The International Science Council (ISC) has called for research funding transparency to become a “core norm” in the scientific community. In a new position paper, the ISC emphasizes that disclosing funding sources is vital to preserve research integrity and combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation. The report highlights that hidden funding links can distort scientific findings and mislead the public, especially as research increasingly depends on private sector funding due to declining government support.
The ISC cites industries such as tobacco and fossil fuels as examples where vested interests have manipulated research for commercial gain, undermining public trust in science. While transparency alone isn’t a complete solution to misinformation, it is viewed as a crucial first step that is relatively easy and low-cost.
The council outlines four recommendations, urging researchers to disclose funding comprehensively in all communications, mandating journals to require funding source declarations, and calling for scientific institutions to adopt standardized transparency procedures. The responsibility for these measures should be shared among universities, research bodies, and organizations, rather than placed solely on individual researchers. The ISC frames safeguarding science as a human rights issue, emphasizing that manipulation of science restricts public access to reliable knowledge.
