White House Scientific Integrity Task Force Concludes Month of Robust Public Engagement

Task Force engaged more than a thousand individuals across the country in July through a series of roundtables, listening sessions, and a request for public information

The White House’s Scientific Integrity Task Force supplemented its expertise and experience with extensive engagement with stakeholders throughout the month of July. Notably, the Task Force hosted four roundtables with Federal agency scientific integrity experts, three public listening sessions with members of the public who conduct, communicate, or consume Federal science, and issued a public request for information (RFI) that sought input from the general public.

The listening sessions gave hundreds of individuals from across the country an opportunity to share their views on the effectiveness of Federal scientific integrity policies and their role in promoting trust in Federal science. Members of the public also shared concerns related to the role of scientific integrity in the equitable delivery of Federal government programs. 

The roundtables, which convened more than 175 participants across four events, focused on the challenges and best practices in scientific communication. Participants also discussed policies and practices to support the professional development of scientists and researchers of diverse backgrounds. Finally, the roundtables reviewed new challenges posed by emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as by evolving scientific practices, like community-engaged research. 

In addition to its event-based public engagement, the Task Force received feedback from more than 200 individuals and organizations in response to its RFI that was issued by the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The Scientific Integrity Task Force will now turn its attention to analyzing the wealth of information gathered throughout the past several weeks. This input will inform the Task Force’s efforts to prepare a report summarizing recommendations for improving scientific integrity and restoring trust in government. 

More on the Scientific Integrity Task Force: The Scientific Integrity Task Force continues to advance on the aims of the Presidential Memorandum on Restoring Trust in Federal Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking. For more information on the Task Force’s mission please click here. 

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