Letters to the Editor: Defunding scientific research at Harvard and other colleges is a threat to American exceptionalism

To the editor: As a scientist and Harvard alumnus, I was deeply alarmed to read “Trump administration freezes $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard over campus activism,” (April 14). Our nation is a superpower because of the advances in scientific research that were made over the past 100 years, particularly post-World War II. As most of this research was conducted in universities, defunding them will hurt our nation greatly because much of our national security, economy and well-being are dependent on science.

Universities also train the next generation of scientists and engineers. Withholding funding to universities because of some protesters (many of whom were not even students) is like using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito and will only worsen antisemitism. It will also harm science at a time when we desperately need to innovate our economy, clean our environment, mitigate climate threats, secure natural resources and shore up our defense to remain a superpower.

Though we do need to reform funding of science to make it more equitable among universities, allow rebuttals to anonymous peer review and be less risk-averse in funding out-of-the-box research, rescinding funding from universities is just wrong.

Please, Mr. President, do not destroy American science. This, more than anything, is what made America great and will allow America to compete for a prosperous future.

Michael Pravica, Henderson, Nev.