The University denied connection to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) after the federal government launched an investigation into an alleged partnership between the two.  

The United States Department of Education issued a notice of investigation to UA President Stuart Bell on Tuesday after UA’s name appeared on the WIV’s list of ongoing partnerships. 

University officials said they “reviewed any possible related institutional records to determine the basis for the reference” when it was brought to their attention earlier this year, but they found no connections. They requested the reference’s removal from the WIV’s website but have not received a response. 

The Education Department suggested a connection between the WIV laboratories and the origin of “the Chinese COVID-19 virus.” This claim has been disputed by both the Chinese government and the World Health Organization, which claimed that “all available evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 has a natural animal origin and is not a manipulated or constructed virus.”

The Education Department has given the University 30 days to report a comprehensive list of any gifts or contracts with or from the Communist Party of China since January 2015, along with contact information for anyone possibly involved.