Exclusive: Major U.S. cancer center ousts 'Asian' researchers after NIH flags their foreign ties

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/exclusive-major-us-cancer-center-ousts-asian-researchers-after-nih-flags-their-foreign

The MD Anderson Cancer Center has ousted several senior researchers after the U.S. National Institutes of Health informed the institution that the scientists had committed potentially "serious" violations of agency rules involving confidentiality of peer review and the disclosure of foreign ties. The actions are linked to a sweeping effort launched last year by NIH to address growing U.S. government fears that foreign nations, particularly China, are taking unfair advantage of federally funded research. Internal MD Anderson documents also reveal that it has been cooperating with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in national security investigations on campus, including email and video surveillance of staff. The Chinese American community has expressed concern that U.S. officials are targeting researchers for special scrutiny based on their ethnicity.
By Mara Hvistendahl | Fri, 19 Apr 2019