As part of DefendResearch.org's ongoing work to highlight the dangers of government censorship of science and research in the United States, we are launching a webinar series in 2026 dedicated to conversations with scholars and experts who view the current attacks on academic freedom as existential and who believe that it is vital to educate the public about the repercussions of these acts of censorship. We kick off February 12, at 11 am ET with PEN America to discuss their important new report: America’s Censored Campuses: Expanding the Web of Control. The webinar will provide an overview of both DefendResearch.org and PEN America's work, focusing specifically on this new report and what it can tell us about the state of scientific research and education in the United States. This webinar is open to all but space is limited to 100 attendees. REGISTER TO ATTEND by completing the form below. -------------------------------------- More on the report and PEN America: As a result of a dramatic escalation in political censorship, more than half the students at U.S. colleges and universities now study in a state with at least one law or policy restricting what can be taught or how campuses can operate, according to a new study by PEN America. America’s Censored Campuses: Expanding the Web of Control highlights the unprecedented heights of government censorship of colleges and universities that spread nationwide in 2025. The report builds on PEN America’s work tracking educational censorship legislation since 2021, and analyzes the continued passage of state-level educational gag orders that restrict college teaching, the explosion of ideologically-motivated attacks on university operations (including faculty governance, academic curricula, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives), and the Trump administration’s vast weaponization of federal power to bend academic research and teaching to its ideological will. PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. They champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Their mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at https://pen.org. More on DefendResearch.org Launched by scholarly communications professionals in February 2025, DefendResearch.org is the home of the "Declaration to Defend Research from US Government Censorship" - a statement condemning the Trump Administration's attacks on academic and scientific freedom and highlighting the dangers to American intellectual life. The Declaration's signatories are both individuals and organizations and represent over tens of thousands of people across the globe. All are welcome to sign and are further encouraged to commit to actions that highlight the dangers of censorship through outreach to elected officials and the broader community. Learn more at DefendResearch.org. Sign the Declaration! Follow us on Bluesky @ DefendResearch.bsky.social.