Australia ’s top science agency faces scrutiny over industry influence

Australia’s leading research agency is facing questions about possible ethical lapses after a U.S. law firm released documents suggesting some of its scientists did not disclose that they had allowed oil giant BP to review studies prior to publication in a journal or presentation at a conference. “It’s a mystery why BP’s legal team would be reviewing independent scientific publications” by researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), says attorney Jason Clark of the Downs Law Group, which last week released the documents. On 8 November, Clark sent CSIRO a letter asking the agency to explain color-coded spreadsheets it obtained from BP as part of a lawsuit brought against the company by workers and others claiming they were harmed by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The spreadsheets track the status of numerous scientific manuscripts and presentations, many apparently funded at least in part by BP. The forms indicate BP lawyers reviewed nine studies that listed CSIRO scientists as a lead author or as co-authors. CSIRO is Australia’s peak research body, employing thousands of researchers across fields ranging from agriculture to robotics. It is known to many Australians for helping invent Wi-Fi. BP’s tracking forms record company lawyers monitoring and making notes on the studies. In each case, the firm alleges BP’s role in “ghost managi...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research