A primary role of the University in a democratic society is to provide a neutral space where both traditional beliefs and new ideas can be challenged by disinterested investigators. To ensure that neutrality is maintained, research has traditionally been publicly funded. However, because of government cutbacks to higher education and public research granting programs, universities have a growing reliance on private sector funding which is undermining public research institutions ability to maintain their impartiality. As research becomes increasingly reliant on private sector money, special interests have demonstrated a growing ability to influence the direction and publicly reported results of research.

In recent years, a number of prominent university researchers have been subjected to public smear campaigns, reprisals, and academic censorship as a result of their refusal to remain silent about research findings that conflicted with the interests of their corporate sponsors or research institution administrators. Dr. David Healy, Dr. Nancy Olivieri, and Dr. David Noble are examples of researchers who have boldly resisted institutional pressure to suppress their research findings or to curb their analysis in order to protect private donations.

The fight for academic and scientific integrity waged by courageous whistleblowers like Noble, Olivieri, and Healy is a warning that there is something seriously wrong with the way our public research institutions are being run. Science, knowledge and the public good are not served when institutions sacrifice academic freedom to the commercial needs of private-sector research sponsors. If the capacity of research institutions to conduct accurate, high quality studies is compromised, researchers risk losing the trust and support of our most important funding partner: the Canadian public. Students in Canada stand in solidarity with researchers from around the world in honouring and supporting those who defend public research against outside interference and who stand up for academic freedom.

The Whistleblower Campaign celebrates those university researchers who blow the whistle in defence of the public interest. The Whistleblowers Campaign is a two phase project: Phase One, which is a follow-up to a previous National Graduate Caucus campaign, "Public Research: No Strings Attached," identified the negative effect of public/private partnerships in university research. The research and data collected in Phase One resulted in the preparation of a Whistleblower Fact-Sheet intended to educate our members on protecting academic freedom.

The Whistleblowers website is Phase Two of the research project. This site houses relevant information and campaign materials and provides background information on the issues of private-public partnerships in university research and academic freedom. Students can report breaches of academic freedom by using the Whistleblowers email reporting function. Collecting this information will start the process of assembling a picture of the student perspective vis-a-vis infringements on academic freedom.

If you or someone you know feel that your academic freedom has or is being compromised and wish to contribute to this research campaign by sharing your concerns or experiences regarding intellectual property and academic integrity in a confidential manner please email: .

For further information on issues of private-public partnerships in university research and academic freedom and examples of Canadian high-profile Whistleblowers, view the sub-links in the left menu.