The Ohio State University recently admitted to having “inappropriate foreign affiliations” connected to a former researcher, after agreeing to a $2.1 million settlement to address federal claims. These allegations revolved around the university not disclosing certain ties to China while applying for and receiving taxpayer-funded research grants.
The Justice Department contended that Ohio State didn’t adequately reveal affiliations and financial backing from Chinese universities and state research organizations in their applications and reports submitted to NASA and the National Science Foundation, spanning from 2012 to 2023. Notably, one allegation involved a principal investigator’s involvement in China’s Thousand Talents Program.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ohio State confirmed it discovered and investigated the foreign affiliations of researcher C.K. Shum on its own and subsequently reported them to federal authorities. Shum is no longer with the university.
“Ohio State uncovered and investigated C.K. Shum’s inappropriate foreign affiliations and self-reported them to NASA and the National Science Foundation,” Benjamin Johnson, the chief communications officer at Ohio State, stated. He added that the university suspended Shum’s principal investigator privileges, stopped spending on the relevant federal awards, initiated disciplinary actions, and returned the questioned federal grant funds. The university has cooperated extensively with federal authorities throughout the inquiry.
Johnson emphasized that Ohio State is serious about national security and has a longstanding reputation for maintaining research integrity and safety. Their safeguards include dedicated research compliance offices, mandatory conflict-of-interest disclosures, and comprehensive training on security and foreign influence.
The Department of Justice’s press release highlighted that the grant applications required Ohio State to disclose any connections to foreign governments. The release noted that the settlement resolves claims that the university failed to disclose collaborative efforts and funding ties with the People’s Republic of China from certain employees working on NASA and NSF grants. It mentioned that since 2014, annual Faculty Activity Reports had flagged affiliations with Chinese universities and state-backed organizations, yet this information wasn’t brought to NASA or NSF’s attention.
Interestingly, Ohio State became aware back in 2019 of a researcher linked to NASA-funded work participating in China’s Thousand Talents Program but only informed federal agencies in 2023. This initiative is characterized by the federal government as a Chinese strategy to attract individuals with access to overseas technology and intellectual property. The DOJ’s findings also indicated that other Ohio State employees associated with the grants maintained ties to Chinese entities or received funding from them.
Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, remarked that American institutions benefiting from federal support for scientific research must completely disclose all foreign funding in their grant applications. He reiterated that the department will ensure that universities adhere to disclosure requirements aimed at protecting research integrity and federally funded scientific progress.
