Chairmen Moolenaar, Walberg, and Babin have initiated an inquiry into a possible agroterrorism incident in Michigan. They have sent letters to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the University of Michigan. The focus is on recent charges against Chinese nationals for smuggling biological materials.
The first letter requests NIH and NSF to review grants awarded to two University of Michigan professors whose labs were linked with the charged individuals. "The Committees found that Jian and Liu conducted research under the supervision of, or in concert with, UM professors funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). It is our position that Chinese researchers tied to the PRC defense research and industrial base have no business participating in U.S. taxpayer-funded research with clear national security implications—especially those related to dangerous biological materials," states this letter.
The letter notes that these professors received about $9.6 million in federal funding.
The second letter asks for information from the University of Michigan about its oversight practices concerning these individuals. This follows previous concerns over its connections with China's government.
Earlier this year, after a letter from Chairman Moolenaar highlighting ties to China's military efforts, the university ended its joint institute with Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
"We are deeply alarmed about recent reports and related criminal charges involving Chinese nationals with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allegedly smuggling dangerous biological materials into the United States for use at UM laboratories," reads part of this communication. The Committees urge NIH and NSF for a thorough grant review related to these incidents while requesting all relevant documents from UM regarding due diligence or investigations involving faculty or access granted individuals.
These letters bear signatures from twenty-five Members of Congress across three committees.
