I think this really comes down to the accountability mechanisms that will be in place for this capstone project. I see this as being a really great opportunity to proactively have these conversations now. I think when we're talking about political interference, we can look to examples showing that when the public sees evidence and sees these types of accountability procedures, they're more willing to trust.
I really believe in accountability to the public in spending research dollars. By putting in mechanisms like publicly available reports, impact statements, mission statements, mandate letters and things like this, you'll have the opportunity to have that conversation surrounding accountability, but without those mechanisms it's almost impossible to hold the organization accountable for its actions.
That would be my recommendation. I have more listed in my brief.