how to bypass politics?

LilMartine

Perhaps you can help me with this problem: I am in a research job, my boss every year or so changes completely the direction of my research, even if it is not up to him to decide what I do, and two years ago I was developing some interesting relationships with an outside industry, learning a lot from them and my work was greatly improved by that, and I was trying to apply for some some additional funding for my work through these industry contacts. Well, at some point my boss called them and told them that I had been lying about my relationship with them, and that I said that I was going to get some funding from them when it wasn't true.
(I said I was *hoping* to get some funding *through* them)

He (my boss) told me that, and unfortunately I was too shocked to write to those people in the industry and clear things up, and the result is that there are two persons in position of power in the industry out there who can swear that I am a cheat and a liar, and I don't even know why.

Next week I am going to meet these industry people at a conference, do you have any idea of how I can try and fix this?
My boss is extremely powerful so what he says has a lot of weight, I still don't know why he did that to me, I think he was afraid I was going to leave and get a job in the industry, because several employees before me left suddenly their position (one wonders why); After that episode he changed the course of my research so that there should be no contact with the industry, but last month after one year he changed it again, he said that he was after money from the industry, so I should make a project aimed at the industry (!). So now he has an interest in helping me fix things, maybe.
Anyway, I hope this post is not too long, if you have any suggestions...