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 SNSF investigates cases of alleged scientific misconduct related to the application for or use of SNSF grants. In the event of suspicions of scientific misconduct, the Investigation Group conducts a preliminary examination. If the allegations are verifiable, the Commission examines the case in further detail by initiating a formal investigation. If the alleged violation occurred at a research institution, that institution – usually the employer – is primarily responsible for the case. In this event, the SNSF waits before launching its own investigation until the results of the proceedings conducted by the responsible institution are available. The Commission then examines whether all aspects relating to the SNSF have been sufficiently clarified. If this is not the case, the Commission conducts its own proceedings. The Commission then assesses whether any further clarifications, reprimands or further sanctions are necessary and forwards its recommendations to the Academic Board of the Research Council; the Academic Board makes the final decision.

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

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.