Grant applicants must disclose paper retractions from past 5 years: ANRF

ANRF mandates disclosure of research paper retractions for grant applicants, aiming to enhance research integrity and deter unethical practices in India.

Mumbai: As part of a new push to improve research quality and tighten scrutiny of funding proposals, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), a national funding agency, has made it compulsory for researchers applying for its Advanced Research Grant (ARG) to disclose details and reasons for any research paper retractions over the past five years.

Grant applicants must disclose paper retractions from past 5 years: ANRF

Scientists have welcomed the decision, calling it a strong deterrent against unethical publication practices. The measure is also expected to make researchers more cautious about collaborations, especially with those employing dubious publication practices.

The move comes amid increasing cases of research paper retractions in India due to plagiarism, data fabrication and ethical violations. A retraction of a research paper in India is the formal removal or correction of a published academic article by a journal due to fatal errors, plagiarism, data fabrication, or ethical violations.

India Research Watch praised the move and lauded ANRF CEO Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, saying it would improve both research quality and funding efficiency. It also called on agencies like the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology India and Indian Council of Social Science Research to adopt similar norms.

Under the new guidelines, ANRF has reiterated zero tolerance for plagiarism. Proposals must be original and may be subjected to third-party plagiarism checks. Any copied content must be clearly cited, including disclosure of AI-assisted text.

Applicants must also submit an undertaking stating that their proposals are not AI-generated. The agency may use tools to detect AI use and track past retractions, flagging cases for review to the Technical Program Committee.

The rules further require Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators to declare retractions, if any, from the past five years. ANRF has said it can take action against proposals involving plagiarism, undisclosed AI use, or hidden retractions.

Reacting to the decision, Ganapati D. Yadav, former vice-chancellor of the Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai, said the step was necessary. “This is a very good step taken by ANRF as there are several instances where plagiarism has impacted our research quality and the funding distribution system,” he said. “I hope this will be implemented by all government funding agencies.”