That’s why Grekin and five other graduate students signed their names to an Oct. 5 letter proposing new rules that would force a much stricter standard for fossil fuel funding for Stanford’s research.

The letter focuses on Stanford’s industry “affiliate” research programs—meaning that for a membership fee, corporations can contribute to research at Stanford—and proposes to “eliminate financial sponsorship” from any company that “does not provide a credible transition plan.” It also proposes to block funding from any company that has obstructed climate policy in the last five years.

  • silence7@slrpnk.netOPM
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    1 year ago

    In general, industry grants have strings attached:

    • The company chooses which topics they fund, so for example you see the fossil fuels industry paying to study methane from agriculture
    • The company chooses which researchers to fund, with the implicit understanding that the publication of unfavorable results will mean that you don’t get the next grant

    Government grants could technically do the same, but tend to be handled by a committee looking at interesting research topics, rather than commercial advantage