[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 4213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1920]


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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:
    George E. Eagan, University of Albany, State of New York: Based on 
the report of an investigation conducted by the University of Albany, 
State of New York (UA-SUNY) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in 
its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that 
Mr. Eagan, former laboratory technician at UA-SUNY, engaged in 
scientific misconduct by falsification and fabrication of data 
supported by a subcontract to UA-SUNY on National Institute of General 
Medical Sciences (NIGMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant 
R01 GM46312-11, ``Structural Biochemistry of DNA Base Excision 
Repair.''
    Specifically, PHS found that Mr. Eagan engaged in scientific 
misconduct by falsifying and fabricating the data for two experiments, 
conducted on February 12 and 13, 2002, designed to test the survival of 
strains of bacteria exposed to different base analog mutagens. Mr. 
Eagan's experiments were significant because they would have 
contributed to the overall objective of the grant to understand the 
structural and biochemical interaction of enzymes involved in base-
excision repair with various substrates, including the base analogs 
studied by Mr. Eagan.
    Mr. Eagan has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in which 
he has voluntarily agreed for a period of five (5) years, beginning on 
January 13, 2003:
    (1) To exclude himself from any contracting or subcontracting with 
any agency of the United States Government and from eligibility for, or 
involvement in, nonprocurement transactions (e.g., grants and 
cooperative agreements) of the United States Government referred to as 
``covered transactions'' as defined in 45 CFR part 76 (Debarment 
Regulations); and
    (2) 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.
    Mr. Eagan had admitted to falsification of data in an earlier case.

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. 03-1920 Filed 1-27-03; 8:45 am]
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