State of Science Index Survey

Survey Insights

3M’s Commitment

For the past 4 years, 3M has released the annual State of Science Index to track attitudes to science through multi-country original research since 2018.

Beyond this annual research, we are committed to supporting innovation and diversity every day, in a variety of ways.

3M’s Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion report

3M’s first-ever Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion report represents a milestone in our commitment to increasing transparency as a company and to creating greater equity in the world

3M to invest $50 million over 5 years to address racial opportunity gaps

Through our new investments, we will broaden access to science, manufacturing and skilled trades careers inside and outside 3M.

3M commits to achieving carbon neutrality, reducing water use, and improving water quality

The new environmental goals include achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, reducing water use by 25% at its facilities, and returning higher quality water to the environment after use in manufacturing operations.

3M joins the UN in its efforts to raise awareness of epidemic preparedness using science-based information and best practices for disease prevention and response.

Signs of hope spring from science

In 2021, we are counting on science to restore and rejuvenate our lives as we embark on the road to recovery. As the vaccine rolls out in India and around the world, for the first time in almost a year, hope is on the horizon, and it sits squarely on the shoulders of science.

In 2021...

90%

Agree that science brings hope for the future
90%

Agree science will make 2021 a better year than 2020
88%

Agree science will make life better in the next five years

The correlation between hope and science isn’t limited to our desire to reinstate the close human connection, such as travelling and spending time with friends and family. Hopefulness at this moment includes priorities that science can solve for beyond our health.

In light of the pandemic…

88% We are more environmentally conscious

88% Scientists are critical to our future well-being

78% Scientists and medical professionals are inspiring a new generation to pursue a STEM-based career in the future

Another cause for hope is that a large majority, two-thirds, believe science drives more unity when people have opposing views [67%], than division [33%].

Trust in science increases from before the pandemic.

In many ways, hope may be an outcome of the trust we have placed in science over the past 12 months. Trust in science one year into the pandemic, is at 90%, 3 percentage points higher than in the 2020 Pre-Pandemic survey.

At the same time, complete trust in scientists remains at the highest level we have ever seen it since tracking began [61%].
We are putting our biases on the backburner.

As trust grows, the issues India faces tackling COVID-19 and well-establish personal beliefs may be getting in the way of everyone fully embracing science. Only believing science which aligns with personal beliefs is growing in India – from 67% in 2019 to 78% today.

56% The importance of science to our everyday lives remains at an all-time high since tracking began—jumping a significant 10 points in the past year, during the pandemic

Not only have we become more attuned to the impact science has on the world, but we are also speaking up for science.

87% Defend science when someone is questioning it

85% There are negative consequences to society if science is not valued
Increased trust in science may have influenced our pandemic behavior.

We largely believe in following scientific recommendations to contain the spread of COVID-19—and a significant majority of us conform to always taking these recommended actions to stay safe during the pandemic:

81% Wear a mask in public settings

78% Frequent hand washing

75% Maintain social distancing (6-foot distance)
But will our newfound trust in science last?

One year into the pandemic, it is too early to predict whether our renewed interest in science will cool off once we emerge from COVID-19, but there are some early indicators of susceptibility:

78% Believe the growth in science appreciation will continue beyond the pandemic

22% Predict science appreciation won’t last/or are unsure

The pandemic has reinvigorated interest in science and renewed focus on STEM.

91% Agree the world needs more people pursuing STEM careers

83% Have been more inspired to pursue a STEM career due to the pandemic
Diversity in STEM: Big problem. Big priority.

Fall-out from the pandemic, coupled with mainstream social justice issues, has ignited the focus on inequities for under-represented minorities.

88% agree it is important to increase diversity and inclusion in STEM. But we also recognize women and other minorities face major or obstacles.

83% Believe underrepresented minorities often lack equal access to STEM education

90% Believe we need to do more to encourage and retain girls in STEM education
With more diversity in STEM, science would achieve greater global collaboration between scientists, more innovative ideas, and new and improved approaches to existing research techniques.

With women of color leading gender equality in STEM education, and many institutions focusing their efforts on greater diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM, we are proud of the direction the world is taking in achieving greater equity.

85% Agree corporations should play a key role in improving diversity within STEM fields. Of those who believe corporations should be involved in supporting STEM education, the top actions corporations are expected to take include rewarding kids and teachers who show passion for science (43%), creating resources for kids to get involved in science at an early age (40%) and providing grants/scholarships to underrepresented students (40%).

The pandemic has opened our eyes to sustainability issues—and solutions for climate change are urgently needed.

We are more concerned than a year ago about air pollution (78%), climate change (77%), clean water supply (77%) and ocean plastics pollution (75%).

89% Agree we should follow the science to help make the world more sustainable

While the pandemic ranks in the top of the list of issues people most want science to solve, the rest of the issues are all environmental.

Top 3 environmental issues: Climate change, Ocean plastics pollution, Access to renewable energy sources and air quality

Scientific collaboration is critical and in light of the pandemic, people in India want more investment in science. Cross-border and public-private sector collaboration are priorities.

Our exposure to countries sharing scientific knowledge and resources during the pandemic may have magnified the awareness and importance of cross-border collaboration. This applies to the private and public sectors as well, with a majority believing there should be more collaboration across public/private sectors to advance science [87%]. We can also deduce that the public sees a correlation between the impact of science, scientific funding, and policy.
84% Believe countries should collaborate to create solutions based on science as the world faces major challenges like the pandemic and climate change

90% Believe that in light of the pandemic, science needs more funding/ financial support
Corporations are expected to help, and given events over the past six months, the top 3 priorities people most want corporations to address are:

1. Prepare for future pandemics (52%)

2. Provide existing employees with new skills and training for their future careers (47%)

3. Create new jobs/employment opportunities for underrepresented minority groups within their corporation (46%)
And to build a more sustainable future, specific actions companies should take, are:

1. Reduce the amount of plastic used in products (57%)

2. Reduce waste created by facilities (52%)

3. Reducing the amount of water used in production (51%)

4. Use renewable energy sources to power their facilities (48%)

Survey Insights

Signs of hope spring from science

In 2021...

In light of the pandemic…

Trust in science increases from before the pandemic.

We are putting our biases on the backburner.

Not only have we become more attuned to the impact science has on the world, but we are also speaking up for science.

Increased trust in science may have influenced our pandemic behavior.

But will our newfound trust in science last?

The pandemic has reinvigorated interest in science and renewed focus on STEM.

Diversity in STEM: Big problem. Big priority.

The pandemic has opened our eyes to sustainability issues—and solutions for climate change are urgently needed.