Ensuring Scientific Integrity at the 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

December 16, 2011

Introductory Statement

Scientific integrity continues to be a very high priority for NASA, and is embedded 

in the rules and requirements that govern our professional behavior across all 

technical disciplines. Our policies in support of scientific integrity are robust and 

have been in place for many years. As an Agency we recommit ourselves to 

scientific integrity on a regular basis, by reviewing and renewing existing policies 

every five years. Additionally, we have augmented long-standing policies with 

newer complementary policies, such as Release of Information to News and 

Information Media (14 CFR 1213), introduced in 2006, to foster honesty and 

transparency in communicating the science conducted by and used by the Agency. 

NASA is committed to continuously upholding, examining, and enhancing its 

policies to maintain the highest standard of scientific integrity in the future. 

Background

On March 9, 2009, President Obama issued a Memorandum on Scientific Integrity 

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. This Memorandum highlighted six principles of scientific integrity that 

cover issues including transparency, public communications, and peer review. 

On December 17, 2010, the Director of the White House Office of Science and 

Technology Policy issued a Memorandum to the Heads of Departments and 

Agencies with further guidance for implementation of these principles throughout 

the executive branch. For copies of both Memoranda, see: 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/library/scientificintegrity

Through policy and practice, NASA is fully committed to the principles articulated 

in these Memoranda. The Administration’s request provides us with a welcome 

opportunity to collect and expand our policies, and once again to demonstrate our 

deep commitment to scientific integrity in pursuit of our mission. 

The following summary collectively lists the NASA policies, both current and 

planned, that maintain and enhance scientific integrity within the Agency and with 

our colleagues in the scientific community. This summary is organized according 

to the major headings and topics of the December 2010 OSTP Memorandum. The 
principles outlined herein frame NASA’s commitment to scientific integrity now 

and into the future.
I. Foundations of Scientific Integrity in Government. 

1. Ensure a culture of scientific integrity. 

NASA is committed to sustaining an environment of scientific integrity, honest 

investigation, and freedom from political interference. Among the policies that 

support this commitment are: 

- NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 1000.0A, NASA Governance and Strategic 

Management Handbook, stipulates that integrity is a NASA core value and 

that the Agency “is committed to maintaining an environment of trust, built

upon honesty, ethical behavior, respect, and candor.” 

- NPD 1080.1, Policy for the Conduct of NASA Research and Technology, 

stipulates that the Agency will achieve excellence by selecting the best 

research and technology project ideas to be carried out by the most capable 

people, thereby providing the American public the greatest return on its 

investment in NASA research and technology programs. 

- NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 1080.1, Requirements for the 

Conduct of NASA Research and Technology, creates and sustains a culture 

of scientific integrity by establishing NASA requirements for research and 

technology planning, solicitation and selection of proposals, peer review, 

quality assessment and performance metrics, data protection, and dealing 

with misconduct. 

- 14 CFR 1275, Research Misconduct, stipulates the procedures NASA will 

use to handle allegations that a person or institution has engaged in 

fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or 

reviewing research, or in reporting research results, funded or supported by 

NASA. 

2. Strengthen the actual and perceived credibility of Government research. 

NASA is committed to strengthening the actual and perceived credibility of its 

research by:

(a) Ensuring that the selection of candidates for scientific positions is based 

primarily on their scientific and technological knowledge, credentials, 

experience, and integrity. Among the policies that support this commitment 

are: 
- NPR 3335.1, Internal Placement of NASA Employees, stipulates that 

NASA will fill positions available only to internal candidates through 

competition and on the basis of merit. 

- 5 CFR 300.102, Employment Practices, stipulates that NASA will use 

competitive practices for external hiring that fairly test the relative 

capacity and fitness of candidates for the jobs to be filled and to 

support selection from among the best-qualified candidates. 

(b) Ensuring that data and research used to support policy decisions 

undergo independent peer review by qualified experts. Among the policies 

that support this commitment are: 

- NPD 1000.0A, NASA Governance and Strategic Management 

Handbook, stipulates NASA’s commitment to employing processrelated checks and balances including peer review to ensure the 

integrity of its programs. 

- NPR 1080.1, Requirements for the Conduct of NASA Research and 

Technology, and NPR 7120.8, NASA Research and Technology 

Program and Project Management Requirements, stipulate that 

NASA will rely on peer review panels of competent and nonconflicted research and technology experts from both internal and 

external to NASA to conduct quality and performance assessments. 

- NPR 1080.1, Requirements for the Conduct of NASA Research and 

Technology, and NPR 2200.2, Requirements for Documentation, 

Approval, and Dissemination of NASA Scientific and Technical 

Information, stipulate that NASA expects all scientific research by 

NASA investigators and NASA-sponsored investigators to be peerreviewed before publication, whether the results are published by 

NASA or submitted to a scientific journal for publication. 

- The 2010 Science Plan for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate

stipulates that investment choices for Earth and space science 

programs will be based on scientific merit via peer review and open 

competition.1

 

1

The Science Mission Directorate is responsible for conducting robotic space missions and supporting research and technology 

development in the areas of Earth science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics.
- Human Research Program (HRP)-47053, Science Management Plan, 

stipulates that projects managed by the Human Research Program will 

be selected on the basis of peer review of competing proposals. 

(c) Setting and enforcing clear standards regarding conflicts of interest.

NASA civil servants are bound by federal restrictions against financial 

conflicts of interest. As with federal civil servants generally, NASA 

scientists in covered positions file financial disclosure reports annually and 

are provided annual training on conflict of interest rules and other federal 

ethics requirements. 

Scientists participating in NASA peer reviews and NASA research, whether 

NASA civil servants or members of the external scientific community, must 

follow documented standards for conflicts of interest to eliminate bias and 

perception of bias in our peer-review process. Among the policies that 

support this commitment are: 

- The Guidebook for Proposers Responding to a NASA Research 

Announcement or Cooperative Agreement Notice stipulates that all peer 

reviewers of NASA proposals made under a NASA Research 

Announcement or Cooperative Agreement Notice must avoid not only 

actual but also any apparent conflicts of interest and must maintain 

confidentiality about all activities involved in the peer review process. 

- Science Mission Directorate Policy Document (SPD)-01, Handling 

Conflicts-of-Interest for Peer Reviews, stipulates clear conflicts-ofinterest policies for peer reviewers in all peer reviews managed by 

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. 

- SPD-05, Preventing Financial Conflicts for IPA Employees, stipulates 

the measures that may be utilized by an Intergovernmental Personnel Act

(IPA) detailee to the NASA Science Mission Directorate to mitigate 

potential conflicts of interest between his or her home institution and the 

Science Mission Directorate. The IPA permits assignments to and from 

universities. IPA detailees serve within the Science Mission Directorate 

in all capacities that civil servant scientists do. 

- In 2008, the Office of Government Ethics approved the “NASA Conflicts 

of Interest and Confidentiality Self Certification for NASA Peer 

Reviewers who are Federal Government Employees Form.” This form is 

incorporated into the online NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated 
Review and Evaluation System, and all NASA civil servants must 

complete it to certify the absence of financial conflicts of interest before 

participating in peer reviews of projects proposed for Agency support. 

- Human Research Program (HRP)-47053, Science Management Plan, 

stipulates clear conflicts-of-interest policies for peer reviewers and civil 

servants involved in proposal selections for projects managed by the 

Human Research Program. 

(d) Adopting appropriate whistleblower protections. 

NASA is fully committed to the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, 

Public Law (P.L.) 101-12, and its expanded protections enacted by P.L. 103-

424: 

NASA’s Whistleblower Protection Plan dated March 2007 stipulates that the 

Agency will provide confidentiality, a single point of contact to make 

complaints, tracking of the complaint for the whistleblower, education of 

employees about their rights and protections, education of employees about 

their obligation to report their concerns, and education to human resources 

professionals and NASA managers and supervisors regarding personnel 

laws, rules, and regulations. The plan was developed in response to Section 

110 of the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-155), which required 

the NASA Administrator to transmit to Congress “... a plan describing steps 

to be taken by NASA to protect from retaliation NASA employees who raise 

concerns about substantial and specific dangers to public health and safety or 

about substantial and specific factors that could threaten the success of a 

mission.” 

NASA conducts annual training regarding the No FEAR Act (P.L. 107-174)

that informs employees of the rights and protections available under the 

Whistleblower Protection Act and anti-discrimination laws. In addition, the 

annual notice and training encourages employees to raise violations of the 

Whistleblower Protection Act to the NASA Office of Inspector General 

located at each NASA Center, or Office of Special Counsel. 

3. Facilitate the free flow of scientific and technological information, consistent 

with privacy and classification standards. 

NASA is committed to facilitating open communication among scientists and 

engineers, between NASA staff and the technical community, and between NASA 

employees and the public. NASA requires the results of NASA-funded research, 
both internal and external, to be made available to the scientific community and to 

the public at no cost to them. Among the policies that support this commitment are:

- The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended, stipulates 

that NASA shall “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate 

dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results 

thereof.” Unless a determination is made that public dissemination of 

information must be prohibited or restricted, NASA information is made 

available to the public. 2

- NPD 2200.1, Management of NASA Scientific and Technical Information, 

stipulates that NASA shall provide for the "widest practicable and 

appropriate dissemination" of scientific and technical information resulting 

from NASA's research effort, while precluding the inappropriate 

dissemination of NASA's restricted and sensitive information, in keeping 

with the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended. 

- NPR 2200.2, Requirements for Documentation, Approval, and 

Dissemination of NASA Scientific and Technical Information, stipulates that 

NASA scientific and technical information must be made available to the 

public either through publication in the open literature or through NASA’s 

Scientific and Technical Information homepage, 

http://www.sti.nasa.gov/STI-public-homepage.html. 

- NPD 1001.0, NASA Strategic Plan, and the 2010 Science Plan for NASA’s 

Science Mission Directorate stipulate that the results of NASA research and 

development must be made available for the benefit of the Government, the 

advancement of research, and the increase in the public’s knowledge. 

4. Establish principles for conveying scientific and technological information to the 

public. 

NASA is committed to conveying to the public scientific and technological 

information that derives from its research and development activities. When 

conveying such information, NASA is also committed to providing a clear 

explication of underlying assumptions, accurate contextualization of uncertainties, 

and the probabilities associated with both optimistic and pessimistic projections, 

including best-case and worst-case scenarios when appropriate. Among the 

policies that support this commitment are:

 

2

NASA scientific and technical information can be restricted if it includes national- security-classified information, exportcontrolled information, proprietary information, or discloses an invention (NPR 2200.2, Section 4.5.1). 
- The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended, stipulates 

that NASA shall “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate 

dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results 

thereof.” Unless a determination is made that public dissemination of 

information must be prohibited or restricted, NASA information is made 

available to the public. 3

- NPD 2200.1, Management of NASA Scientific and Technical Information, 

stipulates that NASA will collect, manage, disseminate, safeguard, and 

archive its scientific and technical information for use by NASA and NASA 

contractors and grantees, and unless restricted, the public in order to advance 

NASA’s goals in science, exploration, and aeronautics; to strengthen the 

effectiveness and improve the productivity and cost effectiveness of the 

NASA research effort; to reduce unnecessary duplication; and to improve 

U.S. competitiveness in science and technology. 

- NPR 2200.2, Requirements for Documentation, Approval, and 

Dissemination of NASA Scientific and Technical Information, establishes

NASA requirements for approving and publishing NASA scientific and 

technical information and disseminating it to the NASA technical 

community and the public consistent with the stipulations contained in NPD 

2200.1. 

- NASA practice is to place all scientific data from robotic space missions into 

publicly accessible data archives for use by the scientific community and the 

public at no cost to them. These practices are governed by requirements that 

are generally included in all solicitations for space missions and 

investigations. See, for example, http://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/earthscience-data/data-information-policy/ and 

http://science.nasa.gov/heliophysics/heliophysics-data-centers/. 

II. Public Communications. 

NASA is committed to promoting and maximizing openness with the media and 

the American people. Among the policies that support this commitment are: 

- The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended, stipulates 

that NASA shall “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate 

dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results 

thereof.” Unless a determination is made that public dissemination of 

 

3

Ibid.
information must be prohibited or restricted, NASA information is made 

available to the public. 4

- 14 CFR 1213, Release of Information to News and Information Media, 

includes provisions that: 

 NASA will offer articulate and knowledgeable spokespersons who can 

best serve the needs of the media and the American public (14 CFR 

1213.105(b)). 

 NASA employees may, but are not required to, speak to the media and 

the public about their work (14 CFR 1213.105(c) and (h)). Specifically, it

is NASA policy that NASA employees wishing to speak to the media or

the public about their work shall notify their immediate supervisor and 

coordinate with their public affairs office in advance of interviews 

whenever possible, or immediately thereafter, and are encouraged, to the 

maximum extent practicable, to have a Public Affairs Officer present 

during interviews. If Public Affairs Officers are present, their role will be 

to attest to the content of the interview, support the interviewee, and 

provide post-interview follow up with the media, as necessary.

 Set forth an internal dispute resolution process for ensuring scientific and 

technical accuracy is not compromised (14 CFR 1213.104(e)). 

Specifically, any dispute arising from a decision to proceed or not 

proceed with the issuance of a news release or other type of public 

information will be addressed and resolved by the Assistant 

Administrator for Communications with the appropriate Mission 

Directorate Associate Administrator, Mission Support Office head, 

Center Director, and others, such as Center Communications Directors, 

as necessary. However, the appropriate Mission Directorate Associate 

Administrator shall be the arbiter of disputes about the accuracy or 

characterization of programmatic, technical, or scientific information. 

Additional appeals may be made to agency leadership including the 

Office of the Administrator. When requested by a Center 

Communications Director, an explanation of the resolution will be 

provided in writing to all interested Agency parties.

 Scientific and technical information from or about Agency programs and 

projects will be accurate and unfiltered (14 CFR 1213.102(a)) and that 

editing by public affairs staff to ensure that public information products 

are well written and appropriate for the intended audience shall not 

change scientific or technical data or the meaning of programmatic 

 

4

Ibid.
content (14 CFR 1213.103(c)). It is NASA policy that political officials 

should not suppress or alter scientific or technological findings and that

in no circumstance may public affairs officers ask or direct Federal 

scientists to alter scientific findings.

III. Use of Federal Advisory Committees. 

NASA is committed to the integrity of its use of Federal advisory committees 

(FAC) tasked with giving scientific advice. It is NASA policy that:

- The recruitment process for new FAC members should be as transparent as 

practicable.

- NASA should, when practicable and appropriate, announce FAC member 

vacancies widely, including notification in the Federal Register with an 

invitation for the public to recommend individuals for consideration and for 

self-nominations to be submitted.

- Professional biographical information (including current and past 

professional affiliations) for appointed committee members should be made 

widely available to the public (e.g., via a website) subject to Privacy Act and 

other statutory/regulatory considerations. Such information should clearly 

illustrate the individuals' qualifications for serving on the committee.

- The selection of members to serve on a scientific or technical FAC should be 

based on expertise, knowledge, and contribution to the relevant subject area. 

Additional factors that may be considered are availability of the member to 

serve, diversity among members of the FAC, and the ability to work 

effectively on advisory committees. Committee membership should be fairly 

balanced in terms of points of view represented with respect to the functions 

to be performed by the FAC. 

- Except when prohibited by law, NASA should make public which FAC 

members were granted conflict-of-interest waivers and make all such

waivers publicly available upon request.

- Except when explicitly stated in a prior agreement between an agency and a 

FAC, all reports, recommendations, and products produced by FACs should 

be treated as solely the findings of such committees rather than of the USG, 

and thus are not subject to intra- or inter-agency revision.

- Subcommittees or task forces that are not subject to FACA will operate 

under procedures that provide for public meetings and the maintenance of 

publicly available records.
Among the policies that support this commitment are:

- NPD 1150.11, Federal Advisory Committee Act Committees (under revision 

as of December 2011, to include the stipulations outlined above), and in 

compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App., as 

amended) and the General Services Administration (GSA) Final Rule on 

Federal Advisory Committee Management (41 CFR Parts 101-6 and 102-3).

IV. Professional Development of Government Scientists and Engineers. 

1. Encourage publication of research findings in peer-reviewed, professional, or 

scholarly journals. 

It is NASA policy to encourage Agency employees to publish NASA-sponsored 

research findings in peer-reviewed, professional, or scholarly journals. Among the 

policies that support this commitment are:

- NPR 1080.1, Requirements for the Conduct of NASA Research and 

Technology, stipulates that NASA researchers and project staff are required 

to publish the results of their research and development activities in peerreviewed literature or publicly available NASA technical reports. 

- NPR 2200.2, Requirements for Documentation, Approval, and 

Dissemination of NASA Scientific and Technical Information, establishes 

NASA requirements for approving and publishing NASA scientific and 

technical information and disseminating it to the NASA technical 

community and the public. 

2. Encourage presentation of research findings at professional meetings. 

It is NASA policy to encourage Agency employees to present research findings at 

professional meetings. Among the policies that support this commitment are:

- NPR 1080.1, Requirements for the Conduct of NASA Research and 

Technology, stipulates that NASA researchers and project staff are expected 

to share their results with their peers and colleagues at professional 

meetings, science conferences, and other venues. NASA civil servants will 

do so to the extent permitted by available funding and law. 5

 

5

For example, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, P.L. 111-117, requires that NASA limit travel to any single 

conference outside of the United States (a “foreign conference”) to no more than 50 NASA employees. The NASA Authorization 
3. Allow Government scientists and engineers to become editors or editorial board 

members of professional or scholarly journals. 

It is NASA policy to allow NASA civil servant scientists and engineers to serve as 

editors or editorial board members of professional or scholarly journals. This 

service is generally considered part of a NASA scientist’s or engineer’s official 

duties and, when approved by his or her supervisor, may be carried out as part of 

his or her job. NASA recognizes that such service is not only important for the 

professional development of NASA scientists and engineers, but also that such 

development serves the interests of the government and the U.S. taxpayer by 

improving the quality and professional standing of employees.

4. Allow full participation in professional societies including removing barriers for 

serving as officers or on governing boards of such societies. 

It is NASA policy to allow its scientists, engineers, and all other NASA employees 

for whom such participation is an integral part of professional development to 

serve as officers in professional societies: 

- There are no NASA-specific barriers to participation as officers or directors 

of professional societies. The Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel 

has opined that with the exception of certain standard-setting organizations 

18 U.S.C. § 208 prohibits outside board service in an official capacity. 

NASA ethics officials work with interested employees to ensure that outside 

activities are performed in compliance with all legal and ethics requirements. 

- NASA has issued an Agency-wide memorandum dated July 26, 2011, 

confirming the Agency’s support for NASA scientists, engineers, and all 

other NASA employees for whom such participation is an integral part of 

professional development to serve as society officers or board members, 

where appropriate, and summarizing the Agency’s processes for them to 

obtain approval for such service. 

5. Allow Government scientists and engineers to receive honors and awards for 

their research and discoveries. 

 

Act of 2008, P.L. 110-422, limited fiscal year 2009 funding for conferences to “not more than $5,000,000 for any expenses 

related to conferences, including conference programs, travel costs, and related expenses.”
It is NASA policy to allow its scientists and engineers to receive honors and 

awards for their research and discoveries: 

- Consistent with 5 CFR 2635.204(d), NASA civil servant scientists and 

engineers may receive honors and awards from outside entities for their 

research and discoveries. 

- The Agency also makes full use of the Government Employees Incentive 

Awards Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 4501 et seq., to recognize superior 

accomplishments of its scientists and engineers. 
Appendix – List of Acronyms 

CFR Code of Federal Regulations 

FAC Federal Advisory Committee 

FACA Federal Advisory Committee Act 

GSA General Services Administration 

HRP Human Research Program 

IPA Intergovernmental Personnel Act 

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

NPD NASA Policy Directive 

NPR NASA Procedural Requirements 

OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy 

P.L. Public Law 

SPD Science Mission Directorate Policy Document 

U.S.C. United States Code