United States Department of Agriculture

Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Agricultural Marketing Service

Directive AMS 1074.1 9/27/2016

SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY POLICY

1. PURPOSE

This Directive states Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) guidance for implementing United 

States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Scientific Integrity Policy (SIP) by requiring all 

applicable Agency assistance documents to have an SIP statement and to familiarize AMS 

employees and cooperators with the guidelines contained in the policy.

2. BACKGROUND

In March 2009, the President issued a Memorandum on Scientific Integrity (SI) underscoring the 

importance of science in informing public policy decisions, and emphasizing that the public must 

be able to trust the science behind those decisions. In August 2011, Secretary Vilsack issued a 

USDA SIP that provides guidance to departmental employees and cooperators on the principles 

of conducting scientific activities as well as the proper use of scientific and scholarly findings.

The policy promotes a culture of transparency, integrity, and ethical behavior in the 

development, communication, and application of scientific data analyses in USDA’s decisionmaking activities. Access to reliable information is vital to AMS’ mission to facilitate the 

strategic marketing of agricultural products in domestic and international markets. In many 

cases, AMS receives data from program stakeholders in order to fulfill requirements stated in 

assistance documents. This information is used to support rulemaking, public policy 

development, inspections for voluntary and regulatory purposes, and grading or distributing 

commodity market news to the public. The scope of the program’s activity determines whether 

or not SIP training for AMS employees and Agency cooperators may be required or voluntary. 

3. AUTHORITIES/REFERENCES

a. Presidential Memorandum, Scientific Integrity, March 2009. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/memorandum-heads-executivedepartments-and-agencies-3-9-09

b. Memorandum, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Scientific Integrity, December 

2010.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/scientific-integrity-memo12172010.pdf

c. USDA Departmental Regulation (DR) 1074-001, Scientific Integrity, May 2013.

http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/DR%201074-001_0.pdf

d. USDA Scientific Integrity Handbook (Guidance for Implementation of DR 1074-001), 

July 2013.

http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-scientific-integrity-policy-handbook.pdf

Distribution: AMS Originating Office: MRPHR-AMS
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e. Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (5 CFR 2635).

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title5-vol3/pdf/CFR-2011-title5-vol3-

part2635.pdf

f. Federal Policy on Research Misconduct (65 FR 76260-76264, December 2000).

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2000-12-06/pdf/00-30852.pdf

g. USDA Departmental Regulation (DR), 2401-001, USDA Intramural Research 

Misconduct Policies and Guidelines, June 2008.

http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/DR2401-001.htm

h. Whistleblower Protection Act (5 U.S.C 2302(b) (8)).

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2013-title5/pdf/USCODE-2013-title5-partIIIsubpartA-chap23-sec2302.pdf

4. DEFINITIONS

a. Agency Scientific Integrity Officer (ASIO): An AMS staff member who can address 

questions, concerns, complaints or information regarding possible violations or breeches 

in scientific integrity.

b. Assistance Document: As used in AMS, a grant agreement, memorandum of 

understanding, or cooperative agreement.

c. Cooperator: A contractor or grantee receiving financial assistance to provide information 

or a service to AMS.

d. Cooperative Agreement: A legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the Federal 

Government and a State or local government or other recipient when: (1) the principle

purpose is the transfer of money, property, services, or anything of value to the State or 

local government or other recipient to accomplish a public purpose of support or 

stimulation authorized by Federal statute; and (2) substantial involvement is anticipated 

between the Federal Agency and the State or local government or other recipient during 

performance of the contemplated activity.

e. Grant Agreement: A legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the Federal 

Government and a State or local government or other recipient when: (1) the principle

purpose of the relationship is the transfer of money, property, services, or anything of 

value to the State or local government or other recipient to accomplish a public purpose 

of support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute; and (2) no substantial 

involvement is anticipated between the Federal Agency and the State or local government 

or other recipient during performance of the contemplated activity.

f. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): A documented plan between two or more 

organizations for carrying out their separate activities in a project of mutual interest. Each 
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party directs its own activities and uses its own resources. An MOU is not a fund 

obligation document since it does not directly involve financial assistance or a 

procurement transaction.

g. Scientific Integrity Policy: The policy and procedures issued by AMS that, when 

conducting and applying the results of science, ensure objectivity, clarity, and 

reproducibility, and also provides protection from bias, fabrication, falsification, 

plagiarism, interference, censorship, and inadequate procedural and informational

security.

h. Scientific Activities: Activities that generate information or services (i.e., monitoring, 

observations, experimentation, surveys, and modeling) whereby cooperators can conduct 

studies on behalf of AMS for cost benefit analyses, risk assessments, technical feasibility 

studies, and other analyses to support rulemaking and public policy development.

i. Scientific Data: Data obtained through the scientific method, observation, research and 

technical analysis that are testable, verifiable, and repeatable, or contain measures of 

uncertainty.

j. SIP Employee Training: All Agency employees, regardless of position, duties, or grade 

level are required to take “AgLearn” SIP training when: (1) preparing assistance 

documents for activities/services related to the collection economic, marketing, and 

scientific data; (2) using this information for public policy or management decisions; and 

(3) communicating this information in an official capacity about program activities and 

services.

5. POLICY

It is AMS policy to comply with the USDA Scientific Integrity Policy established by the 

issuance of USDA DR 1074-001, May 2013.

6. RESPONSIBILITIES

a. AMS employees preparing assistance documents, for those activities/services used to 

collect economic and scientific data for rulemaking and public policy decisions, will

place a SIP statement in assistance documents that reads as follows:

(1) “In accepting the provisions of the award, the cooperator certifies that all 

employees and personnel responsible for providing the economic, marketing, or 

scientific data ensure the integrity and accuracy of the information. USDA has in 

place both a Scientific Integrity Policy (DR 1074-001) and Scientific Integrity 

Handbook that can be found at:

http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/DR%201074-001_0.pdf

and http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-scientific-integrity-policyhandbook.pdf, respectively.”

(2) “The cooperator further certifies that any service provider with concerns, 

questions, complaints, or information regarding possible violations of scientific 

integrity will report those concerns, either directly or through the cooperator’s 
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management, to the contracting officer who will forward those concerns to the 

AMS Scientific Integrity Officer (ASIO) or use the OIG Hotline at 

www.usda.gov/oig/hotline.htm.”

b. All AMS employees engaged in the solicitation, award, or administration of assistance 

documents where the data and/or records are collected by the Agency for reporting 

purposes will be required to take an “AgLearn” SIP training course at 

www.aglearn.usda.gov. 

c. Cooperators and grantees (those under agreements to work on behalf of AMS) are 

responsible for abiding by the principles contained in this policy regarding the integrity 

of the Department’s scientific and scholarly activities as specified in the assistance 

documents. The cooperator acknowledges receipt of the AMS SIP Statement by returning 

the signed cover page of the agreement back to AMS.

7. INQUIRIES

a. For further information on SIP, contact the ASIO listed at

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=ocs-agency-scientificintegrity-officers.xml.

b. For further information on AMS cooperative agreements, grants, and MOUs, contact the

AMS Budget Division, Compliance and Analysis Program, at 202-720-9330.

c. This Directive can be assess via the AMS Web site at https://www.ams.usda.gov/aboutams/policies/ams-issuances.

/s/

Elanor Starmer

Administrator

Agricultural Marketing Service

Attachment