Science versus policy
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Bipartisan panel issues recommendations to federal agencies Aug. 5 to more clearly distinguish scientific questions from policy disputes in proposed regulations. The Science for Policy Project report also urges more stringent standards against relying on experts with potential conflicts of interest for advisory committees and overall greater transparency in committee selection. The report suggests that a single disclosure form (with some flexibility for special requests) should be developed for all federal advisory panels, drawing off of the current forms for FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency. The panel, supported by the Bipartisan Policy Center, was chaired by former New York Republican Congressman Sherwood Boehlert and former FDA Commissioner and Science magazine editor Donald Kennedy