The Academy for Science and Freedom

Promotes free exchange of scientific ideas in the pursuit of truth.

The Academy of Science and Freedom is a Hillsdale College initiative promoting the free exchange of scientific ideas in the pursuit of truth at the national and international level. The failed unscientific response to the Covid pandemic generated enormous collateral public health, educational, economic, social and cultural damage throughout the world. It also revealed fundamental problems in the scientific pursue of truth, where narrow groupthink, public takedowns and censorship trumped rigorous scientific thinking and open scientific discourse. The mission of the Academy for Science and Freedom is to reverse this trend to ensure that the Age of Enlightenment continues for the benefit of future generations.

The four priority areas of the Academy are:

Open Scientific Discourse: Fighting against government and social media censorship, scientific slander, intimidations, and discrimination; encouraging the free and open exchange of scientific ideas; and supporting and promoting scientists searching for truth in a hostile environment.

Science Reform: Combating conflicts of interest; pushing for the decentralization of scientific funding agencies and decisions; advocating for faster publication of scientific results in open access open peer review journals; and promoting innovation, impact, quality in the evaluation and promotion of scientists.

Critical Thinking in Science: Developing a curriculum in critical thinking for medical and public health students and health care professionals; offering short courses; and educating the public about rigorous research methods.

Science in Society: Promoting excitement and love for science among the public, whether young and old; encouraging public participation in scientific discussions, and educating people about new and important scientific discoveries.

The Academy goals are achieved through a wide range of activities, including the organization of scientific meetings for the public, workshop and conferences for scientists, short courses for students and professionals, a Citizen Scientist Magazine for the public, radically restructured scientific journals, video discussions, white papers for policy makers, op-eds in mainstream media, podcast appearances, and informal conversations.