Restoring Gold Standard Science
- Executive Order Number
- 14303
- President
- Donald Trump
- Signed
- May 23, 2025
- Published
- May 29, 2025
- Source
- Federal Register
- Original Document
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-05-29/pdf/2025-09802.pdf
AI-Generated Summary
Executive Order Summary
Purpose
The purpose of this executive order is to restore and maintain the integrity and credibility of science within the Federal Government. It aims to address the declining public trust in scientific research by establishing a "Gold Standard Science" framework. This framework is designed to ensure that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and that federal decisions are informed by credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence.
Key Actions or Directives
- Guidance Issuance: Within 30 days, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP Director) must issue guidance on implementing "Gold Standard Science" for federal agencies.
- Policy Updates: Agencies must update their scientific integrity policies to align with the new guidance within 60 days of its publication.
- Data Transparency: Agencies are required to make influential scientific information and the models used to generate it publicly available, except for certain risk models.
- Scientific Misconduct: Employees are prohibited from engaging in scientific misconduct or relying on information resulting from such misconduct.
- Interim Policies: Until new policies are in place, agencies must revert to scientific integrity policies from January 19, 2021, and review actions taken between January 20, 2021, and January 20, 2025, for alignment with the order's requirements.
- Enforcement and Oversight: Agencies must establish internal processes to evaluate and address violations of the order, managed by a designated senior appointee.
Significant Changes to Policy or Law
- Gold Standard Science: Introduces a new standard for scientific practices, emphasizing reproducibility, transparency, and unbiased peer review.
- Data Availability: Mandates the public disclosure of data and models used in influential scientific information, enhancing transparency.
- Revocation of Prior Policies: Reverts to pre-2021 scientific integrity policies and revokes changes made under the previous administration.
- Contractor Compliance: Extends the order's requirements to agency contractors, ensuring consistent standards across federal operations.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Agencies will need to revise their scientific integrity policies and practices, potentially affecting their decision-making processes and resource allocation.
- Citizens: Enhanced transparency and rigor in scientific research could restore public trust in federal science-based decisions, impacting areas like public health, education, and environmental policy.
- International Relations: U.S. commitment to high scientific standards may influence international perceptions and collaborations in scientific research and policy.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: Required to implement new scientific integrity standards and update policies.
- Federal Employees and Contractors: Must adhere to the new standards and could face disciplinary action for non-compliance.
- Scientific Community: Affected by changes in federal research funding and evaluation criteria.
- Public: Beneficiaries of more reliable and transparent scientific information used in federal decision-making.
- International Partners: May adjust their collaborations with U.S. agencies based on new scientific standards.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The order mandates compliance with the Information Quality Act for correcting scientific information, and it specifies that the new processes are the exclusive means for addressing violations, potentially affecting legal challenges to agency actions.
- Constitutional: The executive order is issued under the President's authority as granted by the Constitution and relevant statutes, asserting the President's power to direct federal agencies in scientific matters.
- Political: The order reflects a political stance on restoring scientific integrity, potentially reversing policies of the previous administration. It could lead to political debates over the role of science in policymaking and the influence of political considerations on scientific research.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.