[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3394-3395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00874]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Research Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Findings of research misconduct have been made against Ozgur 
Tataroglu, Ph.D. (Respondent), former postdoctoral fellow, Department 
of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). Dr. 
Tataroglu engaged in research misconduct in research supported by U.S. 
Public Health Service (PHS) funds, specifically National Institute of 
General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 
grants R01 GM066777 and R01 GM079182. The administrative actions, 
including supervision for a period of three (3) years, were implemented 
beginning on December 30, 2019, and are detailed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elisabeth A. Handley, Interim 
Director, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
240, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that the Office of 
Research

[[Page 3395]]

Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case:
    Ozgur Tataroglu, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Medical School: 
Based on the report of an investigation conducted by UMMS and 
additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found 
that Dr. Ozgur Tataroglu, former postdoctoral fellow, Department of 
Neurobiology, UMMS, engaged in research misconduct in research 
supported by PHS funds, specifically NIGMS, NIH, grants R01 GM066777 
and R01 GM079182.
    Respondent neither admits nor denies ORI's findings of research 
misconduct. The settlement is not an admission of liability on the part 
of the Respondent. The parties entered into a Voluntary Settlement 
Agreement (Agreement) to conclude this matter without further 
expenditure of time, finances, or other resources.
    ORI found that Respondent engaged in research misconduct by 
knowingly, intentionally, and/or recklessly falsifying data included in 
the following one (1) paper and two (2) grant applications submitted to 
NIGMS, NIH:
     Calcium and SOL Protease Mediate Temperature Resetting of 
Circadian Clocks. Cell 2015 Nov 19;163(5):1214-1224 (hereafter referred 
to as ``Cell 2015''). Retracted in: Cell 2017 Sep 21;171(1):256.
     R01 GM079182-05A1, ``Synchronization of Drosophila 
Circadian Rhythms by Temperature Cycles,'' submitted to NIGMS, NIH, on 
July 18, 2014.
     R35 GM118087-01, ``Molecular and neural mechanisms 
generating and synchronizing circadian rhythms,'' submitted to NIGMS, 
NIH, on May 19, 2015.
    Specifically, ORI found that Respondent engaged in research 
misconduct by knowingly, intentionally, and/or recklessly falsifying 
data in bar graphs representing phase shift of circadian clock activity 
between Drosophila without and with heat pulse (HP) treatment in: 
Figures 1G, 2F, 3C, and 4C of Cell 2015; Figures 7D, 8G, and 9C in 
grant application R01 GM079182-05A1; Figures 3C and 4 in grant 
application R35 GM118087-01; and two (2) figures recorded in his 
unpublished data files, by selectively altering the original Drosophila 
behavior locomotor data in his primary data files. The data 
manipulations resulted in the creation or exaggeration of phase shifts 
caused by either HP treatment or over-expression of the calpain 
protease SOL, to support the hypothesis that temperature phase shifts 
the Drosophila circadian clock through the regulated degradation of the 
pacemaker protein TIMELESS mediated by SOL.
    Dr. Tataroglu entered into an Agreement and voluntarily agreed:
    (1) To have his research supervised for a period of three (3) years 
beginning on December 30, 2019; Respondent agreed that prior to the 
submission of an application for PHS support for a research project on 
which Respondent's participation is proposed and prior to Respondent's 
participation in any capacity on PHS-supported research, Respondent 
shall ensure that a plan for supervision of Respondent's duties is 
submitted to ORI for approval; the supervision plan must be designed to 
ensure the scientific integrity of Respondent's research contribution; 
Respondent agreed that he shall not participate in any PHS-supported 
research until such a supervision plan is submitted to and approved by 
ORI; Respondent agreed to maintain responsibility for compliance with 
the agreed supervision plan;
    (2) that the requirements for Respondent's supervision plan are as 
follows:
    i. A committee of 2-3 senior faculty members at the institution who 
are familiar with Respondent's field of research, but not including 
Respondent's supervisor or collaborators, will provide oversight and 
guidance for three (3) years beginning on December 30, 2019; the 
committee will review primary data from Respondent's laboratory on a 
quarterly basis and submit a report to ORI at six (6) month intervals 
setting forth the committee meeting dates, Respondent's compliance with 
appropriate research standards, and confirming the integrity of 
Respondent's research; and
    ii. the committee will conduct an advance review of any PHS grant 
applications (including supplements, resubmissions, etc.), manuscripts 
reporting PHS-funded research submitted for publication, and abstracts; 
the review will include a discussion with Respondent of the primary 
data represented in those documents and will include a certification to 
ORI that the data presented in the proposed application/publication is 
supported by the research record;
    (3) that for a period of three (3) years beginning on December 30, 
2019, any institution employing him shall submit, in conjunction with 
each application for PHS funds, or report, manuscript, or abstract 
involving PHS-supported research in which Respondent is involved, a 
certification to ORI that the data provided by Respondent are based on 
actual experiments or are otherwise legitimately derived and that the 
data, procedures, and methodology are accurately reported in the 
application, report, manuscript, or abstract;
    (4) that if no supervisory plan is provided to ORI, Respondent 
shall provide certification to ORI at the conclusion of the supervision 
period that he has not engaged in, applied for, or had his name 
included on any application, proposal, or other request for PHS funds 
without prior notification to ORI; and
    (5) to exclude himself voluntarily 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 a period of three (3) years beginning on December 30, 
2019.

Elisabeth A. Handley,
Interim Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2020-00874 Filed 1-17-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-31-P