American Geophysical Union input on Improving Federal Scientific
Integrity Policies
Abstract
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is pleased to submit this RFI
response to 2021-13640 on improving federal scientific integrity
policies. AGU is the largest global organization covering the Earth
sciences with a mission “to support and inspire a global community of
individuals and organizations interested in advancing discovery in Earth
and space sciences and its benefit for humanity and the environment.”
Fostering integrity is a key part of our new strategic plan and past
activities and we are engaged in supporting integrity broadly, including
with federal agencies. Although not a focus of these recommendations,
AGU has often spoken up through position statements and letters related
to scientific integrity. Several examples are listed in the references.
With this perspective, we urge OSTP to consider two points that we
elaborate below: • Fostering integrity–and in turn public trust in
science and science policy–requires a broad, holistic view of practices
that extend beyond the typical focus on transparency and ethics to
include ensuring deeper public engagement, addressing diversity and
inclusivity in science and supporting the backbone infrastructure that
enables all of these. • The way science is supported, practiced and
conducted is changing significantly, as is its dissemination and
communication, and these changes have important implications for
fostering integrity in the 21st century. Specifically, parts of the
culture and reward system of science need improvement to align with
these changes, and OSTP and federal policy can be a strong proactive
force in enabling this change. This is particularly the case if these
policies and practices provide leading examples and extend to federal
grants. Many other organizations would then align.