There is big business in committing fraud within the United States. Groups will take money, often in the form of federal grants, which is intended to be used for honest research on an important subject, and then intentionally distort or falsify data in order to push their own financial, political, and/or religious agenda. These intentionally false studies are then used to justify actions or influence decisions, which in turn hurt our society. As it stands there is no criminal recourse for misconduct in scientific research, and there needs to be. Below you can read a piece by Richard Smith which argues this very opinion.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329864.100-its-time-to-criminali...