The Natural National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) has admonished three scientists for misconduct. NSFC published the name of the men on the foundation's website.
Neurologist Su Bingyin, accounting student Cui Kianwei and Li Guibao, the former director of China's Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, have been ordered to reimburse funding they received from the foundation and were barred for up to four years from submitting new grant proposals.
Though the NSFC has not stated the exact reasons why the three are being punished, it appears that that each of the men separately falsified data or mishandled their scientific responsibilities.
The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) was founded in February 1986 with the approval of the State Council. It is an institution for the management of the National Natural Science Fund, aimed at promoting and financing basic research and some applied research in China. At present, NSFC employs 184 staff members, of whom 172 are professionals, 127 (or 73.8% of the total) have senior professional titles (including 48 with full professorship or equivalent), and 39 (or 22.7%) have intermediate professional titles. The average age of its staff is 42.
In accordance with the State guiding principles, policies and plans for the development of science and technology, NSFC has, since its founding, formulated the evaluation mechanism of "replying on experts and developing democracy to select best proposals for support in a fair and reasonable way".
Through consistent efforts during the past decade, NSFC has established a series of systems to encourage fountainhead innovation and to fund excellent and creative researchers through fair competition on the basis of scientific and democratic principles. It has also created the categories of General Program, Key Program, Major Program, Major Research Plan, the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, a number of other types of funds as well as a whole set of integrated management regulations.
