Nation IN BRIEF : MASSACHUSETTS : Pentagon Says Bill From MIT Too High

A Pentagon audit says Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston overbilled the government about $22 million for research. But MIT’s vice president for financial affairs said the billing concerns stem from disagreements over accounting rules. The government is seeking to change how it reimburses universities for indirect costs of research, such as utilities and library expenses. MIT, for example, has billed the government for 49% of its library costs, saying they were research-related. The scrutiny was prompted by revelations that Stanford University billed the government for depreciation on a yacht and parties at the home of its president.