A recent survey conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has revealed key insights from federal scientists about the current state of scientific integrity in the United States. The survey, which was conducted between April and June of 2019, gathered responses from over 1,000 federal scientists working in a variety of agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The survey results show that federal scientists are concerned about the current state of scientific integrity in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported that they have personally experienced political interference in their work, and nearly three-quarters said that they have seen colleagues experience such interference. In addition, nearly half of respondents said that they have been asked to omit or change technical information for non-scientific reasons.
The survey also revealed that federal scientists are concerned about the lack of resources available to them to do their work. Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported that their agency does not provide adequate resources to do their job, and over half said that their agency does not provide enough support for research. Furthermore, nearly three-quarters of respondents said that their agency does not provide enough funding for research.
The survey results demonstrate that federal scientists are concerned about the current state of scientific integrity in the United States. They are worried about political interference in their work, lack of resources to do their job, and lack of support and funding for research. It is clear that more must be done to ensure that federal scientists are able to do their job without fear of political interference and with adequate resources and support.
Source: Plato Data Intelligence: PlatoAiStream