Reflections from the 2025 Bromley Memorial Event

It was a quick but eventful trip to Washington, D.C. for the University of Ottawa’s Bromley Memorial Event attendees.

At the end of March, five students travelled to The George Washington University alongside Jeff Kinder, Executive-in-Residence at the Institute for Science, Society and Policy (ISSP), and Julie Vaillancourt, Special Projects Coordinator, to discuss science-policy relations between Canada and the United States (U.S.).

I was one of those students.

This annual event, which alternates between Ottawa and Washington, D.C., commemorates Dr. D. Allan Bromley, a Canadian nuclear physicist who sat on President Reagan’s White House Science Council and was the first person to hold the cabinet-level rank of Assistant to the President for Science and Technology from 1989 to 1993 for President George H.W. Bush. Each year students attend working sessions with professors from both universities, and a keynote speech by a science, technology or innovation (STI) policy professional.

As one can imagine, there was a lot to talk about. Since taking office in January, the Trump Administration has signed an Executive Order (EO) to end “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs,” began the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, defunded STI research, and fired thousands of scientists and government employees.

These actions have significant implications. According to Nature, more than 75% of scientists who answered their poll are considering leaving the U.S, with Europe and Canada being among the top destinations to relocate to. Canadian research, however, is also affected by this administration’s policies because they threaten cross-country research collaborations.

Not to mention it is not safe to be a scientist or a researcher in the U.S. right now. Less than a week before we arrived in Washington, D.C., a French scientist who was travelling to the U.S. for a conference was refused entry because they had allegedly expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration's research policy.

The working sessions between the students and professors focused on these timely issues, narrowing in on key topics like sustainable cities, brain drain, and the state of STI in Canada and the U.S.

Dr. Robert Atkinson, founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, delivered the Bromley Lecture. His speech emphasized the need to transition away from the postwar social contract and included a very strong critique of the research community’s focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

Dr. Atkinson said scientists must revoke EDI, claiming that science is not political, nor should it be emotional. He sought to normalize the behaviour of the administration by comparing it to a business where research funding becomes a sort of transaction. His speech also called for scientists to submit to the administration to ensure their research needs were met.

As the respondent for the University of Ottawa, I had the opportunity to rebut his arguments, alongside a student from The George Washington University. My response focused on the need to decolonize science and foster meaningful engagement between Western and other knowledge systems, including Indigenous science. Moreover, I argued that science should be a part of society and not separate from it because science is inherently political and value-laden. 

It is not time to attempt to normalize the Trump administration because what is happening is not normal. Doing so would be at the expense of people and science. Science must reflect the continuously evolving values of all Canadians.

I hope that when next year’s Bromley Memorial Event approaches, the outlook for STI relations between Canada and the U.S. will have improved; however, I doubt this will happen for at least the next four years.

By continuing to engage with decision-makers, activists, and members of the STI community, we can advocate for a scientific enterprise that is predicated on equity, trust, and transparency.

Blog post by Grace McGrenere April 15th, 2025