Re: Policies on Funding from Tobacco Companies James R. Brett 09 Oct 2002 17:07 EST
Chuck, My position is this: to play or not to play with the tobacco companies is a decision that an institution can make. I have a personal bias, of course, because I was a hooked smoker for many years, so I come down against playing with them. The decision happens to have been made for me at my institution and, as I have detailed, that decision coincides with my own opinion, which is just great for me. I am deliberately trying to avoid generalizations from this experience to funding from other sources, because I believe that the decision to accept funding from tobacco companies or not should be approached institutionally on the merits and demerits of the situation, which in fact it was. The situation at VCU or at my alma mater over in Charlottesville may take on a different hue based on a variety of considerations, not the least of which are 1) the extent to which the relationship defines the moral posture of the institution, and 2) practical utilitarian considerations, like survival as an institution. You know where I come out on this. As to the separate and more generalizable problem of certain funding sources establishing rules against institutions taking funds from agencies that have agendas antithetical to their own, I say let 'em. It is still a free country. You are right, the institution must then decide. I can easily see how, for an example, a private foundation or association dedicated to issues relating to DUI/DWI might decline to fund institutions that accept money from the manufacturers and distributors of intoxicating liquor. The institution must decide whether to accept the foundation's money or not. The decision could be made 1) "on principle" that the institution will not take such orders from outside parties, which is your position as I read it, or 2) "on the merits" of the individual situation, which is my position; take them one at a time based on the intrinsic issues and avoid overgeneralizing the problem. Jim "Herbert B. Chermside" wrote: > Jim, my position is precisely that, whether tobacco, religion, ethnicity, > or anything else is the subject, a university cannot let abhorrence of the > subject by one external constituency control the sources of funding > available to that university which come from constituencies supporting the > subject. This is a type of prior censorship that cannot be tolerated if > the institution is to remain objective and impartial! > > In other words, the question is not about tobacco, the subject, but control > by external constituencies. > > If the institution, through its established decision making processes, > determines internally that it will avoid activities supported by some > external constituency, that is altogether a different matter. > > Chuck > > At 01:38 PM 10/8/2002 -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") > >====================================================================== > > 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") ======================================================================