Anyone, whether a member of the scientific community or a member of the public in and outside Switzerland, may report suspected cases of scientific misconduct to the SNSF. Informers can also report anonymously; they have no party rights. The Commission can also act on its own initiative in that its member delegates can bring forward allegations they discovered through random checks or during the evaluation procedure.

The SNSF investigates all alleged cases of scientific misconduct as per its Regulations. In particular, the SNSF investigates and sanctions alleged scientific misconduct in connection with the application for or use of SNSF grants committed by (i) applicants (ii) grantees, and/or (iii) project partners (parties concerned).

The presumption of innocence applies to all proceedings. Those concerned are given the opportunity to present their view of the case. Even after a suspected case has been confirmed, the identities of the parties concerned remain confidential.

If the allegations are verifiable and provided the SNSF is competent, the Commission examines the case in detail. During its investigation, the Commission may obtain information from affected institutions or persons in Switzerland and abroad. It may also request confidential support and advice from internal or external experts. If research misconduct has occurred, the Commission submits a report to the Presiding Board of the Research Council of the SNSF who is competent to decide on the legal consequences of the scientific misconduct, including the appropriate sanctions to impose.

Training is within the research institutions’ competence.

The SNSF sees research integrity as the commitment of each scientist to sound scientific practices. Confidence in the fact that research work is carried out conscientiously is a sine qua non for research funding. The SNSF therefore urges all concerned to maintain a self-critical attitude where adherence to sound scientific practices is concerned.

What framework conditions guide and characterise science? How are research results made accessible to the general public? The Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences address these questions and advocate a scientific culture that makes scientific data, methods, results and publications freely accessible and evaluates achievements according to more than just quantitative metrics.

With regard to scientific integrity, the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences published the Code of conduct for scientific integrity in 2021. Its aim is to strengthen scientific integrity in research and educational settings, while addressing all actors, participating in the creation, dissemination and promotion of knowledge within the Swiss system of higher education. For Institutions it serves as a checklist for their own regulations and as a practical reference when there is doubt about best practices. Furthermore, the code takes recent developments in the fields of open science and social media into account, and provides precise recommendations on how best to set up structures for the protection of integrity.