The U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has announced its first research misconduct determination of 2026, concluding that a former faculty member at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center falsified data in federal grant applications.
According to an official case summary published on February 6, 2026, on the ORI website, and scheduled for publication in the Federal Register, Daniel Andrade committed research misconduct involving fabricated and manipulated data submitted in proposals to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including an application involving the National Cancer Institute.
Findings of Fabrication and Data Manipulation
The university’s investigation, conducted under ORI oversight, determined that falsified material appeared in two NIH grant applications submitted in 2019 and 2020.
According to the official ORI case summary, the researcher relabeled nanoparticle tracking analysis data originally obtained from a cell line and presented it as if derived from cancer patient-derived organoids. The altered data were subsequently incorporated into a grant submission.
The findings further state that western blot image panels from unrelated experiments were spliced together to create composite images that were reported as exosome-derived results from cancer organoids. Additionally, a transmission electron microscopy image was misrepresented as originating from patient serum.
ORI’s notice of administrative action, also referenced in the Department of Health and Human Services misconduct listing, outlines the corrective measures imposed.
Administrative Actions
Under a voluntary settlement agreement, the researcher is subject to three years of supervision for any involvement in Public Health Service–funded research. Any employing institution must submit a supervision plan to ORI for approval.
He is also prohibited from serving in any advisory role to the Public Health Service, including participation on NIH peer review panels.
ORI’s public notice indicates that the respondent did not request a hearing within the required 30-day period.
Institutional Context
A spokesperson for the university confirmed awareness of the findings and stated that institutional procedures were followed and the matter was communicated to ORI. No additional details were provided regarding the internal investigative process.
Broader Research Integrity Context
ORI typically reports approximately ten misconduct findings annually. However, according to the ORI 2024 Annual Report, the office issued only two findings in 2025, the lowest number recorded in nearly two decades. The same report indicates that ORI received 713 allegations and closed 119 cases in 2024.
The case highlights continuing challenges in detecting manipulated preliminary data during grant review processes. While funding agencies such as NIH evaluate scientific merit and feasibility, verification of underlying data remains largely dependent on institutional oversight and responsible conduct frameworks.
For research administrators, editors, and funding bodies, the finding underscores the importance of internal data validation systems and supervisory controls, particularly when preliminary results play a central role in competitive funding proposals.