[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14895-14896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2843]


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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:
    Hiwot A. Woreta, Duke University Medical Center: Based on the 
report of an inquiry into admitted fabrication of data conducted by the 
Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) and additional analysis conducted 
by ORI in its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) 
found that Hiwot A. Woreta, former medical student, DUMC, engaged in 
research misconduct while supported by National Institute of Diabetes 
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of 
Health (NIH), grant P30 DK034987.
    Specifically, PHS found that Ms. Woreta engaged in research 
misconduct by fabricating data included in Figure 2 of her third year 
Medical School Thesis at DUMC. These data were also included in a 
poster presented during the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society symposium 
in May 2004.
    Ms. Woreta has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in 
which she has voluntarily agreed, for a period of three (3) years, 
beginning on February 24, 2006:
    (1) To exclude herself 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; and
    (2) That any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which the Respondent's participation 
is proposed or which uses the Respondent in any capacity on PHS 
supported research, or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in 
which the Respondent is involved, must concurrently submit a plan for 
supervision of the Respondent's

[[Page 14896]]

duties to the funding agency for approval. The supervisory plan must be 
designed to ensure the scientific integrity of the Respondent's 
research contribution. Respondent agreed to ensure that a copy of the 
supervisory plan is also submitted to ORI by the institution. 
Respondent agreed that she will not participate in any PHS-supported 
research until such a supervisory plan is submitted to ORI.

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. 06-2843 Filed 3-23-06; 8:45 am]
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