A funding statement should clearly identify all financial support received for the research, including grant numbers, funding organizations, and the role of funders in the study.
What to Include in Your Funding Statement
List every source of financial support by its official name, including government agencies, private foundations, institutional grants, and industry sponsors. Include specific grant or contract numbers when available—this helps funders track their research investments and is often required for compliance. If multiple authors received different funding sources, specify which funds supported which researchers.
For example: "This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 12345678 (J.S.) and the European Research Council under Grant Agreement No. 987654 (M.K.)."
When There's No Funding
If your research received no external funding, state this explicitly rather than omitting the section. Most journals require a funding statement regardless. A simple declaration like "This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors" is standard and acceptable.
Addressing Funder Involvement
Some journals ask whether funders played a role in study design, data collection, analysis, or manuscript preparation. Be transparent here—if a funder had no involvement, say so. If they did participate (common with industry partnerships), describe the nature of their contribution. This transparency helps readers assess potential conflicts of interest.
Formatting and Placement
Follow your target journal's specific guidelines for formatting and placement—some journals position the funding statement after the acknowledgments, others place it before. Check the author instructions carefully, as requirements vary significantly between publishers. When managing citations and references throughout your manuscript, TrueCite automatically verifies formatting accuracy across different citation styles, which can save time during the submission process.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't forget co-funding arrangements or matching grants. Don't use informal abbreviations for funding agencies—always use official names. And don't confuse institutional support (like salary from your university) with project-specific grants—typically only the latter needs reporting unless journal guidelines specify otherwise.
