2006 UCS Survey of Federal Climate Scientists

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) surveyed over 1,600 federal climate scientists in 2006 to investigate the state of climate research at U.S. federal agencies. The survey targeted agencies including NASA, NOAA, EPA, USGS, USDA, DOE, and DOD, using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) as a non-federal control group to measure political interference. Out of the surveys mailed, 308 were completed (a 19 percent response rate), consisting of 279 from federal agencies and 29 from NCAR. The respondent pool was highly qualified, with 80 percent holding a Ph.D. and over half having more than 10 years of experience at their current agencies.

• The survey targeted scientists at seven primary federal agencies: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Defense.
• The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) was included as a control group because it is an independent agency that is "shielded from government policies and restrictions," allowing UCS to quantify the level of political interference occurring at federal agencies.
• The survey achieved a total response rate of 19 percent, with 308 completed surveys returned (279 from federal agencies and 29 from NCAR). Response rates varied by agency, ranging from a high of 25 percent at NCAR to a low of 16 percent at the Department of Defense (DOD).
• The survey respondents were highly experienced and educated: 80 percent held a Ph.D., 40 percent had post-doctoral research experience, and more than 50 percent had over 10 years of experience at their current agencies (with 44 percent exceeding 15 years).

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2006). 2006 UCS Survey of Federal Climate Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/methodology-and-demographics.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2006 UCS Survey of Federal Climate Scientists. 2006. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/methodology-and-demographics.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=2006 UCS Survey of Federal Climate Scientists |date=2006 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/methodology-and-demographics.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists20062006, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{2006 UCS Survey of Federal Climate Scientists}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2006}, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/methodology-and-demographics.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }