Declaring Funding & Affiliations: Transparency in Research Articles

Declaring funding and affiliations in research is necessary when you wear multiple hats—lecturer, department head, and PhD candidate—your affiliations and funding sources can easily become complex. Transparent declaration of both ensures readers can assess potential biases, strengthens your credibility, and complies with journal and institutional policies. Below are best practices for listing multiple affiliations, correctly acknowledging departmental grants, and sample text you can adapt.

1. Listing Multiple Affiliations when declaring funding and affiliations in research

Best Practices

• Order by Contribution: List the affiliation most directly related to the work first.
• Use Official Titles: Exactly as your institution or department prescribes (e.g., “Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, XYZ University”).
• Separate with Semicolons: Keep each affiliation distinct and concise.

Example:

Bhubaneshwar Sharma
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, XYZ University;
PhD Candidate, School of Social Sciences, ABC Institute

Why It Matters

• Reader Clarity: Shows where the bulk of the work was conducted and where you hold formal roles.
• Institutional Credit: Ensures each institution receives proper recognition in indexing and reporting.
• Ethical Integrity: Prevents confusion about your capacity in each role.

2. Acknowledging Departmental Grants Properly when declaring funding and affiliations in research

Many student–faculty collaborations channel funding through departmental budgets. Even when the grant was awarded to support a student project, it’s vital to acknowledge it accurately:

Guidelines

1. Identify the Funder and Scheme: Use the funder’s formal name and the specific grant program.
2. Clarify the Funding Pathway: Note that the grant was administered by your department or institute.
3. Specify the Year and Grant Number (if any): Adds precision and eases auditability.

Do Not:

• Claim direct personal receipt of the funds.
• Omit the intermediary (e.g., department, institute) if they disbursed the resources.

3. Sample “Acknowledgment” Text

Customize this template to fit your project details and institutional conventions:

Acknowledgments
This research was partly supported by the Department of Education, XYZ University, under the Student Research Grant Scheme (Grant No. SRGS-2024-15). The authors also acknowledge the logistical support provided by the Office of Graduate Studies, ABC Institute. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding bodies.

Key Elements to Include

• Funder: Department of Education, XYZ University
• Scheme/Program: Student Research Grant Scheme
• Grant Number: SRGS-2024-15 (if applicable)
• Administration Unit: Department, Office of Graduate Studies, etc.
• Disclaimer: Standard “opinions are those of authors” clause.

4. Integrating Declarations into Your Manuscript

1. Title Page Affiliations: Immediately below author names.
2. Acknowledgments Section: Before or after the main text (depending on journal style).
3. Conflict of Interest Statement: If your departmental role gave you unique access or influence, note it here (e.g., “The senior author serves as Department Head but had no input on grant disbursement decisions”).

5. Final Tips for Transparent Reporting and declaring funding and affiliations in research

• Consult Journal Guidelines: Each publisher has its own format for affiliations and acknowledgments—always align with their checklist.
• Use Consistent Formatting: Mirror your CV and institutional profiles to avoid discrepancies.
• Declare Dual Roles in Ethics Applications: Reflect the same affiliations and funding sources in your IEC/IRB submission to maintain consistency across documents.

Transparency isn’t an extra step—it’s a core component of research integrity. By clearly declaring your multiple affiliations and funding pathways, you uphold ethical standards, give proper credit, and build trust with reviewers and readers alike.

“Clear declarations pave the way for clear science.”