Toward an Academic Discipline of UAP Studies: Global Programs, U.S. Gaps, and the Quest for Standards

To the point

President Donald Trump ordered the release of UFO and UAP files in February 2026, the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office now handles thousands of reports, several countries have formal UAP programs, U.S. universities largely lack dedicated UAP centers or funding, the author has created a new method to link civilian sightings with Cape Canaveral rocket launches that is under peer review, surveys show widespread interest but fears of funding loss or ridicule keep researchers away, and experts say establishing UAP studies as a real field will require sustained funding, common methods, and tenure practices, with Europe and Canada ahead and the big question being which universities will lead this emerging discipline and how quickly it grows.