American biochemist Phillippe Bois, who was found guilty of scientific misconduct in 2011 and lost the right to seek federal funding for research for three years, appealed the restriction in court and succeeded in reducing the severity of the punishment he received from the U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI). According to the Office’s research, Bois published a fake picture in an article in the Journal of Cell Biology and published doctored information in a paper in Molecular and Cell Biology.
He argued that they were unintentional errors, not fraud. After being punished, he requested a hearing from the Department of Health However, as no new facts were submitted, a hearing was denied. He went to court and obtained a judgment guaranteeing that he would have another chance to defend himself. The two sides talked and reached an agreement. Bois agreed not to appeal the outcome of the ORI’s investigation, and the punishment was reduced. He may once again request federal funds for projects, but if he does, his institution will need to certify that the data is legitimate. His work will be supervised for the next three years. “I am happy that my career can move forward,” Bois said in a statement. According to Bois, the agreement indicates that the punishment was too severe and there was the possibility that it might not be upheld in court.
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