Biophysical Society Bulletin | January 2020

Public Affairs

Missouri State Supreme Court Rules Grad Students Can Unionize

An In-Depth Look at Science and Research in the Global Political Landscape: The US and China BPS Annual Meeting, San Diego, California Sunday, February 16, 2:30 pm –4:00 pm Science has always thrived on collaborations, with many significant advances resulting from the coordinated efforts of multiple research teams, frequently based in different countries. China’s recent increased investment in science and technology has been accompanied by growing numbers of international scientific collaborations involving scientists at Chinese institutions, with US-based scientific collaborations forming the largest share. The high level of US-China scientific collaboration has coincided with trade disputes and concerns about intellectual property theft. The US Congress has begun to actively pursue legislation to protect the products of US research efforts from foreign governments. At the same time, the US agencies overseeing federal research grants have initiated investigations into grantees with undisclosed collaborative agreements with foreign governments amidst allegations of ”double dipping.” As US-China tensions continue to rise, what are the long-term repercussions for scientific research — an endeavor that has always thrived on collaborative efforts and global perspectives? What is the impact of university and federal agency investigations on the participation of Chinese nationals in the US scientific enterprise? Speakers: Michael Lauer , Director, OER, Deputy Director, Extramural Research, NIH Frank Wu , University of California Hastings College of the Law, Professor of Law Tai-Ming Cheung , University of California San Diego, School of Global Policy and Conflict, Professor; Director, UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation Sandra Brown , Vice-Chancellor for Research, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of California San Diego Moderator: Dorothy Beckett , University of Maryland, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, BPS Public Affairs Committee Following a three-year battle of rulings and appeals, the State Supreme Court of Missouri has ruled that University of Missouri graduate students have employee rights and therefore collective bargaining rights. This is the third ruling against the University in as many years. The case will now go to the state trial court, which will decide whether the 2016 union election vote was val- id. Although the results are still in question, the decision to give students collective bargaining rights represents a step toward their official unionization.

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