CAS vows to regulate use of research fund

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has promised to make greater efforts to spot misconduct in the use of funds for scientific research after disciplinary inspections found irregularities.

"The CAS will make greater efforts to uncover disciplinary violations, strengthen management and supervision and set up its own disciplinary inspection system for major science and technology projects to manage and use research funds well," it said in a report publicized Thursday at the website of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

The report was the academy's response to violations uncovered by the disciplinary inspection in the CAS launched by the CCDI from July to September last year.

In one major case, CAS researcher He Jie was found to have founded a company using a fake identity and forged a counterfeit partnership contract between the company and the institute he worked at. He then transferred research funds from the institute to the company.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and the 770,000 yuan (123,000 US dollars) embezzled was retrieved in its entirety, according to the report.

In the document, the CAS said it amended various regulations and guidelines, including measures for budget estimation and auditing, to enhance management transparency and strengthen the liabilities of institute leaders and researchers in the use of the fund.

It revealed a plan to organize a special inspection group that will launch "frequent inspection and supervision" for major research projects.