Gold Standard Science

Gold Standard Science is a federal policy framework governing the conduct, management, and transparent communication of federally-funded scientific research, emphasizing reproducibility, statistical validation, open data sharing, and alignment of research investments with agency missions and American strategic interests. The framework establishes rigorous evidentiary standards ensuring taxpayer-funded research produces reliable, verifiable results applicable to critical infrastructure development and national security priorities.

Detailed in the June 23, 2025 OSTP memorandum, Gold Standard Science directs federal agencies to support replication studies validating breakthrough findings, develop federated and publicly accessible research databases, categorize funding transparency by research type (basic research, applied research, experimental development), and streamline administrative burdens in the federal grant making process).

BEAD Program implementation reflects Gold Standard Science principles through evidence-based broadband mapping methodologies established under the Broadband DATA Act, data-driven funding allocation formulas based on verified unserved location counts, and performance testing requirements ensuring deployed networks meet claimed speed and latency specifications. For artificial intelligence systems increasingly informing infrastructure investment decisions, Gold Standard Science principles require training data transparency, model output reproducibility, and rigorous validation of AI system performance claims.