A major global research funding body recently surveyed its grantees to gauge support for mandatory audits of their spending and practices. The overwhelming response from recipients revealed a strong preference against such oversight, raising questions about transparency in scientific funding. The results highlight a tension between accountability demands and the trust placed in researchers by funding organizations. Critics may now push for alternative ways to ensure ethical and efficient use of public research dollars.
The world’s largest research funder asked its grantees whether it should audit them. Guess what they said.
