Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 46 / Wednesday, March 11, 2009 / Presidential Documents 10671 

Memorandum of March 9, 2009 

Scientific Integrity 

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies 

Science and the scientific process must inform and guide decisions of my 

Administration on a wide range of issues, including improvement of public 

health, protection of the environment, increased efficiency in the use of 

energy and other resources, mitigation of the threat of climate change, and 

protection of national security. 

The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing 

public policy decisions. Political officials should not suppress or alter scientific or technological findings and conclusions. If scientific and technological information is developed and used by the Federal Government, it 

should ordinarily be made available to the public. To the extent permitted 

by law, there should be transparency in the preparation, identification, and 

use of scientific and technological information in policymaking. The selection 

of scientists and technology professionals for positions in the executive 

branch should be based on their scientific and technological knowledge, 

credentials, experience, and integrity. 

By this memorandum, I assign to the Director of the Office of Science 

and Technology Policy (Director) the responsibility for ensuring the highest 

level of integrity in all aspects of the executive branch’s involvement with 

scientific and technological processes. The Director shall confer, as appropriate, with the heads of executive departments and agencies, including 

the Office of Management and Budget and offices and agencies within the 

Executive Office of the President (collectively, the ‘‘agencies’’), and recommend a plan to achieve that goal throughout the executive branch. 

Specifically, I direct the following: 

1. Within 120 days from the date of this memorandum, the Director 

shall develop recommendations for Presidential action designed to guarantee scientific integrity throughout the executive branch, based on the 

following principles: 

(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 


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10672 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 46 / Wednesday, March 11, 2009 / Presidential Documents 

the integrity of scientific and technological information and processes 

on which the agency relies in its decisionmaking or otherwise uses 

or prepares. 

2. Each agency shall make available any and all information deemed 

by the Director to be necessary to inform the Director in making recommendations to the President as requested by this memorandum. Each 

agency shall coordinate with the Director in the development of any 

interim procedures deemed necessary to ensure the integrity of scientific 

decisionmaking pending the Director’s recommendations called for by this 

memorandum. 

3. (a) Executive departments and agencies shall carry out the provisions 

of this memorandum to the extent permitted by law and consistent with 

their statutory and regulatory authorities and their enforcement mechanisms. 

(b) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or 

the head thereof; or 

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any 

right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in 

equity, by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 

4. The Director is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, March 9, 2009 

[FR Doc. E9–5443 

Filed 3–10–09; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3170–W8–P 


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