This page outlines the U.S. National Science Foundation's plans for implementing Gold Standard Science.
This page will be updated frequently as new information becomes available.
On this page
What is Gold Standard Science?
As detailed in Executive Order 14303, Gold Standard Science refers to science conducted in a manner that is:
- Reproducible.
- Transparent.
- Communicative of error and uncertainty.
- Collaborative and interdisciplinary.
- Skeptical of its findings and assumptions.
- Structured for falsifiability of hypotheses.
- Subject to unbiased peer review.
- Accepting of negative results as positive outcomes.
- Without conflicts of interest.
NSF's implementation plan
NSF's Gold Standard Science Implementation Plan was submitted to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on Aug. 22, 2025.
Frequently asked questions
While many awards will naturally reflect multiple tenets, not every project will align with all nine.
NSF affirms its commitment to supporting the breadth of scientific fields and approaches, recognizing that meaningful contributions to the broader goals of a program may take different forms.
NSF's merit review criteria remain unchanged: proposals will continue to be evaluated on their intellectual merit and broader impacts.
Within this framework, reviewers may also take note of proposals that demonstrate alignment with the principles outlined in the GSS executive order, as appropriate for the relevant field of science and research modality.
Additional information
NSF resources
- Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process: Learn about the lifecycle of a proposal to NSF, from preparation and submission to review and award processing.
- How We Make Funding Decisions: An overview of NSF's merit review process.
- Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide: The detailed source of information about NSF's proposal and award process.
- Scientific Integrity at NSF: Learn about NSF's Scientific Integrity Policy.
Federal resources
Contact us
You can get support, guidance and more information related to the GSS executive order and NSF's implementation plan by contacting nsf-gss@nsf.gov.
This webpage will also be updated frequently as new information becomes available.