LATEST NEWS

President Donald J Trump
Washington, DC

Members of the US Congress
Washington, DC

February 5, 2025

RE: Scientific Understanding of Sex and Gender

Dear President Trump and Members of the US Congress,

As scientists, we write to express our concerns about the Executive Order “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government”. That Order states first, that “there are two sexes…[which] are not changeable”. The Order goes on to state that sex is determined at conception and is based on the size of the gamete that the resulting individual will produce. These statements are contradicted by extensive scientific evidence.

Scientific consensus defines sex in humans as a biological construct that relies on a combination of chromosomes, hormonal balances, and the resulting expression of gonads, external genitalia and secondary sex characteristics. There is variation in all these biological attributes that make up sex. Accordingly, sex (and gendered expression) is not a binary trait. While some aspects of sex are bimodal, variation along the continuum of male to female is well documented in humans through hundreds of scientific articles. Such variation is observed at both the genetic level and at the individual level (including hormone levels, secondary sexual characteristics, as well as genital morphology). Beyond the incorrect claim that science backs up a simple binary definition of sex, the lived experience of people clearly demonstrates that the genetic composition at conception does not define one's identity. Rather, sex and gender result from the interplay of genetics and environment. Such diversity is a hallmark of biological species, including humans.

We note that you state that “Basing Federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale and trust in the government itself”. We agree with this statement. However, the claim that the definition of sex and the exclusion of gender identity is based on the best available science is false. Our three scientific societies represent over 3500 scientists, many of whom are experts on the variability that is found in sexual expression throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. More information explaining why sex lies along a continuum can be found here. If you wish to speak to one of our scientists, please contact any of the societies listed below.

Carol Boggs, PhD
President
Society for the Study of Evolution
president@evolutionsociety.org

Daniel Bolnick, PhD
President
American Society of Naturalists

Jessica Ware, PhD
President
Society of Systematic Biologists
president@systematicbiologists.org

Congratulations to the 2024 recipients of the Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards! These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants (GREG) program, and provide up to $3,500 USD to students in the later stages of their PhD work. The 2024 recipients are: Audrey Arner, Denis Calandriello Calio, Ridhi Chandarana Rajesh, Alec Chiono, Tristram Dodge, Claire Evensen, Anjali Gupta, Nadia Haghani, Emily Kerns, Jill Love, and Ella Martin.

The W. D. Hamilton Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation will be given to a current or very recent graduate student who presents an outstanding talk based on their graduate work at the annual Evolution meeting. Finalists will present their talks during the live-streamed Hamilton Award symposium during the virtual part of the meeting May 29-30. The application to become a Hamilton award finalist will be part of registration for the virtual meeting. Registration is expected to open in February. Learn more and submit your talk by April 15!

The SSE Caregiver Award is meant to assist members who have additional needs and responsibilities that can inhibit participation at the annual Evolution meeting. This award provides up to $500 to SSE members that need assistance in covering caregiver costs while attending the annual Evolution meeting in person or virtually. A "caregiver" is broadly defined and includes people caring for children or dependent adults (including adult children with a disability or elderly relatives), and people in need of personal assistance. This award can be spent as the awardee wishes to facilitate attendance. Learn more and apply by March 15!

The SSE Public Policy Committee invites SSE members to apply for funds to attend the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) 2025 Congressional Visits Day. The event will take place in Washington, DC and includes a free half-day training session on April 29 and meetings with lawmakers on April 30. There is also the option to also attend the Communications Boot Camp for Scientists on April 28-29. 

SSE members at all career stages who are interested in communicating the importance of federal investments in scientific research and education to lawmakers are encouraged to apply. Funding can be used to cover the cost of the Communications Boot Camp and contribute toward travel and lodging. 

SSE members interested in using these funds for other advocacy opportunities are also welcome to apply. Email policy@evolutionsociety.org for more information.

Learn more and apply by February 17, 2025.

Congratulations to the recipient of the 2024 IDEA Award, Dr. Jeremy Yoder! 

The Inclusiveness, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Award is presented by the American Society of Naturalists, the Society for the Study of Evolution and the Society of Systematic Biologists. Dr. Yoder was selected for his foundational work recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the inclusion of LGBTQ+ professionals in STEM fields. In 2013, he spearheaded a large-scale study with the nonprofit Out to Innovate to survey more than 1,400 LGBTQA researchers around the world about their experiences in STEM fields. This work produced three papers which together have been cited almost 300 times, have inspired new projects and research, and are used as educational resources. Yoder has presented seminars on inclusion on LGBTQ inclusion and experiences in STEM, and served on panels to review policies for the advancement of LGBTQ+ people in STEM careers. In 2024, he spoke about his career studying Joshua trees in the Story Collider event at the annual Evolution meeting, where he previously helped organize LGBTQ+ meetups and mixers for several years. Learn more about his work on his lab website.

Dr. Yoder will present his work during the IDEA Award Plenary at the in-person portion of the Evolution 2025 meeting in Athens, GA in June.

The SSE Education and Outreach Committee is now accepting proposals for the Small Grants Program for Local and Regional Outreach Promoting the Understanding of Evolutionary Biology. 

These grants provide support for local and regional educational outreach activities to take place during 2025. Examples of past outreach activities have included public lectures, exhibits, student competitions, and professional development events for teachers.

Grants of up to $1000 USD will be awarded. Applicants must be members of SSE. 

Learn more and apply by  March 1, 2025. 

Applications are now open for the 2025 International Travel Stipends, which provide funding to attend the Evolution 2025 meeting or the ESEB 2025 Congress in person. Recipients receive meeting registration and funds for transportation to the conference, meals, and lodging. All career stages are eligible, and preference will be given to students and early-career researchers. 

Check your eligibility and apply by January 31.

The SSE International Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 International Event Grants! The goal of these grants is to foster communication and collaboration between scientists from different countries by sponsoring international symposia, workshops, courses, and other events within the field of evolutionary biology. 

2024 Recipients:

Event: Meeting on the Origins and Evolution of Multicellularity Across the Tree of Life

Organizers: Victoria Shabardina (Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Barcelona, Spain —IBE, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain), Marta Álvarez-Presas (IBE), Koryu Kin (Juntendo University, Japan), Guifré Torruella (IBE), Aurora Nedelcu (University of New Brunswick, Canada), Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo (IBE)
Dates: October 9-11, 2025
Location: Barcelona, Spain


Event: Evolutionary Genomics Workshop – Colombia 2024

Organizers: Catalina Palacios (SELVA: Research for the conservation in the neotropics, Colombia), Daniel Cadena (Universidad de los Andes, Colombia), Camila Gómez (SELVA: Research for the conservation in the neotropics, Colombia), Leonardo Campagna (Cornell University, USA)
Dates: Late 2024 (exact dates TBD)
Location: Bogotá, Santa Marta, and Chiquinquirá, Colombia


Event: RADcamp-Latin America 2025: Robust and reproducible library preparation, sequencing, assembly, and analysis of RADseq datasets

Organizers: RADCamp workshop team (USA) and CoreLab Genomics team (Tecnológico de Monterrey, México)
Dates: July 14-21, 2025
Location: Monterrey, México


Event: Fifth International Southeast Asian Bat Conference (SEABCO 2024)

Organizers: Long Vu (Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species—CBES) and Laurel Yohe (UNC Charlotte, USA)
Dates: November 26-30, 2024
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Applications are now open for the Graduate Research Excellence Grants (GREG) - R. C. Lewontin Early Awards, which provide up to $2,500 USD in research funds for students in the early stages of their PhD or Master’s programs. Applicants must be members of SSE. Full eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and proposal instructions are available here. 

Deadline: February 19