President-elect may be pro science but he faces battles in the Senate, says Simon Marginson
Joe Biden’s victory means that, from 20 January 2021, the US president will no longer be at war with science. Research-based judgements will again be central to government, although, like elsewhere, they won’t always prevail over short-term politics.
Crucially, scientists will be key to America’s handling of Covid-19 and climate change. The incoming administration will reopen immigration channels and strike down discriminatory access policies, facilitating international scientific cooperation and the flow of worldwide research talent back into the US.