Scientific Integrity
Political interference in federal government science is weakening our nation's ability to respond to the complex challenges we face. Because policy makers depend on impartial research to make informed decisions, we are mobilizing scientists and citizens alike to push for reforms that will enable our leaders to fully protect our health, safety, and environment.
Features
Ten Questions for 2012 Candidates
Transparency and accountability in government are crucial for real progress on the issues that matter, but we rarely hear about them during election season. Here are some questions designed to change that.
Science in an Age of Scrutiny
Scientists whose work touches on public policy issues are increasingly targets of harassment and personal attacks. UCS has put together a guide with helpful advice for scientists who find themselves in this position.
A Climate of Corporate Control
This 2012 UCS report looks at statements and actions on climate science and policy by 28 U.S. companies, shows how these contributions can be problematic, and suggests steps to address the problem.
FDA Scientific Integrity Progress at Risk in Congress
As Congress debates renewal of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) and Medical Device User Fee Act (MDUFA), lobbyists are pushing for measures that would reverse recent scientific integrity gains.
How Corporations Corrupt Science at the Public's Expense
The 2012 report Heads They Win, Tails We Lose shows how corporations use a variety of methods to exert improper influence on federal science and its use in policy making.
Federal Agency Scientific Integrity Policies
We've put together a list of agency scientific integrity policies, policy drafts, and other responses released since December 2010, with links to the policy documents.
Successes
Recent successes in Scientific Integrity include:
- Improving drug safety
- Giving federal scientists a voice
- Protecting endangered species science
- Uncovering abuses of science in multiple government agencies
- Protecting the public from unsafe products
Analysis
Scientific Integrity Progress Report
Has the Obama administration’s action matched its rhetoric on scientific integrity? Where's the scientific integrity plan? Explore what the Obama administration has done so far, and see what's left to be done.
Report on Federal Agency Media Policies
To assess the degree of freedom with which science is communicated at federal agencies, the Union of Concerned Scientists conducted an investigation of 15 federal regulatory and science agencies.
Federal Science and the Public Good
A UCS examination of direct political interference in science, systemic changes that have made it more difficult for federal scientists to serve the public interest, and specific steps needed to restore scientific integrity to federal policy making.
Interference at the EPA
Hundreds of scientists report political interference in their work, significant barriers to the free communication of scientific results, and concerns about the agency's effectiveness.
Campaigns
Urge Federal Agencies to Let Scientists Speak Out
Federal scientists must feel free to speak out about research findings that impact our lives. Please urge federal agency leaders to improve their agencies’ media policies.
Endorse the Scientists' Call to Action
Restoring scientific integrity to federal policy making will take a sustained commitment by Congress and the president--and that will require persistent and energetic engagement from scientists and citizens alike.
Resources
Resources for Scientific Integrity Policy at Federal Agencies
UCS has put together a suite of resources for federal agencies to draw upon as they work to implementing the Obama Administration’s scientific integrity guidelines.
A-to-Z Guide to Political Interference
In recent years, scientists who work for and advise the federal government have seen their work manipulated, suppressed, distorted, while agencies have systematically limited public and policy maker access to critical scientific information. To document this abuse, the Union of Concerned Scientists created the A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science.
Scientific Integrity Curriculum Guide
To foster thoughtful discussions about the proper role of science in federal policy making, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has created a Scientific Integrity Curriculum Guide to help undergraduate and advanced high school instructors teach this complex subject.
Voices of Federal Scientists
A series of surveys from 2005-2007 designed to explore the level of political interference in science at federal agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and federal climate scientists.
