Jim-

When someone says that they are "investigating the appropriateness of developing a policy" and wonders whether "such policies lead elsewhere" and "how such a policy might adversely impact academic freedom" and suggests that analogous issues of bodily intake of corporate products might inform the discussion then I think a little out of the box (or soft pack) maundering(?) is not out of place.

Charlie

At 01:38 PM 10/8/02 -0700, you wrote:
>Tom, we have no written policy, but our research foundation has divested itself
>of all tobacco company stocks, and I would take that as precedent for a
>strenuous resistance to participation in any project whatsoever sponsored by a
>tobacco company.  My campus receives public agency funds for smoking cessation
>projects in our state.  That, too, would seem to set up an ethical barrier to
>taking tobacco company funds.
>
>The hard part of this is the secondary question about the nature of
>conglomerates.  My personal opinion is that the good folks from Kraft Foods had
>very little choice in being gobbled up by Philip Morris when it happened.  But
>that was then, and this is now.  Give me some evidence that the whole
>corporation will not profit from our research and then maybe we can join forces,
>but until that independence is shown, the answer has to be no.
>
>Ruth and others,  the money that the tobacco companies lost in court is now the
>people's money.  Yes, it came from the sale of tobacco, but it is penalty money
>for doing so.  Yes, if you must see it that way, it is a laundry, but it is a
>public laundry and specifically designed to remove the incentive for companies
>that abuse the public trust.
>
>Chuck,  we all appreciate your good comments here, and we also understand that
>the Commonwealth is still a tobacco state and beset with enormous financial
>difficulties.  The point is that the question was about tobacco, not religion or
>any other kind of affiliation or association.  Tobacco is a known and serious
>health hazard, tobacco companies seem not to care, and suggestions or
>implications to the contrary would be more appropriate on the astrology
>listserv.
>
>Finally, I am really surprised at the ethical naivete of most of the respondants
>to Tom's question.  The question was fairly put, discrete, and amenable to a
>straighforward answer.  Tom did not ask for your theology or your maundering
>estimates of the implications for the law.  These are matters of practice and,
>in this case, the practice of suborning the activities of tobacco companies.
>
>Jim Brett
>
>
>"Herbert B. Chermside" wrote:
>
>> No such policy
>>
>> My personal opinion only:  It is not appropriate for an institution to
>> restrict the areas of research NOR the nature of sponsors, beyond
>> restrictions externally imposed.  I think it proper to forego funding from
>> some sponsors who attempt to impose their social agendas through their
>> compliance restrictions.
>>
>> Suppose some sponsors refused to support those who received support from
>> Muslims, or Jews, or Christians....
>>
>> University MUST take all steps possible to remain objective and impartial.
>>
>> Chuck
>>
>> At 12:26 PM 10/8/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>> >Good Afternoon,
>> >
>> >At Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, we are in the very
>> >early stages of investigating the appropriateness of developing a policy
>> >which would prohibit investigators from obtaining support from tobacco
>> >companies or tobacco-related organizations. I'm interested in hearing what
>> >other institutions have done or are contemplating. Until recently, none of
>> >our investigators have ever expressed an interest in tobacco funding. Now
>> >we've become aware that some funding agencies (non-tobacco sponsors) are
>> >beginning to restrict applicant eligibility to those institutions that HAVE
>> >NOT accepted funding from the tobacco industry. Please note, BGSU does not
>> >include a medical school, but we have a number of life science/social
>> >behavioral units that conduct research in biomedical areas.
>> >
>> >I'd be interested in knowing:
>> >
>> >1. Does your institution have a policy prohibiting the acceptance of
>> >tobacco industry funding? If so, can you direct me to a copy? Is there a
>> >formal review process/review board?
>> >
>> >2. If you are a state institution, was the implementation or decision to
>> >draft such a policy driven by state initiatives and/or tobacco settlement
>> >funds allocated for research (or other funds to higher education)?
>> >
>> >3. Do such policies fall under your compliance office, office of
>> >development, sponsored research office, or elsewhere?
>> >
>> >4. Companies such as Philip Morris are huge multi-national entities. Does
>> >an institutional policy prohibit funding from ALL subsidiaries and brands
>> >of such a company--Kraft, Maxwell House, Post, etc.--or just the Philip
>> >Morris External Research Program, for example?
>> >
>> >5. Research in one area can often lead to scientific breakthroughs in
>> >others. Was there any discussion about how such a policy might adversely
>> >impact academic freedom? If so, how was this issue addressed?
>> >
>> >6. The tobacco industry would appear to present a fairly clear and direct
>> >scenario wherein in the continued use of the product can result in ill
>> >health or even death; and there seems to be a perception that research
>> >support from such an industry would only support that industry's best
>> >interests. From the perspective of your own institutions, do such policies
>> >lead elsewhere? For example, while alcohol abuse is not the inevitable
>> >result of moderate drinking, binge drinking is a concern across many
>> >campuses; yet academic researchers receive funding from sources such as the
>> >Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation, established by the malt
>> >beverage industries of the US and Canada. Do any of your institutions have
>> >policies governing funding from other industry sectors which could involve
>> >thorny moral issues?
>> >
>> >...any other insights would be most appreciated.
>> >
>> >Thanks in advance.
>> >
>> >Tom
>> >
>> >Tom Kornacki
>> >Associate Director
>> >Office of Sponsored Programs and Research
>> >Bowling Green State University
>> >106 University Hall
>> >Bowling Green, Ohio 43403
>> >419-372-2481; 419-372-0304 (fax)
>> >xxxxxx@bgnet.bgsu.edu
>> >http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/spar
>> >
>> >
>> >======================================================================
>> >Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
>> >subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
>> >via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
>> >======================================================================
>> >
>>
>> Herbert B. Chermside, CRA
>> Director, Sponsored Programs Administration
>> Virginia Commonwealth University
>> PO BOX 980568
>> Richmond, VA  23298-0568
>> Express Delivery Only:
>>         Sanger Hall, Rm. 1-032A
>>         11th & Marshall Streets
>>         Richmond, VA  23219
>> Voice:  804-828-6772
>> Fax     804-828-2521
>> OFFICE e-mail   xxxxxx@VCU.EDU
>> Personal e-mail xxxxxx@vcu.edu
>> http://views.vcu.edu/ospa/
>> VCU will close its faculty and staff offices, including this one,  from
>> December 21, 2002 through January 5, 2003.
>>
>> ======================================================================
>>  Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
>>  subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
>>  via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
>> ======================================================================
>
>--
>James R. Brett, Ph.D., Director,
>Office of University Research
>California State University, Long Beach
>562-985-5314  562-985-8665 fax
>http://www.csulb.edu/~research/
>
>
>======================================================================
> Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
> subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
> via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
>======================================================================
>
>

======================================================================
 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
======================================================================