MSU’s campus joins nationwide rally for science

Over two hundred MSU students, staff and Bozeman community members gathered on Centennial Mall on March 7 to join a nationwide rally organized by Stand Up For Science (SUFS). SUFS is a grassroots initiative united in the belief that “science is for everyone and benefits everyone,” according to the organization’s website.

The flagship rally occurred in Washington D.C., but 31 other cities —  including Bozeman — across the country also held events. SUFS fliers distributed on campus claimed that the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) new Cost Efficiency Initiative (CEI) enables the agency to cancel existing federal grants and contracts that fund scientific, biomedical and technological research. The flyer contends that the U.S. risks losing its role as a global leader in science and medicine due to these cancellations.

The CEI is an Executive Order signed by President Donald Trump on Feb. 26. According to the Order, all federal agencies must consult with the DOGE to review all existing contracts and grants and terminate or modify them “where appropriate” within 30 days of the Order’s signing. The CEI specifies that “funds disbursed to educational institutions and foreign entities” must be prioritized for review of “waste, fraud and abuse.”

On Centennial Mall, participants held signs with messages such as “hurting science hurts everyone,” “cuts kill,” “the lab is not a place for DOGE” and “science = knowledge.”

Multiple speakers addressed the crowd, including rally organizer and MSU associate professor Roland Hatzenpichler.

Hatzenpichler explained how the DOGE’s proposed cuts to indirect costs (IDCs) on research grants funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) could jeopardize biomedical research. “You can not blame MSU for this. MSU is working with the money they have,” he said.

In an interview after the event, Hatzenpichler explained that SUFS has three overall goals: to stop censorship and political interference in science; secure and expand scientific funding; and defend diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in science.

The next speaker was MSU student Julian Staggs, the co-founder of the revived Students for Democratic Society at MSU. He said that the best way to enact change and prevent harmful policies is consistent and prolonged effort. “Everyone here has taken the first step to making real change,” he said. “Get involved. Form organizations to address these issues.”

MSU computer science student Alex Kunesh said that he took part in the rally because he believes in its cause. “I think there’s a lot of things being executed with no plan,” he said about recent federal actions.

Recent MSU graduate and member of the Bridger Young Republicans (BYR) Finley Warden explained that he was present at the rally because the BYR tables on campus every week which happened to coincide with the rally. He said that the club’s shared sentiment is that past government administrations wasted money and that all U.S. expenditures need to benefit the country.

“Elon Musk and Donald Trump coming in with DOGE has been a really excellent way that waste has been getting cut,” he said. “Unfortunately, there’s been a few situations where that brush has been painted too broadly and some good people or essential workers have been cut.”

When asked if he believes there is any reason for people to be concerned about science or other funding-related issues, Warden said that he believes funding science is incredibly important. “The [U.S.] is a science leader of the world. I mean, mostly that’s because of our private sector, but that’s obviously something that people are concerned about. I share that concern,” he said.

According to data from the National Science Foundation, in 2022, the federal government was estimated to fund around 40 percent of national research. Private businesses and nonprofit organizations funded 37 percent and eight percent, respectively. Institutions of higher education and nonfederal government entities made up the remaining 15 percent.

University Spokesperson Mike Becker said that MSU was aware the event was planned on campus and that it appeared to have gone peacefully. “Individuals exercising their freedom of expression is an important part of democracy and is part of why universities exist: to promote the exchange of thoughts and ideas,” he said.

“MSU really appreciates the hard work of our undergraduate, graduate and faculty researchers,” Becker said. “The contributions and impact from their research really benefit the people and communities of Montana — whether it’s economic benefit, outreach programs and services or the general advancement of human knowledge.”

To learn about free speech on MSU’s campus, visit https://www.montana.edu/freespeech/.

To learn more about SUFS, check out https://standupforscience2025.org/