On Tuesday, the Department of Education (ED) announced that it opened an investigation into foreign funding at the University of Michigan.
On X, the agency confirmed that this investigation “follows DOJ complaints alleging Chinese nationals smuggled hazardous biological materials, potentially for agroterrorism, into UM labs.”
ED has opened a foreign funding investigation into the University of Michigan after reports showed inaccurate & incomplete disclosures.
— U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) July 15, 2025
This follows DOJ complaints alleging Chinese nationals smuggled hazardous biological materials, potentially for agroterrorism, into UM labs.… pic.twitter.com/YkQbU6Xf0W
According to the ED, the university’s foreign funding reports revealed inaccurate and incomplete disclosures.
“Despite the University of Michigan’s history of downplaying its vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence, recent reports reveal that UM’s research laboratories remain vulnerable to sabotage, including what the U.S. Department of Justice recently described in criminal charges as ‘potential agroterrorism’ by Chinese nationals affiliated with UM. As the recipient of federal research funding, UM has both a moral and legal obligation to be completely transparent about its foreign partnerships,” Chief Investigative Counsel Paul Moore said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, tens of millions of dollars in foreign funding in UM’s disclosure reports have been reported in an untimely manner and appear to erroneously identify some of UM’s foreign funders as ‘nongovernmental entities,’ even though the foreign funders seem to be directly affiliated with foreign governments. OGC will vigorously investigate this matter to ensure that the American people know the true scope of foreign funding and influence on our campuses,” Moore added.
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UM has 30 days to cough up tax records related to foreign funding as far back as 2020, a copy of each written agreement with a foreign government, foreign educational institution, foreign non-governmental entity, or foreign corporate entity relating to international student admissions, and a complete list of all foreign gifts, grants, contracts, among many other things.
Earlier this year, UM ended its two-decade-long partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, a prominent university in China, after Chairman John Moolenaar of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued a letter to UM raising concerns about the relationship between UM and its joint institute with the university, the ED noted.
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