The Office of Science and Technology Policy released today a Request for Public Comment in the Federal Register (H/T ScienceInsider).  The comments would inform the drafting of recommendations to the President for action to preserve scientific integrity in the executive branch.  These recommendations were required by a Presidential Memorandum* issued by President Obama in early March.  As noted here when it was released, the memo seems to be better as a political statement than as effective policy.  Hopefully the comments process can nudge it towards the latter.

The comment period is brief – it ends at 5 p.m. Eastern time on May 13.  You can submit comments via email (scientificintegrity@ostp.gov), online (though I’d make sure they fixed the link on that page), or by mail (address is listed in the Federal Register notice).  Comments can also be made on the new OSTP Blog, with blog posts for each of the principles outlined below.  You will need to register in order to comment on the blog.

There is some guidance for the comments, which are after the jump:

Respondents are invited to suggest: (1) Recommendations that would be responsive to the aims of the President, (2) specific implementing strategies, and (3) data and empirical evidence related
to the effectiveness of strategies to promote scientific integrity. Comments submitted are encouraged to:

• Be as succinct as possible (1000 words or less recommended);

• Specify which of the prior six principles (a–f) are being addressed with each comment;

• Explain views and reasoning clearly; and

• Describe how the success of particular strategies might be evaluated or measured.

The specific principles mentioned above are:

(a) The selection and retention of candidates for science and technology positions in the executive branch should be based on the candidate’s knowledge, credentials, experience, and integrity;

(b) Each agency should have appropriate rules and procedures to ensure the integrity of the scientific process within the agency;

(c) When scientific or technological information is considered in policy decisions, the information should be
subject to well-established scientific processes, including peer review where appropriate, and each agency should appropriately and accurately reflect that information in complying with and applying relevant statutory standards.

(d) Except for information that is properly restricted from disclosure under procedures established in accordance with statute, regulation, Executive Order, or Presidential Memorandum, each agency should make available to the public the scientific or technological findings or conclusions considered or relied on in policy decisions;

(e) Each agency should have in place procedures to identify and address instances in which the scientific process or the integrity of scientific and technological information may be compromised; and

(f) Each agency should adopt such additional procedures, including any appropriate whistleblower protections, as are necessary to ensure the integrity of scientific and technological information and processes on which the agency relies in its decision-making or otherwise uses or prepares.

I expect to submit comments, not the least of which will be to ask for a definition of what scientific integrity means.  While it might seem an obvious question to some, it’s absence in the Presidential Memorandum* seems to make implementation of any recommendations nearly meaningless.

* – I had previously misidentified this document as an Executive Order.