Biden’s Department of Energy demands scientists embrace critical theory

When it comes to conducting reliable research, scientists are guided by several basic principles, including… diversity, inclusion, and equity?

According to President Joe Biden’s Department of Energy (DOE), these key tenets of critical theory must now be embraced by the scientific community. In fact, anyone who fails to buy into the administration’s woke agenda will no longer be eligible to receive federal funding for scientific research.

Over the past several years, many have warned that the government’s pious pleas to “trust the science” are nothing more than thinly masked code words for political compliance. “Science,” as the government defines it, many have argued, has nothing to do with real science at all, but is instead a partisan term co-opted by the political establishment.

Now, the mask is off, so to speak, and it has never been more apparent that “science” is merely a vehicle for Washington’s radical agenda.

As The Daily Wire reports, “the Department of Energy (DOE) is putting Critical Theory into practice by officially requiring all scientists and researchers to include DIE [diversity, inclusion, and equity] plans in their projects in order to be considered for federal funding and grants. That means that if you refuse to explain how your project will advance certain leftist social causes, you will not be considered for federal tax dollars dolled [sic] out by the DOE’s Office of Science.”

Last week, the DOE announced that “all Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) and DOE National Lab Announcements and other funding solicitations will require applicants to submit a Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plan as an appendix to their proposal narrative. PIER Plans should describe the activities and strategies applicants will incorporate to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their research projects. PIER Plans will be evaluated as part of the merit review process and will be used to inform funding decisions.”

These PIER plans will apparently be used to assess a political project’s “worthiness.” “The Office of Science (SC) is deeply committed to supporting diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible work, research, and funding environments that value mutual respect and personal integrity, and SC is committed to promoting people of all backgrounds, including individuals from groups and communities historically underrepresented in STEM fields and SC activities in recognition of our responsibility to serve the public," the DOE continued. "Transforming our understanding of nature to advance scientific discovery and U.S. energy, economic, and national security can only be accomplished by harnessing a diverse range of views, expertise, and experiences to drive scientific and technological innovation. The inclusion of PIER Plans in funding applications makes this commitment to inclusive excellence explicit and a consistent expectation of all SC-funded research and research related activities.”

The DOE has yet to explain how any of this will advance science, how the federal government’s preoccupation with skin color will determine which research projects deserve funding and which do not.

But again, “science” isn’t really scientific anymore. It’s purely political. As a former DOE speech writer, Tim Meads, admits, “our nation’s smartest people have to take their minds away from the scientific process to make sure that their plans line up with left-wing radical theories about how the world should work.”

It’s time for a reality check for the Biden administration. The DOE – and the rest of the federal government, for that matter – is not the president’s puppet to be used to peddle his personal agenda.

Unless you approve of taxpayer dollars being squandered in a so-called “office of science” that cares more about advancing critical theory than facilitating merit-based research, there has never been a better time to consider supporting Convention of States.

Together, using an Article V Convention of States, we can take power back from the radicals in Washington and put it to better use in the hands of the American people. To show your support, sign the petition below!