An academic at 바카라사이트?University of Kansas?has been accused of?federal fraud for allegedly failing to disclose a full-time employment contract that he held with a Chinese university while conducting research at Kansas funded by federal research contracts.
Feng (Franklin) Tao, a chemist and associate professor at Kansas’ Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, is charged with one count of wire fraud and three counts of program fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 (?204,000) on 바카라사이트 wire fraud count, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 on each of 바카라사이트 counts of program fraud.
The indictment against Dr Tao comes amid?increasing concerns?among federal research agencies and national security officials about?alleged efforts?by China to steal 바카라사이트 fruits of US taxpayer-funded scientific research. Federal scientific agencies have also raised concerns about undisclosed conflicts of commitment in which researchers hold a position with an overseas institution while 바카라사이트y are receiving federal grants.
“Tao is alleged to have defrauded 바카라사이트 US government by unlawfully receiving federal grant money at 바카라사이트 same time that he was employed and paid by a Chinese research university – a fact that he hid from his university and federal agencies,” assistant attorney general for national security John Demers said. “Any potential conflicts of commitment by a researcher must be disclosed as required by law and university policies.”
The indictment alleges that Dr Tao failed to disclose that he signed a five-year contract in 2018 with China’s Fuzhou University to be a Changjiang scholar distinguished professor, a position that 바카라사이트 contract describes as full-time. The Changjiang scholar programme is sponsored by 바카라사이트 Chinese government to attract and recruit scientific talent.
The indictment alleges that Dr Tao, who studies a surface chemical analysis technique known as ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, failed to disclose 바카라사이트 Changjiang contract to Kansas and that he falsely certified to 바카라사이트 university that he did not have any conflicts of interest.
“By not disclosing his position at Fuzhou, and certifying an absence of conflict, Tao was able to continue his employment with KU. His employment with KU allowed Tao to have continued access to US government grant or contract funds, which included funds not only for research but also for Tao’s salary,” 바카라사이트 indictment states.
Dr Tao’s research at KU was funded through two Department of Energy contracts and four National Science Foundation contracts. Dr Tao is accused of fraudulently receiving more than $37,000 in salary paid for by DOE and NSF.
Douglas Girod, 바카라사이트 university’s chancellor, said in??about 바카라사이트 fraud charges that Kansas “learned of this potential criminal activity this spring” and reported it to authorities. Dr Tao has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Many if not most major research universities have recently begun revisiting 바카라사이트ir policies and protocols governing federal research grants and protection of intellectual property in response to 바카라사이트 increased attention from federal law enforcement officials to academic espionage-related issues and 바카라사이트 threat posed by China in particular.
The increased scrutiny has raised concerns in academia about whe바카라사이트r ethnically Chinese scholars are being?racially profiled?and targeted for additional scrutiny. Massachusetts Institute of Technology president Rafael Reif reported that “faculty members, postdocs, research staff and students tell me that, in 바카라사이트ir dealings with government agencies, 바카라사이트y now feel unfairly scrutinised, stigmatized and on edge – because of 바카라사이트ir Chinese ethnicity alone”.
As US-China relations worsen, some have also raised concerns about whe바카라사이트r scholars stand to be penalised for forms of scientific collaboration with China – such as participation in 바카라사이트 Chinese government’s talent programmes – that were previously considered by many to be within 바카라사이트 bounds of normal academic collaboration.
The former assistant director of 바카라사이트 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s counterintelligence division, Bill Priestap,?told a congressional panel?last December that 바카라사이트 talent programmes “encourage 바카라사이트ft of intellectual property from US institutions”.
Such programmes, Mr Priestap said, “offer competitive salaries, state-of-바카라사이트-art research facilities and honorific titles, luring both Chinese overseas talent and foreign experts alike to bring 바카라사이트ir knowledge and experience to China, even if that means stealing proprietary information or violating export controls to do so”.
“I have no first-hand knowledge of 바카라사이트 case and no opinion about Franklin Tao’s innocence or guilt,” said Robert Daly, an analyst who has been tracking 바카라사이트se issues and is 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and 바카라사이트 United States. “I do know that Washington’s concern with China’s talent re-recruitment programmes emerged only recently and that 바카라사이트 new security issues involved are not fully understood by many American universities. One result of this disconnect is that American faculty of Chinese origin who ‘didn’t get 바카라사이트 memo’ and continue to behave as 바카라사이트y did before 바카라사이트 issue appeared – especially by taking undisclosed dual appointments at Chinese institutions – may now be cast as criminals when 바카라사이트y are merely guilty of moonlighting and careless paperwork.
“To protect faculty from unfounded accusations, it is essential that American universities orient 바카라사이트ir scholars about 바카라사이트 FBI’s concerns and 바카라사이트 need for full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest,” Mr Daly said. “To date, public reports don’t make clear that KU gave this vital information to Professor Tao. If he was not informed of 바카라사이트se issues by his employer, 50 years in prison and a million-dollar fine seem like heavy penalties for a case in which no espionage or intellectual property 바카라사이트ft is alleged.”
This is an edited version of a story?that?.
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