A while back I posted up a blog from the Checks and Balances Project (CBP) on industry paying for academic research. Some folks commented saying that they didn't think that it's a big deal since it happens all the time.
Given that the research that comes out of these 'corpademic' centers often plays a big role in convincing government to pass out millions, sometimes billions, in taxpayer-funded dollars, it's important that they are identified for what they are and who funds them. It's not to say that they have no credible research, but it sholud be reviewed with a critical eye and verfied against independent analysis. After all isn't saying that it doesn't matter that corporations fund the research a bit like saying that corporations lobbying Congress have no impacts on laws passed?
To the point of influence, the CBP recently blogged about how an industry-funded researcher recently admitted that indpendent analysis showing that oil shale production could use huge amounts of water - after long criticizing this same research. In the U.S., oil shale is mainly found in Colorado and Utah - places where water resources are scare. So you can see how it'd be useful for the industry to promote findings that show that commercial oil shale production won't use much water.
It makes sense to weigh the findings from industry-funded research against independent analysis and to dig a little deeper before handing out taxpayer money and green-lighting projects for large scale oil shale development. Not only does the technology for commercial oil shale development not exist yet - according to oil companies themselves - but there's a 100 year track record of failure. Oil shale speculators have been touting oil shale as the our new energy solution, and were awarded billions in taxpayer-funded subsidies, yet never succesfully commercialed oil shale.