{"id":2407100,"date":"2025-02-26T15:58:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T20:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-grants-pushed-dei-into-stem-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-26T16:00:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T21:00:40","slug":"pentagon-grants-pushed-dei-into-stem-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-grants-pushed-dei-into-stem-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon grants pushed DEI into STEM &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpentagon-grants-pushed-dei-into-stem-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2407100&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article \u2063from the Washington Examiner reports that the Pentagon\u2062 has allocated millions \u2064of dollars towards implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within\u2063 scientific and\u200b medical fields. A\u200c review of\u2064 public records revealed \u200dat least $18.4 million \u2062in\u2064 Pentagon grants aimed at promoting\u200c DEI \u2062programs in\u200b areas ranging\u200c from\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/defense-sec-underwent-secret-hospitalization-to-treat-prostate-cancer-pentagon-reveals\/\" title=\"... reveals Defense Sec&#039;s secret hospitalization for prostate cancer treatment\">prostate cancer treatment<\/a> to marine mammal research. While this\u2062 spending dates back \u200dto the Obama management,\u200b most grants \u2063were issued during the Biden administration, with some originating under \u2062Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Experts, including Wilson beaver from the Heritage Foundation, argue\u200c that such expenditures divert funds from essential defense capabilities, suggesting that the money should instead \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/even-this-left-wing-report-sounds-the-alarm-u-s-is-way-too-dependent-on-communist-china-for-minerals\/\" title=\"Even This Left-Wing Report Sounds The Alarm: U.S. Is Way Too Dependent On Communist China For Minerals\">support military readiness<\/a>,\u200d such as procuring weapons systems.Although some cost-cutting measures have been taken, notable DEI-related funding remains active despite an executive order from Trump aimed at\u200b ending DEI in federal contracts.<\/p>\n<p>Various DEI projects funded by the Pentagon include\u200c a \u200bsignificant cancer care research initiative for Black men and programs\u200d designed to enhance diversity in STEM fields through targeted funding.\u200b Despite controversies surrounding DEI initiatives being labeled as &#8220;anti-white racism&#8221; by some supporters \u2064of the \u2062current\u200d administration, funding\u2064 for thes projects continues, raising questions about their future given the changing political landscape. The article illustrates how the funds for DEI could have alternatively been used for training additional military recruits,\u2064 highlighting a debate \u200cover resource allocation within the department of Defense.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Pentagon spent millions injecting DEI into science and medicine<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2020105\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-defense\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Department of Defense\">Department of Defense<\/a> spends millions of dollars every year on expanding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dei\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"diversity, equity, and inclusion\">diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/a> practices in science and healthcare, a <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>review of public records found.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>From improving racial equity in prostate cancer treatment to increasing diversity in marine mammal research, the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1cGDuUTqKsFi5qnmrYKm1vaZlc1F8TwFR_3KsB_JLjrs\/edit?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">identified <\/a>$18.4 million in Pentagon grants aimed at inserting DEI into technical fields. While the earliest instance of this spending in federal databases dates back to the Obama administration, most of the grants were disbursed by the Biden administration, and a significant number of these diversity commitments remain under the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Research and development spending in the Department of Defense contains large sums of money being spent on non-defense spending, &lsquo;centers of excellence&rsquo; sponsored as pork spending by congressmen never requested by the Pentagon, and politicized initiatives like DEI and climate change,&rdquo; Wilson Beaver, Heritage Foundation national security policy adviser, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;This sort of spending needs to be cut and reallocated into the procurement of weapons systems like ships, planes, and munitions that our troops need to protect the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-war-vets-warn-biden-against-shuttering-gitmo\/\" title=\"Congressional War Vets Warn Biden Against Shuttering Gitmo\">national security interests<\/a> of the United States.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>So far, the Department of Government Efficiency&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/doge.gov\/savings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">cuts <\/a>to the Pentagon have been limited to a handful of contracts funding diversity training and subscriptions to information services such as <em>Politico Pro <\/em>and Westlaw.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The largest single STEM DEI item funded by the Pentagon was the Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity for Black Men Consortium, a group of universities and health organizations that have received over $10 million in military funding since 2022 to optimize prostate cancer treatment, specifically for black men.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Grants such as this have an unclear future after President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2025\/01\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-protects-civil-rights-and-merit-based-opportunity-by-ending-illegal-dei\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">issued <\/a>an executive order in January mandating the termination of DEI from federal contracting and spending. Despite that order, millions of dollars worth of DOD grants for the consortium and other DEI-related STEM projects remain listed as active in the federal government&rsquo;s spending database.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, second from right, and border czar Tom Homan, left, listen to a briefing by Army soldiers while visiting the U.S.-Mexico border in Sunland Park, New Mexico, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo\/Andres Leighton)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Some of the DOD-funded grants had explicit racial requirements tied to them.<\/p>\n<p>The Diversity in Research and Engineering of Advanced Materials, or DREAM, program, for instance, received $705,000 in Pentagon funding between 2011 and 2019. The program was intended to increase racial diversity in science and engineering by providing special funding to some college students. One <a href=\"https:\/\/pci-nsn.gov\/wmlib\/pdf\/16\/dream_marketing.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">promotional flyer<\/a> for the program said applicants must be African American to qualify for the program. Another <a href=\"https:\/\/eng.famu.fsu.edu\/ime\/research-experience-for-undergraduates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">webpage <\/a>with information about the program said applicants must be from an &ldquo;under-resourced&rdquo; group, using language commonly used to describe racial minorities, while a third <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/even\/2016\/10\/27\/reu-summer-research-opportunities-undergraduates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">piece of literature<\/a> simply said minority students &ldquo;are especially encouraged to apply.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Those close to the president have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/07\/03\/aclu-trump-dei-civil-rights-biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">characterized <\/a>DEI efforts as &ldquo;anti-white racism.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3326206\/pentagon-spent-millions-transgender-research-accommodation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>PENTAGON SPENT MILLIONS ON TRANSGENDER RESEARCH AND ACCOMMODATION, RECORDS SHOW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Other Pentagon grants funding DEI in science and healthcare include a million dollars to a school district in Colorado to push equity in STEM, $244,775 to help fund &ldquo;internships for diversity and inclusion in marine mammal research,&rdquo; $220,000 to strengthen the Navy&rsquo;s educational workforce through DEI, roughly $83,000 to increase diversity in cybersecurity, about $25,000 to fund an edition of the Oceanography Society&rsquo;s magazine focused on DEI in the ocean sciences, $380,000 to fund a high school STEM competition aimed at increasing diversity in ocean education, over $750,000 to develop an equity-focused STEM workforce pipeline for the Navy, $1.4 million to promote equity in prostate cancer treatment for &ldquo;Hispanic\/Latinx&rdquo; men, $1.1 million to promote &ldquo;equity through a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">culturally tailored prostate cancer genetics video<\/a> for African American males,&rdquo; and another million dollars to fund a group seeking to increase racial diversity in the STEM workforce.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It <a href=\"https:\/\/www.army.mil\/article\/207956\/opat_reducing_trainee_attrition_avoiding_millions_in_wasted_training_dollars_officials_say\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">costs <\/a>between $55,000 to $74,000 to send a single Army recruit through training. The $18.4 million spent by the Pentagon on expanding DEI in STEM and medicine could have instead been spent on training between seven and nine additional platoons for the army, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/Multimedia\/Experience\/Military-Units\/army\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">according <\/a>to figures produced by the Pentagon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The DOD did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2020105\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2020105\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pentagon invests millions in DEI initiatives in science and healthcare<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":894,"featured_media":2407101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-2193880159.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[16574,3761,13495],"class_list":["post-2407100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-dei","tag-pentagon","tag-stem"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-2193880159.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2407100"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2407104,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407100\/revisions\/2407104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2407101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2407100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2407100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2407100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}