It seems to be strange times when people feel the need to take to the streets to voice their support for science, but that’s what happened earlier this month as the second annual March for Science was held in Washington, D.C. and 250 other cities around the world. To mark the occasion, we spoke to Mary Woolley, CEO of Research!Amercia, about the public perception of science, the state of funding for science in the United States, and why scientist increasingly feel the need to step off the sidelines to advocate for what they do.