I write to share steps Brown will take over the next academic year to strengthen our policies and practices regarding the acceptance of gifts and grants. This follows the recommendations of a Working Group on Gifts and Grants that was established in April 2022 to review Brown’s existing relevant policies and practices to ensure they are consistent with our values as an institution.

The working group concluded that the University’s gifts and grants policies and practices are strong, but that several enhancements should be considered to bolster safeguards protecting academic freedom and Brown’s commitment to advance knowledge, independent of any political ideologies, external business interests or advocacy.

In the coming months, the University will undertake three specific actions:

1. Amend the Existing Openness in Research Policy. In order to align standards campuswide for accepting gifts and grants, the University will amend the Openness in Research Policy to reflect that grants will not be accepted if the intended purpose of the grant — and/or being associated the grant-making organization — could inflict significant damage on the University’s reputation, standing or integrity, or be contrary to University values. This change will align with the existing Gift Acceptance Policy. Vice President for Research Jill Pipher will oversee the amendment of this policy, which will take effect July 1, 2023.
2. Establish a Committee for Reviewing Gifts and Grants. The University will begin a process to establish a standing Committee on Gifts and Grants, which will be responsible for reviewing gifts and grants on an as-needed basis to ensure compliance with the soon-to-be-revised Openness in Research Policy. Provost Frank Doyle will work with the Faculty Executive Committee to develop a charge for the group to be brought to the faculty for consideration in the spring of 2024. In the interim, an ad hoc committee of faculty administrators, which has been working since the summer of 2022 to make recommendations on gift acceptances, will be expanded to also review grants and report to the faculty in spring of 2024 (in lieu of the standing committee being established). This timeline will enable the University to develop a practice for membership selection and a process for efficient and effective grant reviews.
3. Develop a Policy for Anonymous Gifts and Grants from DAFs. The University will develop a policy on the acceptance of gifts and grants from Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), which are maintained and operated by sponsoring organizations that in some cases are anonymous. The anonymity poses a potential concern, as the University might accept a gift of unknown provenance through a DAF that Brown would not have accepted had the donor’s identity been known. Senior Vice President for Advancement Sergio Gonzalez will lead the development of a new policy on the acceptance of gifts and grants from DAFs that will seek to address this issue. Feedback on the proposal will be solicited in the spring of 2024 prior to presentation to the Corporation for approval.

Improved policy through campus engagement

I want to express my gratitude to the working group for its careful research, and the time and effort dedicated to the group’s work. The recommendations of the working group arose from a discussion the campus engaged in during the 2021-22 academic year concerning how to ensure trust and transparency within our community regarding the acceptance of gifts and grants. In part, the working group was charged with addressing questions around whether our policies would apply to organizations that might promote science disinformation.

As a result of the working group’s efforts, I announced in the spring of 2022 that Brown would update policies and processes to reflect that, to the best extent practicable, the University will not conduct business with individuals and organizations that directly support the creation and dissemination of science disinformation. At the same time, I announced that the University would take steps to enhance its processes for the acceptance of gifts and grants more broadly.

It is important to note that the working group found that existing gifts and grants policies uphold University values, protect academic freedom and have strong safeguards against undue donor or grantor influence. The new actions will make our processes stronger, and ensure they are fair, efficient and timely.

I appreciate the active engagement of so many members of our community as we continue to enhance Brown’s business ethics policies and practices.

Sincerely,

Christina H. Paxson
President