Restoring Gold Standard Science
Restoring Gold Standard Science is an executive order that aims to rebuild trust in federally funded science by raising standards for how scientific information is produced, interpreted, and shared across federal agencies. It directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to issue guidance within 30 days on implementing “Gold Standard Science”—a set of criteria meant to ensure research is reproducible, transparent, and free from undue bias or conflicts of interest. The order emphasizes data transparency for influential scientific information, requires agencies to disclose underlying data and models (with limited exceptions), and mandates clearer communication of uncertainties. It also restores prior scientific integrity policies and sets up enforcement mechanisms under the Information Quality Act, with a path for waivers in limited circumstances. Overall, it seeks to improve the quality and integrity of science used in policy decisions and to better inform the public about scientific uncertainties and assumptions.
Key Points
- 1Gold Standard Science defined: Reproducible, transparent, communicates error and uncertainty, collaborative/interdisciplinary, skeptical of findings, structured for falsifiability, subject to unbiased peer review, accepts negative results, and free of conflicts of interest.
- 2Implementation timeline: OSTP Director must issue guidance within 30 days; agency heads must update policies accordingly and report back within 60 days on actions taken to implement Gold Standard Science.
- 3Data and model transparency for influential information: Agencies should publicly disclose data, analyses, conclusions, and models used to generate influential scientific information (data cited in peer-reviewed literature and, where feasible, source code). Risk-models used to drive enforcement decisions may be exempt from disclosure.
- 4Interim policies and rollback: Until updated policies are issued, agencies follow the 2021 science integrity policies and may reverse changes enacted between 2021 and 2025 that conflict with this order; agencies should promote open debate and protect dissenting scientific viewpoints.
- 5Use of weight-of-evidence: Agencies must apply a weight-of-science approach when evaluating information, and transparently acknowledge uncertainties and the likelihood of key assumptions.
- 6Enforcement and oversight: Each agency must establish internal processes (supervised by a senior appointee) to address alleged violations of scientific information policies, with potential discipline under the Information Quality Act.
- 7Scope and applicability: Applies to all employees involved in generating, using, interpreting, or communicating scientific information, and to agency decision-making. Contractors are encouraged to adhere to these policies as well.
- 8Waivers and exceptions: Agency heads may seek waivers for good cause; application to foreign/military/national security matters is allowed only to the extent the agency head determines it should apply.
- 9Legal framework and limits: The order does not remove existing statutory authority, budget constraints, or the President’s/OMB’s role; it does not create new legal rights for individuals; implementation must comply with existing law.