SAFEGUARDING AGAINST DISTORTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN FEDERAL POLICYMAKING

The authors argue that the Trump Administration exploited ambiguities in conflict-of-interest rules to sideline scientists and prioritize industry interests. To counter this, they recommend establishing statutory job qualifications for high-level positions, closing 'revolving door' loopholes, and creating firewalls between political staff and agency scientists. They also propose reforming the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to prevent the appointment of conflicted members and enhancing the transparency of the scientific peer review process. Finally, the paper calls for strengthening the independence of Inspectors General and granting the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) investigative authority to ensure effective enforcement of ethics laws.

• The Trump Administration frequently appointed individuals to high-level science and environmental positions who lacked relevant qualifications or held views opposed to the agency's mission, such as appointing a climate science skeptic to a leadership role at NOAA.
• The administration circumvented the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA) by using acting officials to avoid Senate confirmation, with some officials serving well beyond the 210-day legal limit through 'temporary' delegations of authority.
• Federal Advisory Committees (FACs), particularly at the EPA, were undermined by disbanding panels, sidelining experts, and appointing chairs with financial conflicts of interest and a lack of scientific expertise.
• The scientific peer review process is vulnerable to undue influence; the authors cite a 2004 EPA study on hydraulic fracturing where a whistleblower revealed that a majority of the peer review panel had conflicts of interest.
• Existing oversight mechanisms are insufficient because the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) lacks investigative or prosecutorial authority, focusing instead on prevention.

APA

Kelly, M. L., Reed, G., Goldman, G. T., & Carter, J. M. (2021). SAFEGUARDING AGAINST DISTORTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN FEDERAL POLICYMAKING. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/uci-cleanr-rec.pdf?_ga=2.223108763.1854773924.1618506067-1581840564.1566392277

Chicago

Kelly, Melissa L., Genna Reed, Gretchen T. Goldman, and Jacob M. Carter. SAFEGUARDING AGAINST DISTORTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN FEDERAL POLICYMAKING. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2021. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/uci-cleanr-rec.pdf?_ga=2.223108763.1854773924.1618506067-1581840564.1566392277.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kelly |first1=Melissa L. |last2=Reed |first2=Genna |last3=Goldman |first3=Gretchen T. |last4=Carter |first4=Jacob M. |title=SAFEGUARDING AGAINST DISTORTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN FEDERAL POLICYMAKING |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=2021 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/uci-cleanr-rec.pdf?_ga=2.223108763.1854773924.1618506067-1581840564.1566392277 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kelly2021safeguarding, author = {Kelly, Melissa L. and Reed, Genna and Goldman, Gretchen T. and Carter, Jacob M.}, title = {{SAFEGUARDING AGAINST DISTORTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN FEDERAL POLICYMAKING}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/uci-cleanr-rec.pdf?_ga=2.223108763.1854773924.1618506067-1581840564.1566392277}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }