This guide helps scientists navigate the First Amendment so they can be involved in their communities and the political process while minimizing concerns about negative repercussions in their professional lives.
Protecting the Scientific Endeavor
Science Under Siege
The Climate Science Legal Defense Fund has fought for the scientific endeavor since 2011. Our initiatives ensure that scientists can conduct, publish, and discuss their research and advocate for science without the threat of political harassment, censorship, or legal intimidation.
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Our Work
We provide free legal aid and resources to researchers, educate the scientific community about their rights and responsibilities, and strengthen legal protections to promote scientific integrity.
Scientific Integrity Reporting Project
In partnership with Government Accountability Project, we’ve launched a confidential, anonymous platform for scientists and others in science-adjacent roles to detail experiences involving past and ongoing threats to scientific norms and scientific integrity. We plan to draw upon these stories to learn about how to better protect science in the future; legal advice and potential representation will also be available to those who contact us.
Safeguarding Scientific Integrity
We promote scientific integrity reforms to ensure the best available research and data inform government decision-making. And we publish resources to advance understanding of how research institutions and federal agencies approach scientific integrity — and how to strengthen legal protections for science and scientists.
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Latest Resources and Activities
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has convened an inter-agency task force to review agency scientific integrity policies.
Research institutions can use this free model language to adopt strong, comprehensive scientific integrity policies.
Scientists: Know Your Rights
The legal risks for any individual scientist are small, but there are actions you can take to protect and defend yourself, especially if you’re involved in scientific advocacy and activism.
Our Expertise in the News
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Press | News After Trump, US researchers urge Biden to block political meddling in scienceAugust 6, 2021 Nature
Our Silencing Science Tracker and staff attorney August Wilson quoted in this Nature article about getting the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to adopt much-needed, stronger protections for federal science.
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Press | News What You Know about Trump’s Assault on Science Was Just the Tip of the IcebergJuly 13, 2021 Scientific American
In this opinion piece in Scientific American, CSLDF director Lauren Kurtz and Dana Gold discuss the extent of political interference in science -- not just under the Trump admin -- and what to do about it.
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Press | News The Full Story: Tracking Climate Change And Extreme Weather/Update On Legislative SessionJune 22, 2021 The Full Story Podcast
This podcast episode features our co-founder and chair Scott Mandia, who speaks about the nature of hurricanes, the role of climate change in relation to extreme weather events and why the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund was created to protect the science community.
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Your support helps us fight for scientists and defend scientific integrity.