Recommendations for "Research Integrity and the Organisation of Science"

3. Recognize and Mitigate the Politicization of Science

Actions for RPOs & Institutional Support Officers

Implement clear institutional guidelines to create protective environments for researchers and safeguard freedom of research, particularly in highly politicized areas of research
Establish dedicated communication response teams to support researchers in navigating external and politicized reactions and pressures
Commit to promoting and protecting the principles and practices of freedom of research to ensure the independence of research, innovation, teaching, and communication from external influences
Implement clear guidelines and support mechanisms for researchers providing scientific expertise in science-informed policy-making

Ensure close attention is given to how science is represented, and how scientific information is verified, received, and used
Contribute to clarifying the distinct roles of science and politics in society to foster greater coherence in their interaction
Acknowledge and display transparency regarding the limits of individual expertise, and clearly communicate the capacity in which a viewpoint is presented, for instance as a subject-matter expert, private individual, or specific advocate

Commit to promoting and protecting the principles and practices of freedom of research to ensure the independence of research, innovation, teaching, and communication from external influences
Promote the adoption of shared institutional guidelines to create protective environments for researchers and safeguard freedom of research, particularly in highly politicized areas of research
Launch a collaborative thematic initiative among public and private research foundations to examine their role and influence in safeguarding freedom of research and to identify potential support mechanisms

Strengthen bridge-building between research communities and the political system to enhance the uptake of research-informed policymaking
Implement strategies and procedures to ensure transparent, science- informed policy-making within science-for-policy ecosystems, including measures to prevent the misrepresentation of scientific findings
Assess how efforts to make science more responsive and actionable may lead to public perceptions of government pressure or interference in scientific activity, which could be perceived as a risk to scientific integrity
Launch a targeted consultation with Member States, research funders, and academic institutions to document the current state, challenges, and monitoring practices related to the rights and responsibilities associated with freedom of scientific research
Launch a Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE) on the politicization of science and its consequences for public trust in the uptake and benefits of research and innovation