CHORUS enhances transparency by making funder plans for open research visible; below is a collection of US agency plans as they work to comply with OSTP’s “Gold Standard Science” guidance. US agencies are required to respond to and comply with the “Gold Standard Science” guidance issued by the
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The specific guidance is based on Executive Order (EO) 14303, signed on May 23, 2025, which mandated federal agencies to implement its principles.
US Agencies Plans for Gold Standard Science
| Agency | Plans |
|---|---|
| US Department of Energy | https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-08/DOE%20Implementation%20-%20Gold%20Standard%20Science_08-22-2025.pdf |
| National Science Foundation | https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/NSF-GSS-Implementation-Plan-2025.pdf |
| National Institutes of Health | https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2025-08/2025-gss.pdf |
| US Department of Commerce (NIST/NOAA) | https://www.commerce.gov/files/department-commerce-gold-standard-science-implementation-plan |
| US Department of Agriculture | https://www.usda.gov/gss |
| US Department of the Interior (USGS) | https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-restores-gold-standard-science-across-federal-decision-making |
| US Department of Health and Human Services | https://www.hhs.gov/gss/index.html |
| US Department of the Treasury | https://home.treasury.gov/gold-standard-science |
| US Department of Homeland Security | https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/25_0919_st_gold_standard_science_at_dhs.pdf |
Key requirements for agencies include:
⇒ Creating an implementation plan: The OSTP memo, issued on June 23, 2025, required agencies to submit a report outlining their plans to implement the “Gold Standard Science” principles within 60 days.
⇒ Adopting core tenets: Agency plans must describe how they will address the nine tenets of “Gold Standard Science:”
- Reproducibility,
- Transparency,
- Communication of Error and Uncertainty,
- Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Approaches,
- Constructive Skepticism,
- Falsifiability of Hypotheses,
- Unbiased Peer Review,
- Recognition of Negative Results, and
- Freedom from Conflicts of Interest.
⇒ Updating policies: Agencies must promptly update their scientific integrity policies and any other relevant policies to align with the guidance from the OSTP Director.
⇒ Mandatory reporting: Following the initial implementation plan, agencies must submit annual progress reports to the OSTP by September 1 of each year, beginning in 2026.
⇒ Accountability: The EO requires agencies to establish internal processes to evaluate and address alleged violations of the new requirements.
If you have information about a funder not represented or an update we should be aware of, please contact us at info@chorusaccess.org.
Last updated: 13 November 2025
