A state committee will discuss next week stripping scientist Hwang Woo-suk of the inaugural national award of “Best Scientist” following the cloning pioneer’s stem cell scandal.

According to the Science and Technology Ministry, the ten members of the ministerial committee will convene on Wednesday to discuss ways to revoke the prestigious title, following revelations that Hwang’s team had created no patient-specific stem cells.

Hwang was given the inaugural award last June in recognition of his team’s first-ever extraction of stem cells from cloned human embryos.

The Best Scientist designation granted the honoree research funds of up to three billion won in addition to money for purchasing research equipment and facilities, and maintaining a laboratory staff of up to one-hundred researchers.