A year later, Chen was arrested on suspicion of federal subsidy fraud and publicly accused of disloyalty to the United States, a charge usually leveled at espionage rather than grant fraud, as Chen’s defense team said in an experiment. to formally sanction the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the statement. Chen was eventually charged with three counts of wire fraud, false statements and failure to file a foreign bank account.
But at the heart of the case was whether the nanotechnologist had uncovered contracts, appointments and awards from entities in the People’s Republic of China, including a Chinese talent program and more than $ 19 million in funding from the Chinese government while receiving federal grants from the Ministry of Energy.
This issue became less important when an Energy Ministry official confirmed these grant requirements in 2017, when Chen presented his statement did not stipulate that he should open posts in China, but that disclosure would not affect his subsidies, as the Wall Street Journal first reported.
The money at the center of the fraud allegations – $ 25 million – went to MIT to support a new joint research center at China’s Southern University of Science and Technology, not to Chen alone. “While Professor Chen is its introductory director of MIT’s faculty, this is not an individual collaboration; it’s a departmental, supported by the institute, “MIT President Rafael Reif explained in a letter to the MIT community last year.
As one of the most famous scientists in charge of the initiative, Chen’s case received widespread attention. MIT faculty members wrote an open letter in support of the scholars, which also reflects the academic community’s broader concerns about the criminalization of standard academic activity. “In many ways, the complaint against the Ganges Chen is a complaint against all of us, an insult to every citizen who values science and scientific endeavor,” they wrote.
What next?
As Chen’s allegations are almost certain to be dismissed, six more cases remain pending on the integrity of the investigation. Four are due to appear in court later this spring. Meanwhile, a growing number of different groups of scientific associations, civil rights organizations, legislators and even former officials involved in shaping the program are calling for either the program to end or at least refer to scientists.
The Justice Department is “reviewing our approach to countering threats posed by the PRC government,” said ministry spokesman Win Hornbuckle. MIT Technology Review in email. “We plan to complete the review and provide additional information in the coming weeks.” He referred questions about Chen’s case to the US Attorney’s Office in Boston, which has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, on January 4, the White House Science and Technology Policy Office released updated guidelines to strengthen the protection of US research and development against foreign interference, which includes further details on disclosure requirements for key researchers.
As for Chen, “he looks forward to resolving the criminal matter as soon as possible,” his lawyer, Robert Fischer, told the MIT Technology Review.
Additional reports by Jess Aloe.