STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER 
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305 
DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY 
Stanford University Schooi. of Medicine 
September 12, 1980 
Dr. William Gartland 
Office of Recombinant DNA Research 
National Insitute of Health 
Bethesda , Maryland 20014 
Dear Bill: 
I understand that you have already seen my letter to 
Maxine Singer regarding her proposal to eliminate the memoranda 
of understanding (MUAs) from the administrative practices associated 
with recombinant DNA research. Nevertheless, let me reiterate my 
strong support for enacting her recommendation. I think the IBC 
mechanism has proven its effectiveness in interpreting and enforcing 
the letter and intent of the Guidelines governing recombinant DNA 
research. I do not see how the practices of submission, obtaining 
and recording, etc., of MUAs, particularly the requirements for 
annual submissions of MUAs for each continuing NIH grant or for 
applications for new grants, contributes to the safety of research. 
An updated statement of work in progress from each investigator to 
the IBCs would be significantly simpler to administer and would en- 
sure as much real safety as the present system. The Guidelines would 
then serve as guidelines to the IBCs as to what is permissible and 
what is not. The Guidelines could have the same function as the 
CDC guidelines in that they would assign different types of experi- 
ments to various categories of containment or handling practices 
and rely on IBCs (or Health and Safety Committees) to monitor 
compliance. 
I hope that some movement to loosen the reins on research 
with recombinant DNA techniques can be implemented as quickly as 
possible. 
Sincerely, 
PB/hk 
Area Code 415 
497-61C1 
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