Political and Ideological Pressure in Software Engineering Research: The Case of DEI Backlash
New research shows DEI backlash is reshaping funding and priorities in global software engineering research.
A research team from multiple institutions, led by Sonja M. Hyrynsalmi, has published a position paper titled 'Political and Ideological Pressure in Software Engineering Research: The Case of DEI Backlash' for the ICSE 2026 Future of Software Engineering track. The paper challenges the long-held assumption that software engineering exists in a politically neutral space, documenting how recent backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has created tangible pressures across the global research ecosystem. The authors specifically point to "drastic changes in national funding and governmental guidance, especially in the US" as key drivers affecting research priorities and directions worldwide.
The study employs a multi-level framework, analyzing pressures at macro (national funding policies), meso (institutional and community norms), and micro (individual researcher) levels. Through analysis of community survey responses and concrete case examples, the researchers demonstrate how these pressures manifest in practice—from shifts in research funding priorities to changes in publication practices and self-censorship among researchers. The paper, which will be presented at the prestigious International Conference on Software Engineering, concludes by proposing actionable steps for the SE research community to acknowledge and address these political realities rather than maintaining the fiction of ideological neutrality.
- Challenges the assumption of political neutrality in software engineering research, showing DEI backlash creates real pressures
- Documents impacts at three levels: macro (national funding), meso (institutions), and micro (individual researchers)
- Proposes concrete steps for the community to address political pressures, based on survey analysis and case studies
Why It Matters
Research funding and priorities are shifting globally, affecting what software engineering problems get studied and published.