Ohio State University pays $2.1 million to settle undisclosed China ties in federal grants

Ohio State University has agreed to a $2.1 million payment to the Justice Department to settle allegations that it omitted foreign-government ties on NASA and National Science Foundation grant applications from late 2012 through mid-2023. Officials say the university did not report that leading researchers, including a former professor linked to China’s Thousand Talents Program, received support from Chinese institutions, violating rules that bar collaboration with China-run entities.

While the settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing, OSU maintains it denied the claims and chose to settle to avoid prolonged litigation. The amount represents only a fraction of the roughly $81 million in NSF funding the school obtained in 2024. OSU joins a string of institutions—Stanford, University of Maryland and SUNY Albany—that have recently paid penalties for similar nondisclosure issues. The Justice Department emphasized ongoing enforcement of disclosure requirements to protect research security.