The Ohio State University has acknowledged that a former researcher maintained “inappropriate foreign affiliations,” as the school agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle federal claims that it did not fully disclose researchers’ China-related ties while applying for and receiving publicly funded research grants.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Ohio State failed to accurately report affiliations and financial backing connected to Chinese universities and government-run research entities in grant applications and related filings submitted to NASA and the National Science Foundation between 2012 and 2023.
Federal officials said the case also involved a principal investigator’s participation in China’s Thousand Talents Program, a recruitment initiative that has drawn scrutiny from U.S. authorities over research security concerns.
In a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday, Ohio State said it identified and investigated the foreign affiliations involving C.K. Shum on its own and then reported the findings to federal authorities.
Shum is no longer employed by The Ohio State 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, chief communications officer at The Ohio State University, told Fox News Digital in a statement Friday.
“The university suspended Shum’s principal investigator privileges, halted spending on the relevant federal awards, initiated disciplinary proceedings and repaid the federal grant funds in question. Shum is no longer employed at Ohio State, and the university has cooperated with federal authorities throughout the investigation.
“Ohio State takes national security seriously, and the university has long been recognized for its efforts to promote research integrity and security. Safeguards include dedicated research compliance and secure research offices, mandatory conflict-of-interest and research security disclosure systems and robust security and foreign influence training programs.”
READ MORE: Woman Arrested for Allegedly Rear-Ending Vehicle 5 Times
In a press release, the Department of Justice said the grant applications required OSU to share any ties to any foreign government.
“The settlement resolves allegations that OSU failed to disclose the collaboration and affiliation with, or funding received from, the PRC by certain OSU employees working on NASA and NSF grants,” the press release said.
“Specifically, the settlement resolves allegations that, since 2014, annual Faculty Activity Reports submitted to OSU identified affiliations with PRC universities and state-run research organizations, but OSU did not disclose this information to NASA or NSF.”
The press release also noted that Ohio State became aware in 2019 that a researcher tied to NASA-funded work was involved in China’s Thousand Talents Program but waited until 2023 to inform NASA and the National Science Foundation.
The federal government describes the program as a Beijing-backed effort to attract people with expertise in or access to overseas technology and intellectual property.
The DOJ also said it found other OSU employees connected to the grants who 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,” Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said in a statement.
“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.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.