Agencies have 60 days to report on steps they are taking to prioritize "transparency in scientific research to ensure accountability". Image: PREMIO STOCK/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe White House has instructed agencies on steps required under an executive order on “restoring gold standard science” which asserts that “the federal government has contributed” to a loss of public trust in science, while calling on agency leadership to take a greater role in the scientific process and communication of findings.
“This order restores the scientific integrity policies of my first Administration and ensures that agencies practice data transparency, acknowledge relevant scientific uncertainties, are transparent about the assumptions and likelihood of scenarios used, approach scientific findings objectively, and communicate scientific data accurately,” Trump wrote in the order, which cites Covid-19, marine fisheries and climate guidance built on worst-case scenarios as politically tinged.
In implementing guidance, the Office of Science and Technology Policy said that within 60 days, agencies are to report on steps they are taking to prioritize (in its words): disciplined scientific methods and experimental design; transparency in scientific research to ensure accountability and public trust; and the communication of error and uncertainty in scientific research to drive robust generation of new science.
Also (again in its words): collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches in scientific research to accelerate discovery and innovation; scientific research that is structured for falsifiability of hypotheses; unbiased peer review to advance sound science in the review, selection, and awarding of Federal grants and contracts, including competitive and discretionary awards; and conducting and managing scientific research free from conflicts of interest to advance unbiased science.
Agencies further are to “foster a culture of constructive skepticism in scientific research through policies and programs that emphasize critical evaluation, transparency, and objectivity” and “recognize negative or null results as valuable contributions to scientific knowledge, fostering integrity and innovation.”
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