A group of prominent scientists today called on the next president and Congress to end political interference in science and establish conditions that would allow federal science to flourish. Organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the group released a statement at a press conference during the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting.
"Good federal policy depends upon reliable and robust scientific work," said Francesca Grifo, director of the Scientific Integrity Program at UCS. "When science is falsified, fabricated or censored, Americans' health and safety suffer."
The statement specifically calls for the next administration and Congress to ensure that federal scientists have the freedom to publicly communicate their findings; publish their work; disclose misrepresentation, censorship or other abuses; and have their technical work evaluated by peers -- all without fear of retribution.
Statement signatories include Nobel laureates and scientists with significant federal government experience, including former National Science Foundation Director Rita Colwell, former Presidential Science Advisor Neal Lane, and former National Institutes of Health Director Harold Varmus. (For the statement, go to: www.ucsusa.org/scientificfreedom .)
Current and former federal scientists support the statement. "If the next administration and Congress wholly embrace and implement the scientists' recommendations, Americans would be safer," said Robin Ingle, a former mathematical statistician at the Consumer Product Safety Commission. "A political appointee at my agency prevented my research on all-terrain-vehicle safety from reaching the public, even when avoidable deaths and injuries occurred."
Environmental Protection Agency scientist Bill Hirzy said there have been similar incidents at his agency. "Scientific integrity is the bedrock on which the federal science establishment must rest. Unfortunately, too many EPA scientists have had to fight interference from political or private sector interests."
Susan Wood, former assistant commissioner for women's health at the Food and Drug Administration, echoed Hirzy's concerns. "Serious consequences can result when drug and device safety decisions are not based on the best available scientific advice from staff scientists and independent experts," she said. "The next president and Congress must cultivate an environment where reliable scientific advice flows freely to allow for fully informed safety decisions."
At today's press conference, UCS also released "Federal Science and the Public Good," a report that recommends steps the next president can take to restore scientific integrity to federal policymaking. The report highlights how the current administration has misused science, with a special focus on systemic changes that hamper federal scientific capacity and make it more difficult for agencies to fulfill their missions. (For UCS's report, go to www.ucsusa.org/scientificfreedom.)
Kurt Gottfried, UCS co-founder and board chairman, and emeritus professor of physics at Cornell University, stressed that thousands of scientists around the country have called for reform. "Four years ago – almost to the day – UCS unveiled a statement signed by 62 leading scientists voicing concern over the manipulation, distortion, and suppression of federal government science," he said. "Since that time nearly 15,000 scientists have added their signatures. Now we are using that momentum to push for solutions."
Scientists who spoke at the press conference:
