The Research Foundation of the State University of New York (RFSUNY) has agreed to pay $313,574 to settle allegations that a SUNY at Albany (UAlbany) research scientist failed to disclose affiliations with and support from a foreign government while receiving federal research grants.

The settlement addresses claims that Dr. Qilong Min withheld information about his connections and funding from the Chinese government while working on projects funded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Federal agencies like NASA and NOAA require full disclosure of any foreign affiliations or support when applying for research funding.

Dr. Min allegedly violated federal funding requirements by failing to disclose his employment at Wuhan University in China, his participation in a Chinese Talent Plan—which seeks to recruit individuals with knowledge of or access to foreign intellectual property—and funding he received from Chinese government agencies. These omissions occurred during his role as a principal investigator on three federally funded research projects. As a result of the investigation, UAlbany terminated his employment.

RFSUNY’s payment resolves allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, a federal law designed to hold individuals and entities accountable for defrauding government programs. The law applies in cases where someone knowingly submits false or misleading information to obtain federal funds. By failing to disclose Dr. Min’s foreign affiliations, RFSUNY was accused of undermining the integrity of the federal grant process, which could have affected the government’s decision to fund the research.

U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman emphasized the importance of transparency in federal grant applications, stating that her office “will continue to hold individuals accountable for actions that compromise the integrity of the grant process.” Adelle K. Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Field Office, NASA Office of Inspector General, stated “I am proud of the exceptional teamwork of our law enforcement partners and the USAO for the Northern District of New York that resulted in securing this settlement and ensuring aggressive oversight of taxpayer funds awarded for academic research.”

Do you have information on your workplace potentially violating the False Claims Act and would like to report it? Learn more about whistleblower rewards programs, or what it means to be a whistleblower more broadly. And if you would with an experienced member of our whistleblower team, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free and confidential consultation.

Read RFSUNY Paid $300K to Settle Allegations of UAlbany Scientist’s Undisclosed Foreign Ties in NASA and NOAA-Funded Research at constantinecannon.com