Universal ethics?

04 Mar, 2026

To be eligible for government research funding, ethics training is required. Among the many, many principles instilled as part of that training are:

• respect for international laws and collaborators
• making merit-based appointments
• impartiality
• individual responsibility to disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest
• restrictions on accepting gifts connected with your position
• not using your position for coercion, endorsement or personal or family gain

It is left to the reader to imagine a world where all government entities were required to meet these ethical standards before being entrusted with public funding.