[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 181 (Thursday, September 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49014-49015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24808]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Scientific Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) has made a final finding of scientific misconduct in the 
following case:
    Christopher Leonhard, Dartmouth College: Based upon an 
investigation conducted by Dartmouth College, information obtained by 
the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) during its oversight review, and 
Mr. Leonhard's own admission, ORI found that Mr. Leonhard, a former 
graduate student in the Department of Psychology, Dartmouth College, 
engaged in scientific misconduct arising out of certain biomedical 
research supported by two grants from the National Institute of Mental 
Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH).

[[Page 49015]]

    Specifically, Mr. Leonhard (1) fabricated experimental records and 
falsely represented them to his supervisor as being results obtained 
from multiple electrophysiological screening sessions conducted on 
eight animals; and (2) fabricated two surgical records as evidence of 
experimental preparations (implantation of indwelling electrodes) on 
two animals, which in fact had not been done. The experimental records 
did not appear in any publications.
    Mr. Leonhard has accepted the ORI finding and has entered into a 
Voluntary Exclusion Agreement with ORI in which he has voluntarily 
agreed, for the three (3) year period beginning September 8, 1997:
    (1) To exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to the 
Public Health Service (PHS), including but not limited to service on 
any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as 
a consultant; and
    (2) That any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which Mr. Leonhard's participation is 
proposed or which uses him in any capacity on PHS supported research or 
that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which he is involved 
must concurrently submit a plan for supervision of his duties to the 
funding agency for approval. The supervisory plan must be designed to 
ensure the scientific integrity of Mr. Leonhard's research 
contribution. The institution also must submit a copy of the 
supervisory plan to ORI.
    No scientific publications were required to be corrected as part of 
this Agreement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Acting Director, Division of Research 
Investigations, Office of Research Integrity, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 
700, Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 443-5330.
Chris B. Pascal,
Acting Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 97-24808 Filed 9-17-97; 8:45 am]
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