Press Release

The Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) is proud to congratulate four distinguished Asian American scholars—Drs. Gang Chen, Anming Hu, Franklin Tao, and Xiaoxing Xi—on receiving the prestigious 2024 American Courage Award from Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC.
Yesterday, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli issued a statement voicing the agency’s support of the Asian American scholar community and recognizing its exceptional contributions to scientific advancement. The statement also highlighted NIH’s new Decision Matrix for Assessing Potential Foreign Interference for Covered Individuals or Senior/Key Personnel and an accompanying memorandum, which provided the agency’s policies and procedures for risk assessment and mitigation with regard to foreign interference in NIH-funded research.
In a significant victory this week, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the conviction of Dr. Feng “Franklin” Tao for making a materially false statement regarding his relationship with a university in China. AASF celebrates Dr. Tao's relief and views this court decision as a crucial step toward rectifying the unjust treatment of Chinese American and immigrant scientists under the now-defunct “China Initiative”—a program that sparked concerns about racial profiling and targeting of Asian Americans and immigrants, particularly of Chinese descent.