Mapping research grant corruption in China: a case study of Beijing

Abstract Research grant corruption in higher education institutions, which remains a relatively rare enterprise in the field of white-collar crimes, has been unchecked in China in recent years. This study takes the indicative approach to access 14 research grant corruption cases in higher education institutions in Beijing, China, from 2014 to 2022. The results show that grant corruption in higher education institutions emerged with particular characteristics, with a limited number of cases proceeding into criminal trials. It is found that joint crime is common in cases involving embezzlement, where offenders, often senior intellectuals in senior-ranked positions, adopt direct approaches to committing the crime. The causes of research grant corruption in higher education institutions were multifaceted, forming an opportunity triangle of three parties in higher education institution funding: the funding organizations, the commissioned organization (higher educational institutions), and the funded (researchers). A lack of communication between the funding organizations and those who are funded, inadequate supervision of the commissioned organization, and a paucity of funding audits are believed to be the leading causes of higher education institution funding corruption, which helps breed opportunities for monopolizing research funding. The study also provides countermeasures to intercept corruption opportunities and prevent research grant embezzlement, including audit scrutiny, research fund reimbursement and reform, and risk prevention mechanisms.