Following the departure of the CEO, a vice president, and four researchers from the Moffitt Cancer Center, a state legislator in Florida is launching an investigation, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
It reports that Alan List, the Moffitt CEO, and the others resigned in connection with concerns regarding foreign influence on US research. The US National Institutes of Health has been investigating whether foreign nations, especially China, are exploiting US-funded research for their own gain. This has led, for instance, MD Anderson Cancer Center to fire three researchers for violating NIH rules regarding the disclosure of foreign ties and the confidentiality of peer review and two researchers left Emory University after the school found the researchers did not disclose that they received funding from China.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that the Moffitt similarly uncovered evidence that List and the others failed to disclose they received funds from a Chinese talent recruitment program.
This has piqued the interest of Florida lawmakers, and the Tampa Bay Times adds that State Rep. Chris Sprowls, a Republican, has announced that he will be leading an investigation into this matter at the Moffitt and other academic institutions that receive state or federal funding.