[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-8201]


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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 Acting Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final 
action in the following case:
    Ralph A. Highshaw, M.D., M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: Based on the 
report of an investigation conducted by the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 
(MDACC) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight 
review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Ralph A. 
Highshaw, M.D., Fellow, Department of Urologic Surgery, MDACC, engaged 
in scientific misconduct while supported by National Cancer Institute 
(NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), postdoctoral training grant 
T32 CA079449-01A1.
    Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Highshaw engaged in scientific 
misconduct by plagiarizing nine pages of a twenty-one page expert 
review article entitled ``Chemoprevention of Urologic Cancer.''
    Dr. Highshaw has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement 
(Agreement ) in which he has voluntarily agreed, for a period of three 
(3) years, beginning on December 12, 2005:
    (1) That he is required to certify in every PHS research 
application or report, and any other text, article, or manuscript, that 
all contributors are properly cited or otherwise acknowledged; the 
certification by the Respondent must be endorsed by an institutional 
official, and a copy of the certification is to be sent to ORI by the 
institution;
    (2) To ensure that any institution employing him submits, in 
conjunction with each application for PHS funds, annual reports, 
manuscripts, or abstracts of PHS funded research in which the 
Respondent is involved, a certification that the data provided by the 
Respondent are based on actual experiments or are otherwise 
legitimately derived, and that the data, procedures, and methodology 
are accurately reported in the application or report; the Respondent 
must ensure that the institution also sends a copy of the certification 
to ORI; and
    (3) 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 consultant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Investigative 
Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8800.

Chris B. Pascal,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
 [FR Doc. E5-8201 Filed 12-30-05; 8:45 am]
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