The National Institutes of Health is shutting down a study on the benefits of alcohol consumption after allegations that the agency sought donations from the alcohol industry to fund the study, according to The Hill.
After a report from The New York Times accused agency officials of soliciting the donations, the NIH conducted an internal investigation that found "employees violated NIH policies in soliciting gift funding and circumvented standard operating procedures designed to ensure a fair competition for NIH funding," the NIH stated
The study was meant to determine the effects of one daily serving of alcohol compared to no alcohol intake. Though the funding controversy was centered on a few agency employees, the NIH did not specify which employees would face disciplinary actions.
"NIH will take appropriate personnel actions, but cannot comment on specific personnel matters," the agency stated.