Peer Review - OMB Watch

Peer Review: News Background Analysis Correspondence Gov Docs Links

OMB released its final Peer Review Bulletin on Dec. 17, 2004. To read the bulletin text, see the OMB website. OMB Watch also has an analysis of the bulletin here.

Shortly after establishing the Data Quality Guidelines, the Office of Management and Budget pushed to expand political control and influence over scientific by proposing government-wide standards for scientific peer review. The proposal unleashed a backlash from the scientists, public interest groups and government officials who consistently saw the new policy as major threat to the timely development of objective scientific information.

News

Bill Proposes Taking Peer Review Away from OMB 02/22/2005
Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA), ranking member of the House Government Reform Committee, and Bart Gordon (D-TN), ranking member of the House Science Committee, introduced the Restore Scientific Integrity to Federal Research and Policymaking Act (H.R. 839) Feb. 16, which would move authority for federal peer review standards away from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Read More

OMB Finalizes Peer Review Proposal 01/10/2005
Shortly before the holidays, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a final version of its bulletin to establish government-wide requirements for when and how federal agencies use scientific peer review. The final bulletin makes modest changes to the revised proposal that OMB published April 28, 2004 which only allowed a 30-day comment period. OMB’s announcement did not explain the seven-month delay until just before the holiday season, when many academics, scientists and public interest groups concerned with the policy were away on vacations. Read More

Lawmakers Attack Science of Endangered Species Act 08/23/2004
Conservative lawmakers are using peer review and data quality language to obscure what amounts to an attack on the Endangered Species Act. Two new bills would require the Fish and Wildlife Service to establish minimum criteria for scientific studies used as the basis for listing species, and to conduct restrictive independent peer reviews on all data used. Read More

Scientists Speak Out Against the Bush Administration 07/12/2004
Last week the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released updated evidence that the Bush administration continues to manipulate and control science for political reasons. UCS has now collected the signatures of more than 4,000 scientists supporting a statement urging the Bush administration to discontinue these troubling practices, and to restore scientific integrity in federal policymaking. The prestigious list of scientists taking this unprecedented stand includes 48 Nobel laureates, 62 national medal of science recipients, and 127 members of the National Academy of Sciences. Read More

OMB Fast-Tracks Revised Peer Review Policy 05/17/2004
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) appears unwilling to allow a sober and unhurried review of their revised proposal for government-wide peer review requirements. The revised proposal was published in the Federal Register April 28 with only a 30-day public comment period that is scheduled to end May 28. OMB rejected a request from various public interest groups for a 60-day extension to the public review period. Read More

OMB's Peer Review Proposal Improved But Still Flawed 04/19/2004
After receiving strong opposition for its peer review proposal from scientists, environmentalists, and public interest groups, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a massively revised version of the guidance and is seeking public comment on the new version. While many of the changes are significant improvements over OMB's initial policy, the new proposal fails to address some of the most fundamental complaints. Read More

Pressure Continues to Mount Against OMB's Peer Review Plan 01/26/2004
Many recent news stories and editorial pieces from around the country are critical of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) draft bulletin on peer review, thereby maintaining pressure on the agency to either drastically alter the policy proposal or withdraw it entirely. Read More

Take Action on OMB's Peer Review Bulletin 01/13/2004
Voice your objection to OMB's overly restrictive Peer Review Bulletin, which will establish government-wide peer review standards. These policies will prevent agencies from disseminating important information to the public or acting in a timely fashion to protect human health and the environment in the case of emergencies. This proposal is not about improving information, it is about controlling information.

Click here to tell your Members of Congress and OMB that the OMB Peer Review Bulletin should be withdrawn.

OMB Watch Submits Comments on Peer Review Today 12/15/2003
OMB Watch filed comments with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) today on its draft bulletin for peer review. Public interests groups, academics, and regulators were all concerned with the bulletin because it could severely hamper agencies by creating burdensome peer review requirements that are too vulnerable to industry manipulation. Most federal agencies currently have peer review guidelines that function well. While the deadline for public comments ends today, federal agencies may continue to submit comments on the draft bulletin until Jan. 15.

To read OMB Watch's comments click here.

Workshop Reveals Flaws in Peer Review Bulletin 12/02/2003
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) held an all day workshop Nov. 18 that brought together regulators, academics, industry and public interest groups to discuss the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) draft bulletin on peer review. By the end of the day, presenters and participants had expressed various concerns about the impact of the bulletin as currently written and uncovered fundamental flaws with the policy. Read More

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