Commission Policies

Scientific Integrity Policy
Ensuring Data Quality
Policy on Indirect Costs

Scientific Integrity Policy

The Marine Mammal Commission is committed to maintaining the integrity of, and promoting public trust in, the science used to inform policy decisions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and related statutes. The Commission has established and follows specific measures to meet its commitment to scientific integrity. The Act assigns seven major duties to the Commission (16 U.S.C. § 1402(a)), nearly all of which involve gathering, compiling, evaluating, analyzing, interpreting, or reporting scientific information. The Commission uses such scientific information to conduct specific reviews and studies, and to formulate recommendations to other agencies, the Administration, and Congress. To read about the Marine Mammal Commission’s Scientific Integrity Policy, click here.

Ensuring Data Quality

The Marine Mammal Commission has adopted guidelines to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated by the agency in accordance with the directive issued by the Office of Management and Budget (67 Fed. Reg. 8452B8460), pursuant to section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001.

Policy on Indirect Costs

Due to the limited amount of funds available for research awards and the nature of the Commission's goals and responsibilities, the Marine Mammal Commission has traditionally limited indirect costs for research grants and contracts awarded by the Commission to 10 percent of the total award. Indirect costs, or overhead, include, but are not limited to, operation and maintenance of facilities, general and departmental administration, and library expenses. Although the Commission recognizes the costs associated with the maintenance of research programs and the institutions that support them, the Commission believes it is necessary to limit its contributions to indirect costs to meet the unique and broad goals of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

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