Instances of Scientific Misconduct | Duke University and Erin Potts-Kant

Duke University and Erin Potts-Kant

Erin Potts-Kant was employed as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Pulmonary Division at Duke University Health System from 2005 until her removal in 2013 for embezzling research funds. Following her arrest, Duke officials investigated her research and discovered extensive data fabrication and falsification in multiple federally funded studies. In 2016, a whistleblower from the same lab alleged that Potts-Kant’s data had been falsified and that Duke knowingly submitted false data in federal grant applications. Investigations confirmed intentional data manipulation, misrepresented results, and even fabricated experiments. In 2019, the U.S. government concluded that falsified data from her lab had supported up to $200 million in grant applications. Duke University agreed to pay a $112.5 million settlement under the False Claims Act (FCA). A positive outcome of this case was the FCA’s role in incentivizing whistleblowers to expose misconduct and strengthen scientific integrity.

Case Summary: Potts Kant, Erin N. (Office of Research Integrity, Accessed October 8, 2025)

Deceit at Duke: How fraud at a university research lab prompted a $112M fine (Business NC, August 1, 2019)

Duke University Agrees to Pay U.S. $112.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Scientific Research Misconduct (Department of Justice, March 25, 2019)

Duke University Pays $112 Million to Settle Federal Grant Fraud Case (Government Executive March 27, 2019)

Duke University settles research misconduct lawsuit for $112.5 million (Science, March 25, 2019) 

Duke University to Pay $112.5 Million to Settle Claims of Research Misconduct (New York Times, March 25, 2019)

Feds ban ex-Duke lab tech from funding after she faked data linked to 60 NIH grants (Retraction Watch, October 31, 2019)

Five years after landmark case, Duke researchers must be alert (Duke Chronicle, October 28, 2024)

Former Duke researcher charged with embezzlement has a paper retracted (Retraction Watch, June 37, 2013)  

When Research Misconduct Violates the False Claims Act: Lessons From Duke’s $112.5m Settlement (Troutman, April 3, 2019)

Whistleblower sues Duke, claims doctored data helped win $200 million in grants (Science, September 1, 2019)