Scientific Integrity Reform in the U.S. Administration: Pitfalls, Progress, and Plans

Sunday, February 19, 2012: 8:00 AM-9:30 AM
Room 122 (VCC West Building)
In his inaugural address, President Obama promised to end political interference in science and pledged to “restore science to its rightful place.” In March 2009, he asked the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to create a plan to codify strong scientific integrity standards, and OSTP responded with guidelines in December 2010. The guidelines require agencies and departments to create or improve policies related to foundations of scientific integrity in government, public communications, use of federal advisory committees, and professional development of scientists and engineers. Acknowledging differences in structure and degree of regulatory responsibility, agencies and departments were given some latitude in development of their policies. More than 30 federal agencies and departments were required to report their progress to OSTP by April 2011, at which point OSTP set deadlines for additional progress and implementation. Speakers will outline the process OSTP used to encourage and ensure agency compliance, evaluate progress at various agencies and departments, discuss lessons learned, and propose next steps to realize full scientific integrity reform.
Organizer:
Francesca T. Grifo, Union of Concerned Scientists
Discussant:
Peter H. Gleick, Pacific Institute
Speakers:
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