Debate Follows Over Biden Funding Study
A government agency dedicated to advancing scientific progress and national defense is receiving backlash for granting nearly one million dollars in taxpayer funds to three academic institutions for a study on making biology classes “inclusive” for transgender students.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is facing criticism for funding the study, titled “Collaborative Research: A Qualitative Inquiry into Sex/gender narratives in Undergraduate Biology and their Impacts on Transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming Students,” which aims to deny the binary nature of sex.
The study, which will be conducted by the University of Minnesota, Colorado State University, and Florida International University, has received a total of $905,694 in government funding. The NSF, a federal agency responsible for promoting scientific progress and securing national defense, defended its decision, stating that the study was identified as having “intellectual merit” and “broader impacts” by the peer reviewers.
The study claims that biology courses often inaccurately categorize sex and gender as binary, making it challenging for transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming (TNG) students to feel included in the classroom. The researchers hope to examine how accurately representing the diversity of sexes across species and the complex relationship between sex and gender can create a more inclusive environment for TNG students in undergraduate biology courses.
The study has three primary goals: to explore how sex and gender are currently represented in undergraduate biology content, to describe the impact this content has on classroom climate and belonging for TNG students, and to characterize the current efforts of biology instructors to create a more inclusive climate for TNG students. The researchers also intend to support the design of interventions and curricula that are inclusive of both TNG and intersex students and help all biology students develop inclusive and scientifically accurate understandings of sex and gender.
The NSF has defended its support of the study, stating that the research questions are based on a strong theoretical foundation and the proposal made a strong case to the peer reviewers. Carrie Hall, a Program Manager for the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM at the NSF, is listed as the person overseeing the study. The universities involved did not respond to requests for comment.
This is not the first time that taxpayer funds have been used to support the diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently allocated funds to an organization to develop transgender-inclusive sex education programs for children as young as 14 years old. The Biden administration has also signed multiple executive orders to use the federal government to promote left-wing beliefs on race and the diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda.
Under former President Trump, there were talks of plans to reduce the power of the administrative state and fire unelected bureaucrats who may obstruct the president’s objectives. However, the Biden administration is facing criticism for using taxpayer funds to push ideological initiatives rather than focusing on larger issues such as national defense and scientific progress.
While the federal government has been using taxpayer funds to push radical gender ideology, a growing number of studies have found that so-called “gender-affirming” medical interventions do not benefit patients. The Biden administration has also been exposed for relying on just two pages of literature to support their belief in “gender-affirming care.”
Despite the controversy surrounding the study, the NSF stands by their decision to fund it. With their “gold standard” merit review process and recognized intellectual merit and broader impacts, the NSF believes that the study will contribute positively to the understanding of inclusivity in biology courses.