Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the NIH, performed at the Stand Up for Science rally near the Lincoln Memorial, protesting the Trump administration's significant cuts to science funding. The rally attracted around 5,000 attendees. Collins, who led the Human Genome Project, emphasized the role of taxpayer-funded science in his speech, drawing connections to Abraham Lincoln's support for scientific advancement. The event underscored the scientific community's concern regarding the erosion of federal support for research and the implications for future advancements.
Dr. Collins, a biomedical researcher renowned for leading the Human Genome Project in the 1990s, had steered the N.I.H. through three presidencies, into 2021, and continued working at the agency until his abrupt retirement a week ago.
The crowd had peaked at 5,000, nor quite what to expect. In 2017, tens of thousands gathered on the Washington Mall for the March for Science.
Lincoln, over-large and stone-faced in his chair. The organizers had chosen the site for its postcard view of Capitol Hill.
We have to sing about this, he said, invoking the Gettysburg Address of the people, by the people, for the people.
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