[Karah Rucker]

UNIVERSITIES WITH SO-CALLED “WOKE POLICIES” COULD SEE FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS WITHHELD UNDER THE NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL –

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S NOMINEE TO LEAD THE “NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH” WILL TAKE ON “CAMPUS CULTURE” AT ELITE UNIVERSITIES –

BY ONLY AWARDING THE AGENCY’S TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN RESEARCH GRANTS TO SCHOOLS THAT ALLOW FOR WHAT HE CALLS “ACADEMIC FREEDOM” – ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.

TO DETERMINE A UNIVERSITY’S LEVEL OF “ACADEMIC FREEDOM” –

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya –COULD USE A RANKING SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY THE “FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION” – OR **FIRE –

WHICH SCORES UNIVERSITIES BASED ON ITS TRACK RECORD ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH –

AND HOW COMFORTABLE STUDENTS FEEL EXPRESSING DIFFERING OPINIONS ON CAMPUS.

SCHOOLS THAT PUNISH FACULTY OR DIS-INVITE CONTROVERSIAL SPEAKERS COULD SEE THEIR FUNDING REDUCED ACCORDING TO THE JOURNAL.

SOME UNIVERSITIES THAT CURRENTLY RECEIVE LARGE N-I-H GRANTS –

LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, COLUMBIA, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – HAVE BEEN RANKED POORLY BY THE GROUP “FIRE”.

ON THE OTHER HAND –

SCHOOLS LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, AND FLORIDA STATE –

HAVE RECEIVED HIGH MARKS FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM.

BHATTACHARYA’S PUSH TO PRIORITIZE ACADEMIC FREEDOM COMES AFTER HIS OWN STRUGGLES WITH PUBLIC PUSHBACK OVER HIS OPINIONS – SPECIFICALLY OVER THE NATION’S PANDEMIC RESPONSE.

HE FACED CRITICISM FOR HIS STANCE AGAINST LOCKDOWNS AND MASK MANDATES – POSITIONS THAT WERE WIDELY NOT ACCEPTED AT THE TIME. BHATTACHARYA TELLINGS COLLEAGUES UNIVERSITIES SHOULD BE PLACES WHERE DISSENTING IDEAS ARE PROTECTED RATHER THAN SILENCED.

THE PROPOSAL OF ATTACHING FREE SPEECH PROMOTION ON CAMPUSES TO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY A UNIVERSITY RECEIVES IN RESEARCH GRANTS –

WAS QUICK TO BECOME CONTROVERSIAL.

SUPPORTERS SAY IT WILL ENCOURAGE UNIVERSITIES TO END WOKE POLICIES AND “CANCEL CULTURE”.

WHILE CRITICS OF THE IDEA FEAR THEY COULD “POLITICIZE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND HARM INNOVATION”.

SOME SAY LINKING RESEARCH GRANTS TO POLITICAL FACTORS COULD SLOW DOWN IMPORTANT MEDICAL RESEARCH IN FINDING CURES FOR CANCER AND ALZHEIMER’S

AT PROGRESSIVE UNIVERSITIES WITH SUCCESSFUL SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS. 

AS THE SENATE PREPARES FOR DR. BHATTACHARYA’S CONFIRMATION HEARING –

THIS PROPOSAL COULD BECOME PART OF THE CONVERSATION AMONG SENATORS DEBATING HIS PLACE AT THE TOP OF THE N-I-H.

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