The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute agreed to pay $15 million to settle fraud allegations related to scientific research grants, according to a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ). The lawsuit was filed against the Boston-based cancer institute under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act and resulted in an investigation by the DOJ.

Sholto David, a resident of Wales with a PhD in cell and molecular biology, first claimed in a blog post in January 2024 that 15 Dana-Farber cancer studies published from 2014 to 2020 contained images or data that were misrepresented or duplicated; in April 2024, he sued the institute in Boston, reported Reuters.

As part of the settlement, Dana-Farber acknowledged that its researchers used funds from six grants it was awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to implement these studies.

“NIH has limited resources to support important research being conducted at institutions across the country,” said Brett A. Shumate, an assistant attorney general in the DOJ’s civil division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice will pursue grantees that undermine the integrity of federal funding decisions by failing to use research funds appropriately or by failing to abide by grant awards’ terms and conditions.”

The DOJ stated that Dana-Farber, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School, fully cooperated with the government’s investigation and voluntarily disclosed additional allegations of related research misconduct to help resolve the matter.

“Patients, and the medical community, rely on the important research conducted by institutions like Dana-Farber,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah B. Foley. “It is critical, to say the least, that all research findings are accurately reported.”

When a private party sues under whistleblower provisions—essentially filing the action on behalf of the United States—that individual is entitled to receive a portion of any monies recovered, so David will receive almost $2.63 million, divulged the DOJ.

In response to David’s initial blog post, Dana-Farber announced that it was actively working to retract six studies and correct an additional 31 papers. The institute also issued a statement stressing that its “commitment to research integrity, transparency and world-class patient care remains steadfast,” Reuters said.

For more news about Dana-Farber research, click here and here.