2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Federal Science and the Public Good: U.S. Agency Science-Based Decision-Making

Independent science is key to the agency decision-making that helps secure our quality of life, supports a prosperous economy, and benefits us all. Federal agencies make and implement rules to protect our air, water, and food, our workplaces, and our health and safety. Many regulations are based on scientific and technological foundations, and agencies have long-established procedures for obtaining the science used in decision-making. Although science is rarely the only factor driving public policy, scientific input should always be independent. Case studies presented from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration illustrate how U.S. agencies fulfill their missions through science-based regulatory frameworks, and the challenges they face in doing so. The consistent and appropriate use of peer review and advisory committees, important advances in transparency, quality assurance procedures, accreditations, and the full implementation of scientific integrity policies are just a few of the many important safeguards on the science used in federal decision-making for the public good.