In recent years, there have been a number of allegations concerning interference with federal researchers in their efforts to disseminate their research results to a wider audience, external to their agency. Many of these allegations have concerned interference with researchers’ attempts to speak with the media or present research findings at conferences. These claims have frequently surrounded research on politically sensitive topics, such as climate change and the role it may play in connection to other weather events, such as hurricanes. For example, some federal researchers have alleged that they were not allowed to use the phrase “global warming,” and others have alleged that NOAA has limited scientific debate by not reporting all of the research regarding a possible connection between global warming and increased hurricane intensity. These concerns have resulted in a number of inquiries into the dissemination practices and policies at several federal agencies. For example, in May 2006, in response to a congressional request, the National Science Foundation’s National Science Board examined the existing policies of selected federal science agencies, including NASA and NOAA, to determine if they contained steps to ensure the credibility of research results and insulate these results from suppression or distortion. The board found that there was no consistent federal policy regarding the dissemination of research results by federal employees and recommended that all agencies that conduct research establish policies and procedures to encourage an open exchange of data and results. The board also recommended that the administration develop and issue an overarching set of principles for the communication of scientific information by government scientists, policymakers, and managers that could be used as the framework under which each agency would develop its specific policies and procedures. In addition to the National Science Board review, other groups have sought information on the dissemination activities of federal agencies. For example, in 2005, Environmental Science and Technology, an online and print journal published by the American Chemical Society, requested and received copies of NOAA Office of Public Affairs documents through the Freedom of Information Act pertaining to climate change, including exchanges between NOAA scientists and public affairs staff. Furthermore, in September 2006, 14 Senators requested that the Inspectors General at Commerce and NASA investigate reports of political interference with the work of scientists at NASA and NOAA. In February 2007, the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Government Accountability Project, two nongovernmental advocacy organizations, jointly issued a report examining the extent to which politics play a role in scientific research. More recently, over the first few months of 2007, Congress has held several hearings exploring allegations of political interference with the work of government climate change scientists. A number of federal agencies conduct scientific research that is used to inform federal policy decisions. This report focuses on NASA and 2 of the 13 agencies within Commerce—NIST and NOAA. NASA’s organic statute—the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended— calls for NASA to “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination” of the scientific and technical information resulting from NASA’s research efforts. This work is structured around four mission areas—aeronautics research, exploration systems, science, and space operations—and is performed at 10 research and flight centers across the United States. Each of these centers performs a variety of research, engineering, construction, and support functions related to the mission areas, and each has a separate management structure, including a center director, to guide its activities. Furthermore, each center has its own public affairs office that is responsible for managing the center’s media contacts and communications. In addition, NASA headquarters has its own public affairs office that oversees agencywide programs and activities to coordinate and maintain open and credible communication channels to the news media and the public. Each of Commerce’s 13 agencies is headed by its own director, undersecretary, or assistant secretary. Even though each of these agencies has its own public affairs office, Commerce’s Office of Public Affairs is responsible for overseeing public affairs interactions for the department, such as issuing press releases and answering media inquiries, as well as for keeping abreast of the activities at all 13 agencies, many of which disseminate research results, as is the case with NIST and NOAA. NIST’s mission is “to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.” To a large extent, this mission is fulfilled by the research undertaken by scientists, engineers, and technical experts at the agency’s Maryland and Colorado facilities. NIST is specifically required to disseminate research conducted under several of its programs. Most research at NIST is conducted at one of its eight laboratories, covering research areas such as manufacturing engineering, physics, and information technology. It is NIST’s policy to publish the results of these technical programs openly, widely, and promptly, and this is accomplished through scientific reports issued by researchers as well as press releases and Web-based newsletters issued by NIST’s Public and Business Affairs Office. NOAA is the largest of the Commerce agencies, and its work is structured around four program goals—ecosystems, climate, weather and water, and commerce and transportation—and seven operating organizations, or program offices. Similar to NASA and NIST, NOAA headquarters has a public affairs office—the Office of Communications—which is led by a director and tasked with facilitating media and public communications with the agency. Each of NOAA’s program offices also has a public affairs officer who reports to the director of the Office of Communications and serves as the primary public affairs contact for program office researchers. Research dissemination at each of these agencies is guided by departmental or agency policies. In addition, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has also issued guidelines and bulletins that have an impact on the dissemination of research results. For example, in October 2001, OMB issued its Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies, which required agencies to issue their own guidelines to ensure the quality of information being disseminated. NASA, NIST, and NOAA have all issued their own information quality guidelines. In addition, OMB issued the Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review in December 2004 that established governmentwide guidance establishing that important scientific information shall be peer-reviewed by qualified specialists before it is disseminated by the federal government. Among other things, the bulletin provides guidance to federal agencies on what information is subject to peer review and requires agencies to begin a systematic process of peer-review planning for influential scientific information (including highly influential scientific assessments) that the agency plans to disseminate in the foreseeable future. In addition to the research activities of specific agencies, OSTP advises the President and others in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) on the effects of science and technology on matters being considered in the policymaking process. OSTP serves as a source of scientific and technological information and advice for the President with respect to major policies of the federal government and acts as the scientific and technical arm of the EOP policymaking process. As part of this work, OSTP and OMB collaborate to help agencies develop research and development budgets to address national priorities. OSTP meets regularly with agency staff as well as representatives of industry, academia, and the general public to seek or share information about science and technology policy and leads interagency efforts to develop and implement science and technology policies. Researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA must comply with both office specific and agencywide or departmental-level policies, most of which facilitate dissemination of research. NASA’s researchers are subject to agency-level policies and center-specific policies for the dissemination of research through publications, presentations, press releases, and media interviews, and these policies generally facilitate dissemination. NIST and NOAA have agency-level policies that generally facilitate the dissemination of research results through publications and presentations. Researchers at NIST and NOAA must follow both agency-level policies and guidance and Commerce’s department-level policies if they want to disseminate their research through media interviews and press releases. However, NOAA’s agency-level and Commerce’s department-level policies may hinder dissemination through these routes. At NASA, researchers must comply with both agencywide policies and center-specific policies when disseminating research results, regardless of the form this dissemination takes. For example, for publications and presentations, all researchers are directed to comply with the agency’s policy for approval, publication, and dissemination of scientific and technical information. Scientific and technical information is defined as the results—including facts, analyses, and conclusions—of basic and applied scientific, technical, and related engineering research and development. This information can be disseminated through a variety of channels, including NASA publications, outside journals, presentations at meetings or workshops, and Web sites. The policy directs that all scientific and technical information released outside the agency through these means must be reviewed to determine whether public access to it should be prohibited or restricted, for national security or intellectual property reasons. In addition, NASA’s policies direct that all research results that are to be disseminated undergo professional and technical reviews to ensure that the information is being clearly communicated, is technically accurate, and meets data quality standards. These technical review and management approval procedures vary depending upon the information content, publication route, and intended audience—domestic or international. To indicate that a document has completed the necessary reviews, researchers generally must complete two forms—one identifying what restrictions, if any, need to be placed on the document prior to dissemination and the other indicating that the document has undergone technical peer review. NASA managers with whom we spoke at the centers said that they found the agency’s policies to be clear, easy to follow, and similar to procedures researchers follow in the academic community, although some said that the agency’s reviews to identify security restrictions can be cumbersome at times.