Tao did not disclose on a form he filled out for Kansas in 2018 that he was named to a Chinese talent program, the Changjiang Professorship. He traveled to China to set up a laboratory and recruit staff for Fuzhou University, while telling Kansas officials that he was in Germany.
She said when the trial started, she expected to hear evidence that Tao's deceptions caused financial loss and that he shared important research with Chinese officials at the expense of U.S. taxpayers and the three institutions. Tao served a week in prison after his arrest in 2018 and has since been in home confinement with electronic monitoring. His attorneys said the case destroyed his reputation, his family’s financial stability and his distinguished career.
Prosecutor Adam Berry said in court Wednesday that Tao's actions warranted a prison sentence because the institutions lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in research money due to his deception. He said a sentence also would provide a deterrent for other researchers who consider not being honest and transparent about their research activities.Tao no longer works for the University of Kansas, a school spokeswoman said Friday.
She said the disclosure form that Tao was convicted of filling out improperly is vague and that there should be a system to allow researchers to fix such mistakes, rather than subjecting them to federal prosecution.