Word: nih
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Another twist in the effort to regulate DNA research is the recent proposal to make the NIH guidelines more lenient, lowering the containment restrictions on certain viruses used in the research and giving the local biohazards committees more leeway. While the proposals cannot be approved for at least a few months, sources involved in monitoring DNA legislation say the director of NIH has already given tacit consent to the proposal...
Many critics of the proposals, such as Pamela Lippe, legislative assistant for the environmentalist lobby, Friends of the Earth, say the NIH move is purely political, an attempt to soften the standards before any legislation goes into effect. Dr. Bernard Talbot, a spokesman for NIH, denies this charge, saysing the proposals originated a year ago, before the present legislation was drafted...
King is openly skeptical about NIH's motives. He says the director of NIH said in a guidelines meeting he wanted to get the revisions approved before the legislation went into effect. Many observers also question the data upon which the recent proposals are based. NIH cites a lessening of scientists' fears about the danger of recombinant DNA research; many scientists have testified at public hearings they believe they initially exaggerated the potential danger of recombinant DNA research. However, other scientists, including King, maintain that NIH is "weakening the guidelines without any scientific criteria whatsoever." He noted that the NIH...
...There is constant pressure to push for the lowest common denominator--there's only one way these restrictions are going, and that's down," King said. He added the NIH is not accountable to the public, but is an autonomous institution with responsibility for guiding and funding research...
Another controversial NIH proposal is the issue of greater autonomy for local biohazards committees. NIH's new proposals would allow these groups to grant preliminary approval for research, allowing the researcher to begin his experiments, with a review by NIH to follow. Talbot said this provision would eliminate bureaucratic red tape and frustrating delays for scientists. Matthew S. Meselson, Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences, supported Talbot's contentions earlier this spring when he testified against a state bill that would have imposed more restrictions on research...