WASHINGTON, DC - Today, as called for in President Trump's recent Executive Order, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios issued guidance to federal agencies on incorporating Gold Standard Science tenets into their research activities.
The EO directs federal research agencies to establish and strengthen practices related to reproducibility, transparency, falsifiability, interdisciplinary research, and merit-based peer review, as well as communicating uncertainties, recognizing negative or null results, and disclosing conflicts on interests. Within 60 days, agencies are required to report back publicly on relevant initiatives, including how Gold Standard Science is reflected in the agency's culture, funding opportunities, award selection and reporting, and other research activities.
"President Trump's Gold Standard Science EO will transform the conduct and management of federal science, from research design to public communication, in order to strengthen scientific inquiry, rebuild public trust, and ensure the U.S. continues to be the global leader in rigorous, evidence-based science," said Director Kratsios. "But federal agencies are only one part of our nation's research ecosystem. American universities, scientific journals, industry and philanthropic leaders all have a crucial role in improving the overall quality of research, and we encourage this executive action to serve as a model for the entire scientific enterprise."
In the memo, Director Kratsios says that "the need for Gold Standard Science stems from the crucial role of scientific integrity in tackling complex challenges to address critical areas, such as energy innovation and national security. In an age of rapid technological progress and heightened public scrutiny, federal science, and its use in federal decision making, must be beyond reproach."
President Trump is ushering in the Golden Age of American Innovation and is committed to maintaining our global technological dominance. However, first the relationship between the public and the scientific community must be rebuilt. President Trump's Restoring Gold Standard Science Executive Order provides a new standard and plan to improve the federal scientific enterprise.
