New scandal rocks academia’s commanding heights; Duke must pay $112 million for research fraud

American Thinker ^ | 03/25/2019 | Thomas Lifson

[SeekAndFind]

The prestige of America’s elite universities is rapidly deflating, as scandals reveal them to be far from disinterested seekers of the truth and shapers of the minds of the meritocratically-selected future leaders. The hard truth is that they are big businesses, as self-interested and narrow-minded as any corporation, but harder to take because of all the pretensions.

The admissions scandals unfolding, with more indictments promised, is but one pillar of elite academic prestige that is getting very shaky. Equally if not more serious is the problem of research fraud, spurred by the availability of gigantic research grants, mostly from the federal government. When phony research is produced, if not caught it can lead to horrendous outcomes, as other researchers use the fake results in their own work. Eventually, bridges could collapse, patients die, or airplanes crash when the “knowledge” is applied in the real world.

That’s why this story from NPR is so important, yet receiving comparatively little attention. Bill Chappell writes:

Duke University is paying the U.S. government $112.5 million to settle accusations that it submitted bogus data to win federal research grants. The settlement will also bring a $33.75 million payment to Joseph Thomas, the whistleblower who drew attention to the fraud when he worked for Duke.

Thomas, a former Duke lab analyst, sued the university on behalf of the federal government, saying that a Duke researcher fudged data to help the university win and keep lucrative grants from two agencies, the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency.

[SeekAndFind]

The dozens of grants in question covered the study of the lung function of mice. The Justice Department says Thomas' lawsuit alleged that "between 2006 and 2018, Duke knowingly submitted and caused to be submitted" claims to federal agencies that were unknowingly paying grant money for falsified research data. It adds that while the agreement settles the court case, it does not mean Duke has been determined liable.

Duke says it "discovered the possible research misconduct in 2013 after the [research] technician was fired for embezzling money from the university."

[SeekAndFind]

Levine Science Reserach Center at Duke University

[Red Badger]

I hope it was for Global Warming Data......................

[FreedomPoster]

Tell me there aren’t similar games being played with Climate Change-linked grants. Just try.

[Lurker]

“saying that a Duke researcher fudged data to help the university win and keep lucrative grants from two agencies, the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency.”

For the climate change fraud no doubt.

L

[VRWCarea51]

Oh I have no doubt. We are going to find the Obama EPA and other Agencies feed Billions of dollars to these con artists to falsify most every study out there on the topic.

Then groups using those studies filed suits against the Feds for not doing enough to stop the Globull BS and the Obama Injustice Dept. instead of fighting in court settled it with some kind of agreement where they pushed more left wing regulations.

[rjsimmon]

The NPR article does not cite which department this affected, but the ripple effect will be felt throughout Duke. My hope is that it will have minimal impact on their cancer center as this miraculous department has led the industry in cancer treatments and is the reason the daughter of dear friends of mine is alive today. She was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma on Christmas Eve a few years ago and has had her last clear MRI just recently.

[PeterPrinciple]

Duke University is paying the U.S. government $112.5 million to settle accusations that it submitted bogus data to win federal research grants. The settlement will also bring a $33.75 million payment to Joseph Thomas, the whistleblower who drew attention to the fraud when he worked for Duke.

---

In my post graduate days, I said to the head of the dept regarding a grant I was working on, “Either this is a bunch of BS, or I don’t know what is going on.” He said, “What are you going to do about it?”

Missed my opportunity as I quit.

[Grampa Dave]

Next up, the Gorebull Warming BS posing as scientific data.

[old curmudgeon]

I have said for years and posted on FR that there is more crime in the universities than any place in the US, other than DC.

And federal grants and the athletic departments are the root cause.

[Grampa Dave]

Past time to investigate if the statin drugs work and how dangerous they are.

Is the increase in Parkison’s Disease and memory loss related to taking the statin drugs.

[lowbridge]

Bump

[Retvet]

Anymore there are no scientist or scientific studies. It is all about money or agenda.

[hal ogen]

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There is incredible corruption at many levels in most colleges and universities. Of course, most are run by LIB losers. LIBs all lie, deceive and are corrupt.

[subterfuge]

Looks like a prison.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I wonder if Monsanto has research conducted by Duke...?

[Palio di Siena]

Zion should be able to write that check.

[minnesota_bound]

$8 $33.75 million payment to Joseph Thomas, the whistleblower who drew attention to the fraud when he worked for Duke.

Wow he won the lottery!!

[aquila48]

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