Agency scientists still can’t speak freely, UCS finds

Many US science agencies are failing to ensure that their scientists can freely communicate with the media and the public, according to a new scorecard released by the not-for-profit science advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) on 15 March.

Four years after federal agencies began the process of establishing new scientific integrity policies, reports of interference with scientists’ ability to speak out have persisted, including attempts by agency officials to bypass or silence them, UCS says.