[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 84 (Friday, May 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 24936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10203]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Findings of Research 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) has taken final action in the following case:
    Venkata J. Reddy, University of Minnesota: Based upon the evidence 
and findings of an investigation report by the University of Minnesota 
(UMN), an investigation conducted by another Federal agency, and 
additional information obtained by the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) during its oversight review of the UMN investigation, ORI found 
that Mr. Venkata J. Reddy, former Graduate Student, Department of 
Chemistry, UMN, engaged in research misconduct in research that was 
included in grant application R01 GM095559-01A1, submitted to the 
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), National 
Institutes of Health (NIH).
    ORI found by a preponderance of the evidence that the Respondent 
intentionally and knowingly engaged in research misconduct by 
falsifying and/or fabricating data that was provided to his mentor to 
include in grant application R01 GM095559-01A1 submitted to NIGMS, NIH, 
to obtain U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) funds. Specifically, ORI 
found that the Respondent falsified data included in Figures 4, 9, 11, 
15, and 25 in R01 GM095559-01A1 for enantiomeric excess (``ee'') to 
falsely show a high degree of selectivity for one enantiomer over 
another by a cut-and-paste method and manipulation of the instrument to 
give the desired result. Respondent also falsified the underlying 
nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) data for Compound 22 
reported in Figure 15 in R01 GM095559-01A1 by a cut-and-paste method to 
manipulate the NMR spectra and give the desired result.
    Dr. Reddy has been debarred by the Federal agency with joint 
jurisdiction for a period of five (5) years, ending on August 26, 2018. 
ORI has implemented the following administrative action to coincide 
with the government-wide debarment:
    (1) Respondent is prohibited 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.

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

Donald Wright,
Acting Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2015-10203 Filed 4-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P