Fed: Research fraud must be fully investigated, Sir Gustav says

00-00-0000
Fed: Research fraud must be fully investigated, Sir Gustav says

CANBERRA, April 26 AAP - All allegations of fraud or misconduct in scientific researchmust be comprehensively investigated, eminent scientist Sir Gustav Nossal said today.

Sir Gustav will join University of New South Wales vice-chancellor John Niland andUNSW chancellor John Yu on a selection panel to decide the membership of an independentinquiry into claims of scientific fraud and misuse of grant money levelled at researcherBruce Hall.

"I'm very happy to help the University of New South Wales and Professor Niland becauseI think it's very important that any allegation of fraud or misconduct in medical researchbe fully and completely investigated," Sir Gustav told ABC radio.

Sir Gustav said researchers were under increasing pressure to help raise funds to payfor their work.

"The taxpayer alone can't bear the whole burden," he said.

"That does create, from time to time, some tensions, particularly when the fundingcomes from industry, but I think we're coping with that reasonably well."

UNSW professor and medical researcher Bruce Hall was the subject of complaints by colleaguesthat he had inappropriately diverted grant money to his wife, fellow researcher Dr SuzanneHodgkinson.

An internal UNSW investigation cleared Prof Hall of allegations of scientific fraudand misconduct.

It also said there was no evidence of fund mismanagement.

However it found he had made errors in some of his abstracts and it reported communicationdifficulties regarding grant management.

The university announced another independent investigation last week.

Sir Gustav said members of the independent inquiry needed expertise in a variety of fields.

"I think it has to be freestanding from the university and it has to be one which hasexpertise in a variety of fields, obviously medical research, obviously university andresearch administration, probably someone who I would think was familiar with legal andethical processes too," he said.

AAP so/pw/sb V

KEYWORD: HALL DAYLEAD