Ohio State pays $2.1M over undisclosed China

Ohio State University has agreed to pay the federal government $2.1 million. The agreement, announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday, resolves claims that the public university did not report faculty members' affiliations with Chinese government-run institutions while accepting federal research funding.

The DOJ claimed that Ohio State faculty internally reported their connections to Chinese universities and research organizations since at least 2014. Despite this, the institution accepted grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation without passing this information to the agencies, violating both university and federal policies. Ohio State did not admit wrongdoing as part of the agreement.

A university spokesperson said on Tuesday that Ohio State voluntarily reported a faculty member's inappropriate foreign affiliations when discovered and has cooperated with federal authorities throughout the investigation.

The grants and the rules

The agreement covers NASA and NSF grants issued to Ohio State between November 2012 and August 2023. The DOJ did not disclose the total value of these grants. Both NASA and NSF require universities to disclose if lead researchers on grant applications receive support from a foreign government. Federal law also prohibits NASA grant recipients from using federal funds while collaborating with Chinese universities or state-owned companies.

Ohio State is a major research institution. For example, NASA awarded it $10.1 million in funding for fiscal year 2025, a 15% increase from the previous year.

Focus on professor C.K. Shum

The allegations center on climatologist and former Ohio State professor C.K. Shum, a 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner. The DOJ stated that Shum and members of his lab applied for and sometimes received funding from the Chinese government while working on U.S. Federal research grants. Shum also held adjunct and visiting positions at Chinese universities and research organizations during his tenure.

According to the agreement, Shum reported these connections to Ohio State annually from at least 2014, but the university did not inform NASA or NSF. The DOJ also said Shum participated in China's Thousand Talents Program. U.S. And allied intelligence agencies have raised concerns that China uses this program to recruit experts and potentially steal intellectual property.

Ohio State learned of Shum's participation in the program in 2019. The institution disclosed this information to NASA and NSF in 2023 after conducting its own investigation.

University actions and agreement terms

The university spokesperson stated that Ohio State had suspended Shum's principal investigator privileges, halted spending on the relevant federal awards, initiated disciplinary proceedings, and repaid the federal grant funds in question. Ohio State terminated Shum's employment in January 2024.

In January 2024, the institution repaid nearly $255,000 to NASA and NSF. The majority of that, roughly $215,000, covered grants involved in this week's agreement. The university must pay the remaining $1.9 million within a week of the agreement's August 31 effective date.

Additionally, Ohio State has three months to identify and repay any other funds the federal government deems unallowable under the agreement's terms. If found, these funds must be returned with interest and penalties.

Robert Steinau, a senior official in NASA's Office of Inspector General, called the agreement a major financial recovery on behalf of the American public. In a Monday statement, he said the agency will not tolerate institutions that conceal foreign ties and compromise national security.