The Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy (SKAPP), based at the

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, examines the nature of science and the ways in which it is both used and misused in government decision-making and legal proceedings. Through

empirical research Empirical research is research using empirical evidence. It is also a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience. Empiricism values some research more than other kinds. Empirical evidence (the record of ...

, conversations among scholars, and publications, SKAPP aims to enhance understanding of how knowledge is generated and interpreted. SKAPP's mission is to promote transparent decision-making based on the best available science in order to promote public safety and health. SKAPP provides information about the impacts of existing legislation and regulation on drug safety,

occupational health and safety Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wor ...

, and

environmental health Environmental health is the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health. In order to effectively control factors that may affect health, the requirements that must be met in ...

. It has examined the use of science in regulation of specific hazards, including bisphenol A,

beryllium Beryllium is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with other elements to form m ...

hexavalent chromium Hexavalent chromium (chromium(VI), Cr(VI), chromium 6) is chromium in any chemical compound that contains the element in the +6 oxidation state (thus hexavalent). Virtually all chromium ore is processed via hexavalent chromium, specifically the ...

, and the butter-flavoring chemical

diacetyl Diacetyl (IUPAC systematic name: butanedione or butane-2,3-dione) is an organic compound with the chemical formula (CH3CO)2. It is a yellow liquid with an intensely buttery flavor. It is a vicinal diketone (two C=O groups, side-by-side). Diacet ...

. Support for SKAPP is provided by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, the

Open Society Institute Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute, is a grantmaking network founded and chaired by business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially supports civil society groups around the world, with a st ...

, and the Rockefeller Family Fund. Past support has been provided by the Common Benefit Trust, a fund established pursuant to a court order in the Silicone Gel Breast Implant Products Liability litigation; the Alice Hamilton Fund; and the

Bauman Foundation Bauman is a surname. It may be a respelling of the German name Baumann, or it may be the Russian, Ashkenazi Jewish or Scandinavian spelling of the same name. Notable people with the surname include: * Christopher Bauman (1982–2005), American ...

Scientific evidence and the law

The Supreme Court of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

has issued three rulings which greatly impact the role scientists may play in providing

expert testimony An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as ...

. These rulings are ''

Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals ''Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'', 509 U.S. 579 (1993), is a United States Supreme Court case determining the standard for admitting expert testimony in federal courts. In ''Daubert'', the Court held that the enactment of the Fede ...

,'' ''General Electric v. Joiner'', and ''

Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael ''Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael'', 526 U.S. 137 (1999), is a United States Supreme Court case that applied the Daubert Standard, ''Daubert'' standard to expert testimony from non-scientists. Background Patrick Carmichael was driving his minivan ...

.'' Each address the "

gatekeeper A gatekeeper is a person who controls access to something, for example via a city gate or bouncer, or more abstractly, controls who is granted access to a category or status. Gatekeepers assess who is "in or out", in the classic words of manage ...

" role of the judge in determining the admissibility of expert testimony, with considerable implications for

tort A tort is a civil wrong that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with criminal wrongs that are punishable ...

litigation.

Scientific evidence and the law

See also

External links