Statement regarding the termination of Professor Murry Salby
10 July 2013
Macquarie University does not normally comment on the circumstances under which employees leave the University. However, we feel in this instance it is necessary to do so in order to correct misinformation.
The decision to terminate Professor Murry Salby’s employment with Macquarie University had nothing to do with his views on climate change nor any other views. The University supports academic freedom of speech and freedom to pursue research interests.
Professor Salby’s employment was terminated firstly, because he did not fulfil his academic obligations, including the obligation to teach. After repeated directions to teach, this matter culminated in his refusal to undertake his teaching duties and he failed to arrive at a class he had been scheduled to take.
The University took this matter very seriously as the education and welfare of students is a primary concern. The second reason for his termination involved breaches of University policies in relation to travel and use of University resources.
The termination of his employment followed an extensive and detailed internal process, including two separate investigations undertaken by a committee chaired by a former Australian Industrial Relations Commissioner and including a union nominee.
Report of US Office of Inspector General/National Science Foundation investigation concerning Murry Salby (Case Number I06090025) 20 February 2009
Allegations
Subject submitted significantly overlapped proposals to NSF and another federal
agency
Subject received compensation from NSF awards substantially in excess of approved
budget amounts
Subject, acting through a non-profit entity, overcharged NSF awards for indirect
costs on a subcontract, and failed to disclose the subcontract to NSF
Subject, acting through his for-profit entity, received payments for effort that he
documented with questionable time and effort reports
Subject failed to comply with his University's conflicts of interest and financial
disclosure policy
Investigative Findings
OIG substantiated each of the five allegations, and established an extensive pattern of
deceptive statements made by the Subject to his University and to NSF. OIG concluded
that the activities of other individuals, and the non-profit and for-profit entities, were
attributable to the Subject.
University Findings
The University substantiated conflicts of interest violations by the Subject. The Subject
did not fully participate in the University investigation, and provided deceptive
information to the University during its investigation. The Subject resigned from his
faculty position at the University.
OIG Recommendations
OIG recommends that NSF debar the Subject for a period of five years.
James Cook University on the subject of Professor Bob Carter in the Townsville Bulletin, 28 June 2013:
JCU, which has pursued a reputation as a world leader in environmental science, denied the decision was linked to Prof Carter's views on climate change.
"Dr Carter has not been sacked, or black-balled and the university has not caved in," a spokesperson said.
"The simple truth is his term as an adjunct expired."
Prof Carter has held his unpaid fellowship since 2002, when he retired after 21 years in JCU's School of Earth Sciences.
'Professor Bob Carter claims that 'no ground-based warming has occurred since 1998'. This is an unethical misrepresentation of the facts. 1998 was the warmest year on record in the last 150 years. Although the eight years since then have not been warmer than 1998, they do include the globe’s second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh warmest years on record. The planet is not cooling.'
Funding for selected individuals outside of Heartland.
Our current budget includes funding for high-profile individuals who regularly and publicly
counter the alarmist AGW message. At the moment, this funding goes primarily to Craig Idso ($11,600 per month), Fred Singer ($5,000 per month, plus expenses), Robert Carter ($1,667 per month), and a number of other individuals, but we will consider expanding it, if funding can be found.
