At a May 1, 2012 NOAA Awards Ceremony, ARL’s Dian Seidel received a Bronze Medal “for developing a NOAA administrative order on scientific integrity policy and accompanying handbook on scientific misconduct” as part of a NOAA-wide team.
The team developed NOAA’s first Scientific Integrity Policy and accompanying Handbook to promote a continuing culture of scientific excellence and integrity and establish a policy on the integrity of scientific activities that the agency conducts and uses to inform policy and management. The policy has been recognized by the Union of Concerned Scientists as “raising the bar” for scientific integrity in government, and it serves as a model for other U.S. government agencies.
The Scientific Integrity Policy is designed to foster an environment at NOAA where science is encouraged, nurtured, respected, rewarded, and protected. The policy applies to all NOAA employees, grantees, and contractors. It establishes principles for scientific integrity and codes of conduct for scientists and science managers, including explicitly prohibiting anyone from suppressing or censoring scientific findings. The Handbook includes detailed procedures for responding to allegations of scientific misconduct and importantly extends whistleblower protections to those who report scientific misconduct.
For More Information, contact: Steve Fine