WASHINGTON DC (August 6, 2019) — Senator Charles "Chuck" Grassley sent a letter to Comptroller General of the United States Gene L Dodaro requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) perform a review of how the federal government is implementing conflict-of-interest policies in tax-payer-supported research.

“Tax-payer money supports billions of dollars in federal research grants every year. However, a number of recent reports, articles and congressional hearings have raised concerns about whether the US public is realizing the full benefit of tax-payer-funded research given the implications of foreign-researcher engagement in federally-funded research,” Sen Grassley wrote.

“Conflict-of-interest policies and requirements agencies have in place for their own researchers as well as nonfederal researchers that receive federal support are a critical tool in identifying and mitigating potential foreign threats to federally-funded research.” 

In his letter, Grassley specifically asks the following:

  • What are key similarities and differences between federal agency and nonfederal institutional conflict-of-interest polices and federal agency monitoring and enforcement practices for federally-funded research?
  • To what extent are federal agencies and nonfederal institutes that receive federal research support consistently implementing conflict-of-interest policies and requirements, to include the disclosure of all foreign affiliations?
  • What steps have federal agencies taken to address foreign threats to federally-funded research through their implementation and oversight of conflict-of-interest policies including the disclosure of all foreign affiliations? What opportunities exist, if any, to further strengthen implementation of these policies and requirements, to include changes to grant forms that place more responsibility for financial disclosures on principal investigators?
  • What are the views of selected stakeholders, such as research universities and principal investigators, on other options to strengthen federal agencies’ and nonfederal institutions’ ability to identify and address foreign threats to federally-funded research?

Sen Grassley is a leading voice in the effort to protect the integrity of tax-payer-funded research. In addition to his inquiries to DoD, Sen Grassley also pressed the National Science Foundation (NSF) on foreign threats to tax-payer-funded research, as well as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically on its vetting processes. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee last Congress, Sen Grassley held a hearing on threats specifically posed by China. On June 5, 2019, Sen Grassley held a Finance hearing on foreign threats to tax-payer-funded research and held a classified member-level briefing on the same subject.

Text of the letter is available HERE.

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