FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

RELEASE DATE:  January 28, 2003

NOTICE:  NOT-OD-03-022

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and 
the Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in the 
following case:

George E. Eagan, University of Albany, State of New York:  Based on the 
report of an investigation conducted by the University of Albany, State 
of New York (UA-SUNY) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its 
oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Mr. 
Eagan, former laboratory technician at UA-SUNY, engaged in scientific 
misconduct by falsification and fabrication of data supported by a 
subcontract to UA-SUNY on National Institute of General Medical 
Sciences (NIGMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant R01 
GM46312-11, "Structural Biochemistry of DNA Base Excision Repair."

Specifically, PHS found that Mr. Eagan engaged in scientific misconduct 
by falsifying and fabricating the data for two experiments, conducted 
on February 12 and 13, 2002, designed to test the survival of strains 
of bacteria exposed to different base analog mutagens.  Mr. Eagan's 
experiments were significant because they would have contributed to the 
overall objective of the grant to understand the structural and 
biochemical interaction of enzymes involved in base-excision repair 
with various substrates, including the base analogs studied by Mr. 
Eagan.

Mr. Eagan has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in which he 
has voluntarily agreed for a period of five (5) years, beginning on 
January 13, 2003:

(1) to exclude himself from any contracting or subcontracting with any 
agency of the United States Government and from eligibility for, or 
involvement in, nonprocurement transactions (e.g., grants and 
cooperative agreements) of the United States Government referred to as 
"covered transactions" as defined in 45 C.F.R. Part 76 (Debarment 
Regulations); and

(2) to exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS 
including but not limited to service on any PHS advisory committee, 
board, and/or peer review committee, or as a consultant.

Mr. Eagan had admitted to falsification of data in an earlier case.

INQUIRIES

For further information contact:

Director
Division of Investigative Oversight
Office of Research Integrity
5515 Security Lane, Suite 700
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  301- 443-5330

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