The complaint of the unacknowledged grant: informal funders must embrace their role

Research thoughts bite: 06.

Aug 15, 2025

Key takeaway:
Only 10% of research articles include trackable grant numbers (down from 17% in 2020)
Informal funders create invisible funding that breaks research evaluation

The acknowledgement of funders in research publications, especially for large and established funders, has been common practice for at least two decades. The graph below shows that in Dimensions, in the last 5 years only about 40% of articles (not conferences, books, and preprints) have an acknowledgement or funding section. However, Dimensions could extract a funding organisation from only 27% of all articles since 2015; the difference is likely to be missing funding organisations in the acknowledgment: thanking research subjects for instance, from pigs to humans, or misspelling the funding organisations (researchers’ creativity shines when it comes to acknowledgments) or simply the rise of funding metadata, which is great news.. But where it is worrying is that we could identify the grant number from only around 17% of articles in 2020 and 10% in 2024; most of the drop is due to the Chinese government funders who stopped sharing funding information, so we can say China has funded research (included in the articles with identified funders) but not link it to a grant.

While the drop in trackable grant numbers largely reflects policy changes (particularly Chinese funders stopping data sharing), there are also infrastructure challenges. Though promising, Crossref's grant DOI registry is still sparsely populated, with only a few large funders (UK’s Wellcome Trust, Austria’s FWF, and the European Commission from Horizon Europe) actively registering grant metadata.

A case of funding invisibility

In our recent analysis of a UK government-backed programme (UKRI-funded Trustworthy Autonomous System Hub), we had to identify publications from researchers who had received sub-awards and pump priming grants. We first had to identify researchers; some of them had not used the same name in their grant application and their research, as I reported in the ballad of first names. Since the sub-award recipients had not received the initial funding and had no unique identifier, a small portion of them had used the title of their grant (with variations in the spelling) or the name of the initial research project, but there was no automatic way to identify the resulting grants. Instead we estimated likely outputs by looking at articles published by grantees from one year after the start of their grant to two years after the end.

I had used this method in the past to identify related publications from a funder which granted small grants that contributed to fieldwork, prototype building, or presentation of the research. These were rarely acknowledged, even though they often contributed to network creation and maintenance, aside from their obvious primary purpose.

Shared responsibility: funders, grantees, and publishers

As we have seen, formal funders have long recognised the importance of acknowledging their grants and investing in data management and analyses. However, informal funders are now the blind spot of research funding. We define informal funders here, any entity that gives a lump sum of money that is meant to support research. They provide institutional funding, cascade funding (common in EU programs), sub-awards/subawards (US federal grant terminology), and core funding redistribution.

If we care about improving how research is funded, assessed, and understood, we need the full narrative. Every grant tells a story, but for it to be told, we need to shift the mindset of the informal funders, the grantees, and the publishers

Informal funders must recognise their funder identity ("with great power comes great responsibility", would have said Peter)
- Create a unique identifier: even a basic grant code in a spreadsheet is better than none. Better though, request a DOI from CrossRef.
- Provide clear acknowledgment language: tell researchers exactly how to cite you and the grant (don’t expect them to know your acronym; even the National Institutes of Health is not immune to being called the National Institute for Health)
- Track what was funded: record researcher names and affiliations using persistent identifiers (ORCID, GRID/ROR, etc.), and request outputs to be sent annually, or whatever frequency suits your cohort..

Grantees must acknowledge more rigorously
- Include all funding sources, double check funder names/acronyms
- Use the identifiers provided (as provided)
- Treat small grants like real grants
Publishers. Currently, about 25% of Crossref records contain some kind of funding information, but how much is shared varies considerably between publishers.
- Implement structured funding fields in submission systems that separate acknowledgments from funding information–and mandate their use
- Validate funder names against databases like GRID/ROR during submission
- Require grant identifiers when available, with clear fields for DOIs or grant codes
- Support cascade funding attribution by allowing multiple funding layers to be recorded (primary funder > secondary funder)
- Make funding data machine-readable and accessible to bibliometric databases

Invisible funding

The scale of invisible funding

The number of publications with visible (although not machine-ready) informal funding is currently relatively small (less than 1% of those with an acknowledgment–see methodology at the end). However it is growing (from 5,316 in 2020 to 13,917 in 2024, CAGR 27.2%) and affecting disproportionately some countries; Russia has seen a substantial increase of documented informal grants in the last couple of years (as well as a substantial decrease in formal grants).

The cost of invisible funding

When smaller grants go unacknowledged, we lose more than just metadata. Informal funders, who often support early ideas, fieldwork, or first research jobs, have no way to demonstrate their contribution. Their investments disappear into the system, untraceable and under appreciated.

For early-career researchers, the cost is personal. These smaller grants often represent the first external validation of an idea. Without acknowledgement, the resulting publication and early support become disconnected.

And for those trying to understand the research system (evaluators, analysts, and policymakers) the missing grant data and links break the chain of evidence. We cannot see how ideas were seeded, what funding models worked, or how support translated into outcomes.

Methods

Query written with DimQuery Assistant, a custom GPT.

-- Yearly counts of informal funding mentions by type

SELECT
year,
COUNT(DISTINCT id) AS total_publications,
SUM(pump_priming_mention) AS pump_priming_mentions,
SUM(seed_funding_mention) AS seed_funding_mentions,
SUM(pilot_funding_mention) AS pilot_funding_mentions,
SUM(internal_research_mention) AS internal_research_mentions,
SUM(internal_funding_mention) AS internal_funding_mentions,
SUM(institutional_funding_mention) AS institutional_funding_mentions,
SUM(university_funding_mention) AS university_funding_mentions,
SUM(departmental_funding_mention) AS departmental_funding_mentions,
SUM(research_development_mention) AS research_development_mentions,
SUM(early_career_mention) AS early_career_mentions,
SUM(small_grant_mention) AS small_grant_mentions,
SUM(travel_grant_mention) AS travel_grant_mentions
FROM (
SELECT
id,
year,
-- Pump-priming/seed funding mentions
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%pump priming%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%pump-priming%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%pump priming%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%pump-priming%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS pump_priming_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%seed fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%seed grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%seed fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%seed grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS seed_funding_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%pilot fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%pilot grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%pilot fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%pilot grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS pilot_funding_mention,
-- Internal/institutional funding mentions
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%internal research fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%internal research grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%internal research fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%internal research grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS internal_research_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%internal fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%internal grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%internal fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%internal grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS internal_funding_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%institutional fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%institutional grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%institutional fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%institutional grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS institutional_funding_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%university fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%university grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%university fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%university grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS university_funding_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%departmental fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%departmental grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%departmental fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%departmental grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS departmental_funding_mention,
-- Research development/support mentions
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%research development fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%research development fund%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS research_development_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%early career fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%early career grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%early career fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%early career grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS early_career_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%small grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%small grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS small_grant_mention,
CASE WHEN
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%travel grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%travel grant%'
THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS travel_grant_mention
FROM
`dimensions-ai.data_analytics.publications`
WHERE
(funder_orgs IS NULL OR ARRAY_LENGTH(funder_orgs) = 0)
AND year >= 2020
AND (
-- Apply the same filters used in the SELECT
LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%pump priming%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%pump-priming%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%seed fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%seed grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%pilot fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%pilot grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%early career fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%early career grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%internal research fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%internal research grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%internal fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%internal grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%institutional fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%institutional grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%university fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%university grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%departmental fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%departmental grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%research development fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%research support fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%discretionary fund%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%small grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%travel grant%'
OR LOWER(acknowledgements.preferred) LIKE '%conference fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%pump priming%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%pump-priming%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%seed fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%seed grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%pilot fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%pilot grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%early career fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%early career grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%internal research fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%internal research grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%internal fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%internal grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%institutional fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%institutional grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%university fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%university grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%departmental fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%departmental grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%research development fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%research support fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%discretionary fund%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%small grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%travel grant%'
OR LOWER(funding_section.preferred) LIKE '%conference fund%'
)
)
GROUP BY year
ORDER BY year DESC

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