HESI Transparency

Upholding Standards of Quality and Rigor

Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) is a
public, nonprofit, scientific organization that provides a forum for public-private scientific collaborations that move science to solutions. HESI activities are guided by the principles of:

INTEGRITY – demonstrated by honest and ethical behavior and earned reputation for transparency and trustworthiness.

SCIENTIFIC RIGOR – demonstrated by a dedication to quality data and innovative evidence-based solutions relevant to current and anticipated scientific and social challenges

COLLECTIVE INSIGHT – demonstrated by an inclusive culture that values diverse opinions, mutual respect, global diversity, and the richness of collegial thinking and dialogue.

Transparent

HESI’s reputation of integrity, scientific rigor and collective insight is exemplified through our core values of being solutions-oriented, collaborative, transparent, independent, and commited to excellence, which are reflected at all levels of the organization – from strategic leadership of the Board of Trustees to the nuts and bolts of the scientific committees.

HESI creates opportunities to collaborate. 

HESI provides an open, collaborative environment where members from the public and private sectors work together to tackle global challenges. We strive to make solving complex scientific problems more efficient by providing our members with access to the best minds around the world and encouraging them to come together to find solutions.

Diversity in Partners – HESI collaborates with over 250 organizations. By bringing together people from diverse backgrounds (foundations, NGOs, academic research institutes, and industry) we promote innovative ways of looking at problems and improve the final outcome.

Responsive Project Mechanisms – HESI has multiple mechanisms where our technical and managerial expertise can be engaged to convene the right partners and develop efficient approaches to the most relevant emerging sciences.

HESI is driven by solutions. 

The research conducted by HESI committees is designed to use scientific principles to find and test real solutions that can be applied across fields of science. This solutions-based approach is why our funders and members feel confident that their resources are being used efficiently to produce results that benefit the greater good.

Scientific Foresight – HESI’s Board of Trustees developed a strategic foresight document to positions HESI’s activities within the global scientific landscape towards helping select key scientific issues and develop focused solutions.

Strategic Plan – The elements of how HESI plans to achieve its strategic goal of being an essential resource for convening diverse expertise to translate science in an application is fleshed out in the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan document.

Meeting Health Challenges – HESI’s programs have routinely generated data that have been submitted and considered by national and international health protection oversight bodies (e.g., OECD, ICH, FDA) for decision-making and improving best practices in safety and risk assessment.

HESI is transparent. 

Transparency and the sharing of data across industries and sectors are essential to the integrity of research. The data and findings that HESI’s working groups produce are publicly available through the peer-reviewed literature, databases, and other means so that others can use it to guide their own research, often shortening project timelines and enhancing efficiency.

Ethics and Balance – All those participating in HESI’s scientific activities are informed of the ethical principles guiding our commitment to producing science in the public interest and the bylaws that direct shared public-private engagement in all aspects of HESI's governance, strategy, and programming. Our governance structure also requires a balance of public and private sector participation on our Board. These principles are augmented with specific mandatory policies that further govern balance and rigor in our scientific efforts.

Conflict of Interest Declaration – Every member of HESI’s Board of Trustees acts in the best interest of HESI and discloses actual and potential conflicts of interest.

Antitrust Statement – Staff, trustees, directors, members, advisers, task forces, committees working groups and members of HESI adheres to an Antitrust Policy and Code of Ethics which applies to all meetings and related functions.

HESI is independent. We are an independent organization that advocates the use of sound science in making decisions that affect human and environmental health.

Neutral – HESI maintains strict neutrality around legislative policy issues. Additionally, all scientific programs are required to be led by public-private collaborative teams that bring diverse disciplinary expertise and perspectives. This diversity improves cross-sector communication and fosters novel collaborations leading to solutions that can be readily implemented to improve human and environmental health and safety.

Open, Peer-to-Peer Forums - HESI ensures that all the participating scientists have a say in the research conducted, the studies implemented, and the conclusions drawn. This commitment is written into our governing bylaws, guides our efforts to collaborate, dictates our transparency, ensures our independence, and supports our commitment to excellence.

HESI is committed to excellence. Our scientific committees are responsible for the hard, understated work of experimenting and testing processes and frameworks that allow scientific data to be translated into implementable solutions. These committees generate accessible and reliable technical resources and data that are put into the public domain via peer-reviewed publications, databases, and scientific meetings. Once in the public domain, this information can be used by scientists and decision-makers across the globe who share HESI’s mission of enhancing human and environmental health and safety.   

Awards and Adoption:  HESI’s scientific research is recognized around the globe for its quality, rigor, and relevance to both long-standing and emerging safety assessment needs. We have received awards and recognition for reducing the use of animals in safety testing, enhancing the quality of life for cancer survivors, and improving the accuracy and efficiency of chemical risk assessment. For almost 30 years, HESI’s published research and expert networks have been valued technical resources for global standards for drug, chemical, consumer product, and environmental safety and risk assessment methods.

Open Access: HESI believes that access to information is critical to public health. In 2018, the HESI Board committed to making all of its future publications available via Open-Access.  

Training – HESI conducts hands-on training courses and workshops in chemical, food, and drug safety risk assessment in countries around the world. 

Enhancing reproducibility of chemical and drug safety testing – HESI collaborations have made reference cell and test compounds, and their supporting guidance and publications, available to public repositories.