Part Two 



Fundamental Principles Governing the Use of Federal Funds 



for Medical Research 



As stated above, the Committee is 

 convinced that Federal aid is neces- 

 sary to ensure maximal progress in 

 the development of medical science. 

 It is also convinced that this aid, if 

 misdirected, mav do serious harm. 

 It believes that among the major 

 principles which should govern the 

 application of Federal aid to medical 

 research are the following: 



a. Until experience has indicated 

 the best plan of organization 

 and procedure, the Federal 

 agency created to aid medical 

 research should be kept as flexi- 

 ble as possible. One of our 

 colleagues has written "The 

 common history of social organi- 

 zations has been their creation 

 in response to an idea, their 

 flowering under the influence 

 of the idea, their loss of the 

 idea, and their perpetuation for 

 the maintenance of the prestige 

 of the office-holder." Onlv if 

 authority to experiment with or- 

 ganization is written into its 

 charter will an agency designed 

 to aid medical research escape 

 this fate. 



h. The administration of Federal 

 aid to medical research must be 

 free from political influence and 

 protected against special pres- 

 sures. 



c. Men who are experienced in 

 research and who understand 

 the problems of the investigator 



should administer the agency 

 and determine its policies. Since 

 the agency will be concerned 

 primarily with basic scientific 

 research in, and scientific train- 

 ing and policies pertinent to, 

 endowed or State supported 

 civilian institutions, and since 

 the armed forces, the Public 

 Health Service, and other exist- 

 ing governmental services have 

 specialized interests, the Com- 

 mittee believes that it is as im- 

 proper for any one of these serv- 

 ices to hold the power of vote 

 in matters pertaining to the pro- 

 posed new agencv as it would 

 be for one or more members of 

 the agency to vote in the medi- 

 cal councils of the services. 



d. The agency should not attempt 

 to dominate or regiment medical 

 research but should function by 

 creating greater opportunities 

 and more freedom for investiga- 

 tion, and by aiding in coopera- 

 tive eff^orts. It should not at- 

 tempt to influence the selection 

 of personnel, the conditions of 

 tenure, the salary level, or other 

 internal aff^airs of the institu- 

 tions to which it gives aid. 



e. Any program of Federal aid to 

 medical research should be mod- 

 estly initiated in terms of actual 

 needs and conservatively in- 

 creased as the capacity of the 

 medical schools to utilize addi- 



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