Getting Science Back on Track

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) survey of federal scientists in 2022 indicates a general improvement in scientific integrity, morale, and job satisfaction under the Biden administration, particularly at the EPA, FWS, and USDA. While many scientists feel better protected from political interference, significant challenges persist, including critical staff capacity shortages leading to burnout, ongoing issues with censorship, and a lack of diversity in senior leadership at several agencies. The report also highlights the vulnerability of federal scientists to external harassment and bullying, especially those working on COVID-19 and climate change.

• Federal scientists reported higher levels of morale, job satisfaction, and office effectiveness under the Biden administration than under the George W. Bush, Obama, or Trump administrations, with the most significant increases occurring at the EPA, FWS, and USDA.
• A majority of surveyed scientists perceive that the Biden administration's actions to strengthen scientific integrity will better protect their work from undue political interference.
• Insufficient staff capacity is identified as a primary barrier to science-based decisionmaking and a leading cause of burnout, with 70% of scientists reporting burnout due to lack of staff.
• Censorship remains a persistent issue across all six agencies; 26% of respondents reported being asked to omit politically contentious words from scientific products, and 16% were told to avoid specific contentious topics.
• Perceptions of diversity in the federal scientific workforce are mixed; while the FDA is viewed as diverse, a majority of scientists at NOAA and FWS feel their agencies lack diversity in both the workforce and senior leadership.
• External harassment and bullying are ongoing threats, with 10% of all surveyed scientists reporting such experiences in the last two years, and the highest rate of harassment reported by CDC scientists (16%).
• The CDC continues to face specific challenges regarding scientific integrity and public communication, with 27% of its scientists reporting that political pressure inappropriately influenced COVID-19 policymaking at least half the time since January 2021.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2023). Getting Science Back on Track. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/getting-science-back-on-track-report-revised.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Getting Science Back on Track. 2023. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/getting-science-back-on-track-report-revised.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Getting Science Back on Track |date=February 2023 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/getting-science-back-on-track-report-revised.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2023getting, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Getting Science Back on Track}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/getting-science-back-on-track-report-revised.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }