Gold Standard Science

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is committed to upholding the highest standards for the generation, management, and use of scientific information to advance understanding and support decision-making. As the nation’s premier oceanic and atmospheric agency, NOAA is dedicated to understanding and predicting changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and is committed to conserving and managing our coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. NOAA’s work is fundamentally rooted in rigorous and innovative research, the translation of scientific knowledge and technologies into products and decision support tools, and timely sharing of scientific information to protect the public, the Nation’s ecosystems, and key economies. 

Executive Order (EO) 14303 , Restoring Gold Standard Science, issued on May 23, 2025, aims to reinforce foundational principles of research and scientific integrity within federal agencies.  EO 14303 describes Gold Standard Science (GSS) as science that is conducted in a manner that is:

• Reproducible.
• Transparent.
• Communicative of error and uncertainty.
• Collaborative and interdisciplinary.
• Skeptical of its findings and assumptions.
• Structured for falsifiability of hypotheses.
• Subject to unbiased peer review.
• Accepting of negative results as positive outcomes.
• Without conflicts of interest.

The integrity of our research and the responsible use of scientific information are paramount to fulfilling NOAA’s mission for the American people and maintaining public trust. NOAA’s contribution to U.S. Department of Commerce’s report on GSS implementation outlines our commitment to fully aligning with EO 14303, and the accompanying guidance from the Office of Science and Technology Policy for GSS.

Download the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Standard Science Implementation Plan, which includes the NOAA GSS Implementation Plan.