Ohio State University has agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle federal allegations that it failed to disclose a former researcher's ties to China while applying for and receiving taxpayer-funded research grants. The Justice Department alleged that the university did not properly report the affiliations and financial support involving Chinese universities and state-run research organizations in submissions to NASA and the National Science Foundation between 2012 and 2023.
According to the Justice Department, a principal investigator at Ohio State participated in China's Thousand Talents Program, an initiative Beijing uses to recruit individuals with expertise in overseas technology and intellectual property. The university acknowledged that the researcher, identified as C.K. Shum, had "inappropriate foreign affiliations." Shum is no longer employed by Ohio State.
The university stated that it uncovered and investigated Shum's foreign affiliations independently, then self-reported them to federal authorities. Benjamin Johnson, chief communications officer at Ohio State, said in a statement that the university suspended Shum's principal investigator privileges, halted spending on relevant federal awards, initiated disciplinary proceedings, and repaid the federal grant funds in question. "Ohio State takes national security seriously," Johnson added, noting the university's existing safeguards for research integrity and security.
The settlement resolves allegations that Ohio State failed to disclose collaborations, affiliations, or funding from Chinese entities by employees working on NASA and NSF grants. Federal officials stated that while annual Faculty Activity Reports submitted to Ohio State identified affiliations with Chinese universities and state-run organizations, this information was not shared with NASA or NSF.
The Justice Department noted that Ohio State became aware in 2019 of a researcher involved in NASA-funded work participating in the Thousand Talents Program but did not inform NASA and the National Science Foundation until 2023. The department also found other employees connected to the grants had relationships with Chinese entities or received Chinese funding.
"American universities that benefit from the federal government’s support for scientific research and advancement must fully disclose all foreign funding in their grant applications," said Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "We will continue to hold accountable any university that fails to comply with disclosure requirements designed to protect research security and federally-funded scientific achievements."