On June 24, 2025, the Fudan Institute for Global Public Policy (IGPP) organized the 76th lecture of the Fudan-LSE Lecture Series. Professor Diana Hicks from Georgia Institute of Technology delivered a lecture on the theme of US Science Policy Update. The session was chaired by Dean Yijia Jing of IGPP.

Professor Hicks is Professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology specializing in metrics for science and technology policy. Her work has informed policy makers in the U.S., Europe and Japan. She has advised the OECD, Flanders, the Czech Republic, and Sweden on national research evaluation systems. She is currently executive editor of technology governance and public policy for Technology Forecasting and Social Change.

At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Hicks first outlined recent developments at the U.S. federal level regarding university admissions governance, academic integrity, and compliance requirements. She noted that the federal government issued an open letter to universities nationwide this February, reiterating principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination. She then cited a public appeal addressed to the American public, emphasizing that over the past 80 years, wise government investment in research had established the U.S. as a world leader in science. However, she noted that funding cuts, scientist dismissals, and data restrictions during the Trump administration were seen as undermining this system, prompting calls from the academic community to halt the “full-scale attacks” on science.

The lecture then shifted to changes in U.S. research funding and management mechanisms. Professor Hicks began by reviewing American achievements during World War II in areas such as radar and computing, citing the report Science—The Endless Frontier to emphasize that the U.S. government has historically treated science as a new “frontier,” encouraging public access to innovations and steadily increasing investment in scientific research. However, over a thousand research funding projects have been terminated since the beginning of this year. Several federal research funding agencies announced a uniform reduction of indirect cost reimbursement rates to 15%, sparking discussions among universities. On the topic of international students, new policies including the suspension of Harvard’s admission of international students, visa interview changes, and social media monitoring have also drawn public attention. Finally, she discussed shifts in the administrative philosophy behind science policy.

During the Q&A session, faculty and students engaged in discussions on topics such as reductions in university research funding and shifts in funding priorities toward emerging fields.

After the lecture, Professor Jing presented a commemorative gift to Professor Hicks. The event concluded with a group photo of the faculty and students.