U. of Florida to Tighten Grant-Accounting Rules in Wake of Critical Audit

The University of Florida is beefing up its accounting requirements for how grant funds are used in response to a state audit that found “severe deficiencies” in several cases, The Gainesville Sun reported. Two of those cases involved grants received by a former nuclear-engineering professor, Samim Anghaie, who, along with his wife, faces federal fraud charges for allegedly defrauding NASA and other agencies. The couple’s trial is expected to begin next month. Matthew Fajack, the university’s vice president and chief financial officer, outlined the accounting changes to a committee of the Board of Trustees on Thursday, and said that most of the findings in the state auditor’s report, released in March, involved “compliance and documentation” issues.