This Working Group was tasked with reviewing the current research exploring trends to establish ground truths about the public’s trust in science. The working group summarized its findings in the article “Trends in US public confidence in science and opportunities for progress,” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in March 2024.

The study found that public confidence in civic, cultural, and government institutions has fallen in the previous five years. Similarly, the public’s confidence in science has declined but not to the extent seen in other institutions. Additionally, while the majority continue to have confidence in science and the scientific community, many U.S. adults are aware of some of the incentive-based challenges scientists face that may lead them to take actions that could go against the public’s interests. This working group retired upon publication of the article.