump government manages to push through its proposals, it will be a broad blow to the entire research community. From drug development and basic research in physics to research on climate and green technology.

– It is not only the obvious enemies such as gender and climate that are affected, this strikes against the entire academy, says Mats Benner.

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