March of Science

March of Science
Name	March of Science
Formation	2017
Founders	Anonymous scientists and activists
Type	Grassroots movement
Purpose	Advocacy for science-based policy
Location	International

March of Science is an international grassroots movement that organized coordinated demonstrations advocating for evidence-based policy, research funding, and scientific integrity. Initiated in 2017, the movement drew participants from a wide array of scientific institutions, universities, and professional societies, prompting responses from political leaders, academic administrators, and media organizations across continents. Events associated with the movement mobilized researchers, students, and civic groups, generating debates in legislative bodies, scientific journals, and public forums.

Background and Origins

The genesis of the movement intersected with controversies in the administrations of the Trump administration, debates in the United States Congress, and policy shifts at agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Institutes of Health. Influences included historical scientific advocacy exemplified by the March on Washington, the mobilization around the Human Genome Project, and earlier protests related to the Iraq War. Organizers drew inspiration from campaigns by groups like American Association for the Advancement of Science, Union of Concerned Scientists, and student activism linked to campuses such as University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. International contexts involved responses to events in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, and Canada where national science policies and funding decisions had become politically salient.

Organization and Leadership

The movement was characterized by decentralized coordination among networks tied to organizations including Society for Neuroscience, American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, and unions such as the American Federation of Teachers. Local chapters organized through collaborations with institutions like Stanford University, University of Oxford, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, and research centers including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and CERN. Leadership structures were informal, with convening roles filled by academics, postdoctoral researchers, and communicators associated with outlets such as Nature (journal), Science (journal), and The New York Times. Logistics engaged municipal authorities in cities like Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Berlin, and Sydney, while fundraising and outreach utilized platforms affiliated with The American Association of University Professors, National Science Teachers Association, and grassroots organizations such as Indivisible (organization).

Events and Protests

Key coordinated events occurred on dates that coincided with scientific conferences and public holidays, featuring marches, teach-ins, and rallies in major venues like the National Mall, Hyde Park, Pariser Platz, Federation Square, and campuses including Columbia University and University of California, Los Angeles. Protest tactics echoed previous demonstrations including the Women's March, climate actions tied to United Nations Climate Change Conferences, and labor rallies associated with the Occupy movement. Participants included members of professional societies—American Meteorological Society, Geological Society of America, Ecological Society of America—alongside students from Yale University, Princeton University, Oxford University, and indigenous activists connected to organizations like First Nations groups in Canada and Aboriginal Australians networks. Law enforcement interactions involved municipal police forces from New York City Police Department and Metropolitan Police (London) as well as permitting offices in city councils.

Goals and Messaging

Organizers articulated goals emphasizing science-informed decision-making in contexts such as environmental regulation overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, healthcare research funded by the National Institutes of Health, and space science policy administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Messaging referenced peer-reviewed outlets including Nature (journal), Science (journal), and policy briefs from institutions like the Brookings Institution and RAND Corporation. Campaigns advocated for sustained federal funding through appropriations by the United States Congress and for transparency standards resembling those promoted by the Open Science Framework and initiatives at the National Academy of Sciences. Communications strategies engaged public broadcasters such as the BBC and NPR (National Public Radio) and leveraged social media platforms coordinated with movements like March for Our Lives and environmental coalitions connected to Sierra Club.

Support, Criticism, and Political Context

Support came from a range of actors including university presidents at institutions such as Princeton University, corporate research divisions at Google and Microsoft Research, and philanthropic foundations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Critics included commentators in outlets like Fox News, politicians in the United States Senate and House of Commons of the United Kingdom, and some members of conservative think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute. Debates addressed concerns raised by editorial pages of The Wall Street Journal and analyses in The Guardian, with academic responses appearing in journals like Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and statements from bodies such as the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. The movement's relationship to partisanship drew scrutiny in hearings before committees including the United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Impact and Legacy

The movement influenced public discourse around research budgets overseen by the Office of Management and Budget, informed audit processes at agencies such as the National Science Foundation, and prompted policy statements by associations including the European Federation of Geologists and the International Council for Science. Long-term effects included increased civic engagement among graduate students at institutions like University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Washington, incorporation of science advocacy modules into curricula at colleges affiliated with the Association of American Universities, and stimulated scholarship in fields represented by journals like Science Advances. The events contributed to subsequent mobilizations such as campus climate strikes linked to Fridays for Future and follow-on advocacy campaigns within legislative processes in bodies including the European Parliament and state legislatures across the United States of America.

Category:Science advocacy organizations