An unusual conflict-of-interest case involving the federal government, a university researcher on ear infections, and the pharmaceutical industry has renewed the debate over what constitutes unacceptable conflict of interest, federal review of medical treatment, government protection against research bias, and disclosure of research project…

A study to test whether or not a computer network can be used to ease the isolation of housebound AIDS patients and help them get advice and make decisions about their health care is described. The research is supported by the National Institutes of Health. (MLW)

Despite key changes in the federal Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) research program, activists and some scientists are frustrated that not enough has been done and the actions taken have not had sufficient impact on the problem. Controversy over basic vs. clinical-trial research persists. (MSE)

Observers say the research effort to develop drugs to combat acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is increasingly well-funded but badly coordinated, with many universities not willing or not able to pull their weight. (MSE)

The 22-year-old Whitaker Foundation, the largest private supporter of biomedical engineering, will close in 2006 to avoid becoming a bureaucracy in search of a reason for being. The foundation, with assets of about $442 million, will increase payouts until 1999, then decrease them as it spends its way out of existence. About 95% of grants go to…

The Association of Academic Health Centers and the Association of American Medical Colleges approved statements on conflicts of interest. University researchers are asked to disclose any significant personal, professional, or financial relationships, and faculty should not let commercially sponsored research interfere with the education of…

University researchers, campuses, federal agencies, and legislators are debating issues of disclosure of researcher interests in profits from research results, in order to avoid situations in which profitability may threaten the quality and conduct of scientific and medical research. Proposed National Institutes of Health guidelines are highly…

Courts in New York and Texas have imposed limits on psychiatric research involving involuntarily institutionalized patients as subjects, citing state and constitutional protection of privacy, due process, and equal protection. Some are concerned that mental health research and treatment will suffer. (MSE)

An interagency committee recommends more university and industry involvement in efforts to stop the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and find a cure, and encourages increased federal funding and assurances that funding will be ongoing for both basic biological and AIDS research. (MSE)

Reports that Harvard University Medical School is considering policy changes that would ease financial restrictions in its conflict-of-interest standards for faculty researchers. Supporters argue that such changes are necessary to attract and retain top researchers, but ethicists warn that as collaborations between industry and academic medicine…

Tables contain dollar amounts of fiscal 1990 actual spending and fiscal 1991 presidential request, House-approved, Senate-approved, and actual appropriations for scientific research, health research and training, student financial aid, graduate support, institutional assistance, bilingual education, library resources, aid to disadvantaged and…

Deaths from meningitis-type illnesses among college students are worrying health officials. Concerns include behaviors of students that may put students at risk, risk characteristics of dormitory housing, ethical concerns about disclosing the names of infected students, and possible need for immunization programs. (MSE)

The AIDS epidemic is spurring social scientists to try to understand the social and sexual forces that spread the sexually transmitted disease, to learn how to change the personal behavior that makes up those forces, and to improve and prolong the lives of those who have the disease. (MLW)

At a recent American Association of University Professors conference, professors and researchers discussed the growing influence of corporations on academic research in medicine, including increased medical school reliance on corporate funding, requirements for research confidentiality, the potential for conflict of interest in research, and the…

Federal appropriations for higher education in fiscal 1985 in the Department of Education and other federal agencies are outlined in tabular form. Appropriations cover student and institutional assistance, research, adult education, library resources, aid to disadvantaged and handicapped, civil rights, health professions, arts and humanities, etc.…