In a move that may redraw the lines of academic research funding, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy made clear his priorities by cancelling $54 million in university grants previously earmarked for what he describes as a "radical DEI and green agenda". These funds, according to a statement released by the Department of Transportation, are part of a redirection away from initiatives that Duffy asserts are not in line with the transportation priorities of the American people.
Referred to pejoratively as "woke" by the Secretary, these initiatives were intended to cover topics such as gender non-conforming people's intersection with infrastructure inequality and the racial implications of road improvement projects. Duffy, in his announcement, claimed, "The American people have zero interest in millions of their tax dollars funding research on the intersection of gender non-conforming people and infrastructure inequality or whether road improvement projects are racist." By asserting that the Department of Transportation had been previously misaligned, Duffy looks to reinstate a focus heavily pointed towards conventional infrastructure projects and safety improvements.
Certainly, Duffy's actions showcase a larger shift in policy direction under the current administration, with a strong emphasis on traditional infrastructure and a deemphasizing of progressive narratives within the sector. "I’ve focused the Department on what matters; safety, making travel great again, and building big, beautiful infrastructure projects,” Duffy mentioned, framing his Department of Transportation mission as a return to basics and a step away from what he and his supporters might consider extraneous academic endeavors.
