OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL - OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS CLOSEOUT MEMORANDUM We received anonymous allegation that a ~rofessor'and Associate Director of a research center at a universitf, used NSF funds to develop and ship restricted technology. We coordinated our investigation with the appropriate law enforcement agencies3 We focused our investigative efforts on expenditures to NSF grants.4 The other agencies focused on the whether the technology was restricted and did the shipments follow appropriate regulations and laws. Initial investigation found that former Graduate Students, who received salary and tuition payments from NSF, said that they worked on a product that was shipped to an overseas company. We also found that the Professor combined trips relating to the NSF funded student exchange program with meetings with the overseas company. The Professor was interviewed by the multi-agency investigative team and claimed that the students' work was beneficial to both the NSF Grant and the development of the product provided to the company, but the Professor mistakenly failed to mention the research in his reports to NSF. Regarding the NSF funded trips to China; the Professor stated that he combined his meetings with the cbmpany with the planned NSF trips. The Professor stated that after reviewing the trips, he should have split the funding for the trips between company and NSF It was determined that the overseas shipments did not violate the regulations but the university agreed to strengthen the internal controls on the shipment of technology to foreign countries. The university also removed the questionable travel, salary and tuition charge5 to the NSF grants and counseled the Professor for the errors that occurred in the handling of Federal Program Funds and returned funds.' Accordingly, this case is closed. NSF OIG Form 2 (1 1/02)
Admin. Financial Violations (PI/PS)
Published by the National Science Foundation, Office of Inspector General on 2006-12-13.
Below is a raw (and likely hideous) rendition of the original report. (PDF)