New Report Assesses the Strategy to Remake the U.S. Science Ecosystem — and Lays Out a Path to Rebuild It

First installment of a multi-part series, Forging the Future of Science and Democracy, examines the players and the playbook that got us here.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Stand Up for Science has released the first part of its major new report, Forging the Future of Science and Democracy, an analysis of the current state of the U.S. scientific ecosystem and offering a path towards rebuilding a more resilient future.

The first part, “How We Got Here: Strategies and Tactics,” is a thorough assessment and accounting of the impacts to our scientific ecosystem, including the key players involved, their strategies and tactics, and chronicling the losses thus far, which includes the loss of 100,000 federal science employees.

“In the last two years we’ve seen unprecedented efforts to change policy, quash scientific progress, and dismantle research funding and programs. This first section of our report explores exactly who led us here and how, in order to truly understand how we arrived at this point. Deep reflection is necessary to learn from our past mistakes and rebuild better—assumptions of good faith no longer hold,” said Dr. Colette Delawalla, CEO and Founder of Stand Up for Science.

Researched and written by Stand Up for Science Foundation’s research and policy team, “How We Got Here” is a deep dive into five major areas that assess and document the current approach to restructuring scientific research, including the players involved and their motivations, the restructuring of the administrative state, the loss of scientific expertise, and chronicling federal science agency changes and loss of scientific positions.

The first installment of the report is available to view and download on the Stand Up for Science Foundation site.

In its entirety, Forging the Future presents a way forward that prioritizes science as a public good, rectifies injustices, addresses systemic vulnerabilities to build resilience, and establishes a foundation for the scientific ecosystem that can be built upon for decades to come. The remaining sections, focused on Accountability, Deconstruction and Reconstruction will be released through early 2027.

Delawalla is available for comment and media appearances.

###

Stand Up for Science is a grassroots, Washington, D.C. based, non-profit organization mobilizing the fight for science and democracy. Stand Up for Science was formed in February 2025 in response to actions affecting federal science agencies and funding of the American scientific ecosystem. On March 7th, Stand Up for Science mobilized over 50,000 people at 170+ events across the world on its first National Day of Action. Federal scientists across multiple agencies (NIH, EPA, NASA, FEMA) have chosen Stand Up for Science as the platform to publish their open letters of concern. Stand Up for Science is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization [EIN: 33-4154429] and donations are not tax-deductible. As a 501(c)(3) organization, donations to Stand Up for Science Foundation [EIN: 39-3280458] are tax deductible.

Char Bowling
Stand Up for Science
media@standupforscience.foundation