Protecting Government Whistleblowers

New draft policies for safeguarding government research from political influence—and protecting those who bring such misconduct to light—could be improved, according to advocacy groups.

Written byEdyta Zielinska

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The White HouseWIKIMEDIA, TINA HAGER

The government's deadline for improving policies to shield scientists from political agendas came and went August 5^th, with only five of the of the 18 agencies posting their drafts for public comment, according to The New York Times. In addition to offering ways to prevent political influence in the first place, the draft policies are intended to give whistleblowers more protection for shedding light on the potential misuse of power.

The Obama administration sent a memo requesting the agencies draft their new plans after numerous cases of government interference in scientific reports during the Bush administration, on science ranging from stem cells to climate change and industrial pollution. Although all agencies met the deadline, the drafts didn't all appear to be polished documents, with one ...

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Meet the Author

Edyta Zielinska
Edyta Zielinska was a senior editor at The Scientist from 2007 to 2013, where she worked closely with scientific illustrators to develop accompanying graphics to illuminate complex concepts.
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