Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues

The AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (EPI Center) is an initiative designed to deliver clear, concise, and actionable scientific evidence to policymakers and other decision-makers.

Scientific evidence can be incredibly useful in policymaking, but too often, it is undervalued and can sometimes be difficult to access or understand.

We want to make it easier for policymakers and other decision-makers to access relevant scientific evidence and then integrate that evidence into their decision-making process.

The EPI Center synthesizes and distills scientific evidence on key societal issues in a way that makes it clear how that evidence can inform policy-making and decisions at the local, state, and federal levels.

The EPI Center:

Demonstrates the relevance of independent, non-partisan scientific evidence to public choices;
Delivers clear, specific, and timely information to the people who need it most; and
Ultimately, strengthens the policymaking process and bolsters public decisions about the most important issues of our day.

Artificial Intelligence: Preventing Algorithmic Harm with State and Local Government

States and municipalities are adopting AI in a variety of contexts including law enforcement, public benefits distribution, fraud detection, permitting, employment, housing, and more.

A new study by NOAA and CIRES finds the Bakken oil and gas field in North Dakota leaks about 275,000 tons of methane every year.

Mitigation of Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas

Reducing methane emissions will have a rapid and significant effect on the rate of climate change. Scientific evidence detailing how best to measure, monitor, and mitigate methane emissions from the oil and gas industry will help set limits to protect health and meet US climate goals.

Management of Abandoned and Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells

States may be burdened with a growing number of orphaned wells that should be properly closed and sealed to prevent impacts to water and air quality including the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

The USGS Core Research Center collaborated with the USGS Energy Resources Program to drill a core from the Mancos Shale to aid in the oil and gas assessment. Image Credit: Joshua Hicks, USGS.

Hydraulic Fracturing

Studies show that hydraulic fracturing can lead to environmental issues such as water contamination, soil contamination, and air pollution including the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

A rain garden along the side of a street

Green infrastructure solutions to water management

Green infrastructure is a cost-effective, resilient approach to stormwater management that uses natural soils and vegetation to help to prevent flooding and pollution.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water

A class of thousands of synthetic compounds used in everything from housewares to fire-fighting foam, trace doses of several of the most-researched PFAS have been linked to harmful health effects. There is not yet enough research to suggest safe exposure levels for each PFAS.

Voting Technology and Security

Computer scientists, cryptologists, statisticians and other experts share a number of concerns about voting technology, election security, and the verifiability of election results.