James Druckman, Katherine Ognyanova, Alauna Safarpour, Jonathan Schulman, Kristin Lunz Trujillo, Ata Aydin Uslu, Jon Green, Matthew Baum, Alexi Quintana Mathé, Hong Qu, Roy Perlis, & David Lazer | August 2024

Abstract: American scientists are notably unrepresentative of the population. The disproportionately small number of scientists who are women, Black, Hispanic or Latino, from rural areas, religious, and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds has consequences. Specifically, it means that, relative to their counterparts, individuals who identify as such are more dissimilar and more socially distant from scientists. These individuals, in turn, have less trust in scientists, which has palpable implications for health decisions and, potentially, mortality. Increasing the presence of underrepresented groups among scientists can increase trust, highlighting a vital bene t of diversifying science. This means expanding representation across several divides—not just gender and race but also rurality and socioeconomic circumstances.