[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 231 (Friday, November 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 59793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29744]


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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) and the Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in 
the following case:
    Jason Elster, Saint Louis University: Based on the report of an 
investigation conducted by Saint Louis University, Mr. Elster's 
admission, and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight 
review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Mr. Elster, 
former undergraduate research assistant, School of Public Health, Saint 
Louis University, engaged in scientific misconduct by falsifying or 
fabricating data in at least eight of the 125 questionnaires he 
collected with support from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
cooperative agreement U48 CCU710806, ``Rural Chronic Disease Prevention 
Center.''
    Specifically, the objective of the questionnaire was to assess the 
extent of media exposure by the community and opinions regarding local 
media coverage of health issues as well as to determine baseline 
health-related behavior. The intent of the study was to use this 
information in developing effective strategies for delivering 
information on disease prevention to the public. No publications were 
affected, but because of the removal of Mr. Elster's 125 questionnaires 
from the study, interviews with 125 new participants were required to 
achieve the sample size needed to have sufficient statistical power.
    Mr. Elster has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement 
(Agreement) with PHS in which he has voluntarily agreed for a period of 
three (3) years, beginning on November 13, 2001:
    (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, or as a consultant; and
    (2) That any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which his participation is proposed 
or that 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. Elster'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 B. Pascal,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 01-29744 Filed 11-29-01; 8:45 am]
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