RALEIGH, N.C. (December 10, 2025) The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal today released The Scientific Mind, a new report examining how American scientists think about their profession, their work, and the state of scientific inquiry.
The report revisits Sketches of the American Scientist, a 1988 survey created by UNC–Charlotte geographer Jack Sommer with support from Sigma Xi. Earlier this year, Sommer partnered with the Martin Center to refresh the project.
The updated survey was conducted by the Martin Center’s policy and research fellow Shannon Watkins, with methodological guidance from Sommer, now Emeritus Knight Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at UNC–Charlotte. Senior fellow Jay Schalin analyzed the results and authored the report.
“This report is helpful for understanding the trajectory of scientific inquiry, especially areas where there have been significant changes in the past three and a half decades,” said the Martin Center’s president, Jenna Robinson.
Key Findings:
- Shifting Research Culture
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- Scientists increasingly favor team-based research over independent investigation.
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- Political Realignment
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- The scientific profession has moved sharply to the political left.
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- Restricted Speech
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- Nearly one-quarter of responders are concerned that they can’t speak freely about their areas of expertise.
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- Anti-meritocratic Pressures
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- Many expressed concern over the dominance of DEI initiatives and other practices they view as undermining scientific merit.
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- Weakened Support for Dissent
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- Only 59% affirmed the importance of disseminating research that challenges prevailing consensus.
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“The trends revealed in this study may suggest that the attitudes of scientists themselves are increasingly becoming a serious threat to the neutrality and objectivity of the scientific enterprise,” said Jay Schalin, the author of the report.
The findings raise questions about whether the open, truth-seeking culture that powered centuries of scientific progress is weakening. The Scientific Mind report calls for renewed commitment to academic freedom, meritocracy, and open inquiry in the scientific process.
The Scientific Mind report is available HERE.