Martin Nowak has resigned his membership in the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW). After the publication of the extensive Epstein files, in which the mathematician working at Harvard University is frequently mentioned, the OeAW initiated an investigation and tasked its ethics committee with reviewing Nowak’s membership in the academy.

This procedure is laid down in the OeAW’s rules of procedure. The ethics committee is chaired by Ulrich Körtner, emeritus professor at the University of Vienna and an ethics expert, who is not himself a member of the academy. The committee was close to completing its investigation.

By resigning his membership, Nowak has now preempted a hearing, a recommendation by the ethics committee, and a possible exclusion. Such a decision would have been made by the full assembly of OeAW members based on the committee’s recommendation.

The OeAW has taken note of Nowak’s resignation. According to the academy’s rules of procedure, it will become legally effective after ten days.