On December 17th, The Department of the Interior announced changes to its scientific integrity policy. The changes are designed to clarify scientific standards and improve the credibility of science used and supported by the Department. “Science is at the heart of Interior’s mission, so it’s important that we continue … to ensure robust scientific integrity,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “Today we are announcing an updated, strengthened policy to broaden, clarify, and underscore our commitment to sound science.”
In 2011, the Department of the Interior became the first agency to establish a scientific integrity policy in response to a Presidential Memorandum and a Memorandum issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The current update will:
- clarify policies regarding scientific integrity and the complaint/appeals process,
- better protect the confidentiality for all parties during the complaint and appeals process,
- appoint an ombudsman and scientific integrity officer, and
- provide enhanced training and resources for employees.
The enhanced training includes a new handbook and online training course, which Suzette Kimball, the Department’s Chief Scientific Integrity Officer and current Acting Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, explains “is designed to enhance employees’ understanding of scientific integrity in support of the Department’s mission.” Secretary Jewell explained that the new changes apply to all DOI employees, and also includes provisions for contractors, partners, volunteers, and other individuals conducting business on behalf of the Department.
The changes have been greeted with mixed reactions from science and environmental advocacy groups. “These changes threaten to make a sham out of an already tattered scientific integrity process,” stated Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Executive Director Jeff Ruch. He continued, saying they “substantially weaken [rules for protecting scientific integrity], … narrow the scope of the rules, erect barriers against holding miscreant managers accountable, and enshroud scientific integrity reviews in secrecy, preventing independent analysis of the facts.” The Union of Concerned Scientists, however, applauded the changes, with Michael Halpern, Program Manager at the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, stating “The Department of the Interior’s new scientific integrity policy is simplified, streamlined, and clear. With this policy, Interior continues to stand at the front of the pack in the Obama administration's quest to create strong scientific integrity standards within government.” Halpern did voice reservations regarding the lack of a requirement to report scientific integrity cases. “While the department has been reporting … scientific integrity cases on its website, there is nothing in the policy that requires it to do so,” explained Michael Halpern “Should the DOI stop publishing closed cases, we’d just have to take their word that the policy is well-implemented.”
- Karen Paczkowski, GSA Science Policy Fellow