Research Funding Suspension Due to Compulsory Blood Testing
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has announced its decision to terminate funding for a research project and recover previously disbursed subsidies, following an investigation into alleged coercion of student athletes. The research project, which was co-hosted by former National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) women's soccer coach Chou Tai-ying, involved scholar misconduct in project management and yin yang balance of power.
The case came to light after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Pei-yu exposed the incident in November last year. The council asked NTNU to launch an investigation following the exposure.
Investigators found that student athletes were inappropriately compelled to provide blood samples, prompting the NSTC to take action. As a result, Chou Tai-ying and Chen Chung-ching, who were involved in the project, have been suspended from council-funded projects for five and four years respectively. They are not permitted to apply for subsidies or grants, or to carry out any research projects under the council.
The council set up an interdepartmental task force with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to investigate whether similar cases exist in sports or research involving human participants. An ad hoc group was formed a month later, which initiated a review of potential breach of academic ethics in July.
The NSTC's decision came with consequences for the institutions involved. NTNU will have its annual management fee ratio reduced by 2 percent, or about NT$9 million. Additionally, the council will recover NT$2.46 million from NTNU and NT$800,000 from National Central University.
The exact nature of the research project is not detailed in the provided paragraph. However, it is known that Chou allegedly forced players to participate in research between 2019 and last year. Chou Tai-ying also allegedly threatened students with the loss of graduation credits if they refused to participate.
The potential consequences for Chou Tai-ying are not mentioned in the provided paragraph. It is unclear if further action will be taken against the former coach. The deputy of the Democratic Progressive Party who brought the incident to public attention in November of the previous year is not named in the search results.
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