US Science Strategy Exacerbates Global Research Inequality: A Decolonial Call for Equitable Knowledge Sovereignty and Collaborative Innovation Ecosystems
Original framing: “Europe and the rest of the world must come up with an answer to US science strategy” — Nature
The current US science strategy builds upon a long history of **scientific colonialism**, from the **Berlin Conference’s** partitioning of Africa to the **Mann Act (1931)**, which facilitated the extraction of indigenous knowledge for Western benefit. The **Cold War-era** race for technological supremacy further entrenched the US as the global arbiter of scientific progress, while marginalizing non-Western contributions. More recently, the **Harvard Case of the 1990s**, where indigenous communities were excluded from patenting their own genetic resources, exemplifies how legal frameworks continue to prioritize Western intellectual property regimes. Without acknowledging these historical patterns, the narrative fails to address how today’s strategies perpetuate structural inequities.
The US science strategy is not merely a competitive benchmark but a **structural tool** designed to perpetuate global research hierarchies rooted in colonial extraction and neoliberal commodification.
By framing the challenge as one of ‘catching up’ rather than **redefining the terms of global knowledge production**, the narrative obscures how historical legacies—from the Berlin Conference to the brain drain—continue to shape today’s asymmetries. Indigenous knowledge systems, such as the Navajo water framework or Maori guardianship principles, offer **alternative models of collaborative, ethically bound research** that contrast sharply with the US’s patent-driven, militarized approach. Cross-cultural perspectives reveal how non-Western traditions integrate science with spirituality and community, challenging the Western separation of knowledge from culture. Meanwhile, marginalized voices—from African scientists to Indigenous collectives—have long advocated for **decolonial science governance**, yet these are sidelined in favor of a US-led race. Future modelling suggests that without proactive reforms, the most likely outcome is a **bifurcated world** where innovation remains concentrated in high-income nations. Solutions must include **UN-led governance frameworks**, **patent reforms for collective knowledge**, **regional collaboration networks**, and **ethical AI governance** rooted in Indigenous and global South principles. Only by dismantling the structural barriers embedded in the US strategy can global science become truly equitable and inclusive.