Fort Worth’s University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) announced last week via its website that it must repay $13 million to the U.S. Government to cover errors made between 2011 and 2016, when UNTHSC improperly tracked and certified researchers’ “time and effort,” required to be reported when working on federal grants. Upon learning of the possible compliance issues, UNTHSC initiated an internal audit and investigation that reviewed approximately 120 NIH-funded research projects over the six-year time period and implemented immediate corrective actions.
Since the discovery, UNTHSC has restructured its Division of Research and Innovation, hiring new compliance staffers, improving accounting processes and investing in new tools, training and technology to ensure compliance efforts match the strength of its biomedical research.
“Integrity is one of our core values, and that means owning, correcting and learning from our mistakes,” said Dr. Michael Williams, President of UNTHSC. “We’ve strengthened our internal controls to promote accountability and transparency.”
Read the full announcement here.
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
UNT Health Science Center is one of the nation’s premier graduate academic medical centers, with five schools that specialize in patient-centered education, research and health care: The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The School of Public Health, The School of Health Professions, and The UNT System College of Pharmacy. Find out more on the organization’s website.
