Harvard University pledged in 2021 to stop investing its multibillion-dollar endowment in the fossil fuel industry. But it maintains extensive ties to oil and gas companies through sponsored research and other partnerships. These connections pose a dangerous conflict of interest; decades of academic research shows industry funding, including from the fossil fuel industry, leads to “sponsorship bias,” jeopardizing academic freedom.

To embody true climate leadership, Harvard must ensure its research agenda is unencumbered by the interests of oil and gas companies by banning research sponsorship and partnerships from the fossil fuel industry. Additionally, Harvard must enforce disclosure of researchers’ and institutes’ funding sources. In response to an email survey, 88% of Harvard’s departments, institutes, and graduate schools couldn’t or wouldn’t disclose whether they accept fossil fuel industry funding. Harvard should strongly enforce existing disclosure policies while updating them to require public disclosure whenever possible and incorporating specific guidance for the fossil fuel industry — a proven bad actor with an incentive to distort academic research. 

With this new report, FFDHA joins an international movement of students, faculty, and alumni who are calling on their universities to reject fossil fuel research money — as many have already done for the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. Read the full report or visit the FFDHA site to learn how to get involved.