Funding Disclosure Serves as Primary Defense Against Misinformation

A global consortium of scientific bodies has called for mandatory disclosure of research funding sources, identifying transparency as essential for combating misinformation and preserving research integrity.

The International Science Council (ISC), representing 250 scientific organizations worldwide, warns that the increasingly complex landscape of research funding has created opportunities for “hidden funding links” that can “distort scientific findings, mislead the public and suppress evidence.”

In a newly published position paper, the ISC highlights how diminishing government support for research across many countries has pushed universities and research institutions toward greater reliance on private sector funding. This shift often occurs “with little or no consideration for transparency,” raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and research manipulation.

“While vested interests in research outcomes are inevitable,” the council acknowledges, proper funding disclosure can prevent attempts to “influence, compromise or manipulate research processes and outcomes” that serve those interests. The ISC specifically cites historical examples involving the tobacco, pesticide, and fossil fuel industries, which have been documented misleading the public for commercial gain.

The council also points to concerning instances of “anti-science actions by governments,” which have influenced health and environmental policies in various countries. These practices, according to the ISC, ultimately “fuel misinformation, damage trust in science and can harm people and the planet.”

The organization’s position paper outlines four key recommendations for implementing funding transparency globally. First, it calls for explicit disclosure of all financial and other support provided by funders to researchers. Second, this support should be noted in all public communications by researchers, including articles, websites, presentations, and conferences—especially in contexts where the researcher is speaking as an expert.

Additionally, the ISC recommends that scientific journals require formal declarations of funding sources from all contributors. Finally, scientific institutions and organizations should proactively develop standardized, routine transparency procedures.

The council emphasizes that funding transparency should not be viewed as solely the responsibility of individual researchers. Instead, it must be “recognized as shared between universities, learned societies, unions, funding bodies and other scientific organizations.”

This collective approach reflects the council’s view that transparency represents a “relatively easy” and low-cost first step in addressing broader concerns about research integrity. While the ISC acknowledges that funding disclosure alone cannot completely resolve issues of misinformation and disinformation, it serves as a critical “first line of defense.”

The position paper frames the issue as fundamentally tied to human rights. “Safeguarding science is a shared responsibility grounded in human rights,” the ISC states. “When science is manipulated, people are denied access to reliable knowledge, and this prevents the effective exercise of the human right to participate in and benefit from science.”

This call for greater transparency comes amid growing public scrutiny of scientific research and its funding sources, particularly in politically contentious areas like climate change, public health, and environmental policy. By establishing funding transparency as a “core norm,” the ISC aims to strengthen public trust in scientific findings while providing researchers and institutions with clear guidelines for ethical practice.

The council’s position represents a significant step toward standardizing transparency expectations across the global scientific community, potentially influencing how research is funded, conducted, and communicated in the coming years.