[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 200 (Monday, October 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 61170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26538]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Scientific Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) and the Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in 
the following case:
    Randall P. French, Ph.D., Fox Chase Cancer Center: Based on the 
report of an investigation conducted by the Fox Chase Cancer Center 
(FCCC) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight 
review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) finds that Dr. French, 
postdoctoral associate, FCCC, engaged in scientific misconduct by 
fabricating published research supported by National Cancer Institute 
(NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants T32 CA09035 and P30 
CA06927.
    Specifically, Dr. French fabricated research results published in 
Developmental Biology 217:62-76, 2000, by falsely claiming in the text 
and Table 1 that he had assayed mouse embryos transgenic for a modified 
DNA construct (cG5/lacZ-F) for a study on the expression of cGATA-5 
transcription factor during heart development in mice. An erratum 
replacing the fabricated data was published by the authors in 
Developmental Biology 223:463, 2000.
    Dr. French has accepted the PHS finding and has entered into a 
Voluntary Exclusion Agreement with PHS in which he has voluntarily 
agreed for a period of three (3) years, beginning on September 28, 
2000:
    (1) To exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to 
PHS, including but not limited to service on any PHS advisory 
committee, board, and/or peer review committee;
    (2) That any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which Dr. French's participation is 
proposed or that uses Dr. French in any capacity on PHS supported 
research, or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which Dr. 
French 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 Dr. French's 
research contribution. The institution must also submit a copy of the 
supervisory plan to ORI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Investigative 
Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 700, 
Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 443-5330.

Chris Pascal,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 00-26538 Filed 10-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-17-P