Even Academic Research Is Subject to Political Influence: A Case Study in Infringement of Academic Freedom at a Public University

Although academic natural-resource researchers are believed to enjoy more freedom from political influence than their counterparts in agencies, corporations can and do influence academic research. In this case study, administrators at a public university, under pressure from a corporate donor with a potential stake in the outcome of research conducted by faculty members, attempted to interfere with peer review of the research. Because peer review is the cornerstone of maintaining scientific integrity, influence on the peer-review process constitutes infringement of academic freedom. It turned out that peer review was not compromised, but the university administration nonetheless acted in the interest of the corporation—not the faculty—by accusing the faculty members of research misconduct and publicly misrepresenting the research. The research was funded by a nongovernmental organization, through a contract with the university’s office of sponsored programs. The contract included indirect costs at the standard rate and was approved by the university’s Vice President of Research, who later publicly claimed that no indirect costs were paid and hence that the research was not “university” research. As private and corporate donations comprise a larger fraction of income to public universities, the potential for political influence on academic research will increase.