Standing Up for Science: Cluster PI Christina Warinner on Research Cuts and the Value of International Exchange
In recent weeks, Christina Warinner, Professor at Harvard University and Principal Investigator in the Microverse Cluster, has spoken out publicly about two deeply concerning developments affecting the global scientific community: the abrupt cancellation of U.S. federal research grants in archaeology, and political efforts to restrict access to higher education for international students in the United States.
In an article published by Science, Warinner describes the sudden termination of her NSF-funded research project—an ambitious study of ancient Maya DNA aimed at reconstructing the social and political networks of Classic Maya kingdoms. Her team had already completed most of the data collection when the grant was canceled just six weeks before its scheduled end date. “The eleventh-hour termination of our grant is certainly going to slow down the completion of our work and delay publication,” she explains in the article.
The decision to cut her funding is part of a broader wave of cancellations targeting U.S. archaeology and paleoanthropology grants—many of which had previously been flagged by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz as promoting so-called "woke DEI" agendas. Warinner, who also serves as president of the International Society for Biomolecular Archaeology, warns that this politicization of research funding threatens not only the progress of scientific discovery but also the future of academic training in the field:
“American archaeologists will no longer be leaders in telling these stories,” she says.
In a separate Deutschlandfunk interview, Warinner highlighted another alarming development: a U.S. government proposal that would prohibit Harvard University from admitting international students. Drawing from her own experience and that of her students, she underlined how essential global exchange is to academic excellence and innovation.
“Science depends on international exchange,” she notes. “We are strongest when we can collaborate across cultures, disciplines, and borders.”
As a Cluster committed to advancing international and interdisciplinary microbiome research, we stand firmly with our colleague and share her concerns. Fundamental science thrives on stable support, academic freedom, and the ability to train and connect the next generation of researchers—regardless of nationality or political climate.
More Information:
Science.org article: Funding cuts to U.S. archaeology could imperil field’s future
Deutschlandfunk interview: Trump-Regierung will Harvard ohne ausländische Studierende