Attachment III - page 3 
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IV. CONFLICT OF INTEREST 
In carrying out their duties on the RAC, members are special Government 
employees advising on policies relating to recombinant DNA research. Most 
of the members are also associated with non-Federal institutions (primarily 
universities) at which recombinant DNA technology is presently being used 
or will probably be used at seme time in the future. For this reason 
members must take special care to avoid conflict of interest or the 
appearance of such conflict in carrying out their RAC responsibilities. 
Procedures ; 
1) In particular, RAC members should familiarize themselves with the 
HEW Standards of Conduct, and in particular Subpart L, which pertains 
specifically to special Government employees^. 
2) In order to avoid real or apparent conflicts of interest a member 
should not participate in RAC deliberations or actions on any issue in 
which the outcome will have a direct and predictable effect on the 
financial interest of the member, his/her family, or the institution 
with which he/she is associated. 
3) As individual matters come up before the RAC, each member is respon- 
sible for deciding whether he or she should disqualify himself or herself 
for conflict-of-interest reasons. The Chair and the Executive Secretary 
will see that members are provided with guidance on such matters. 
V. WORKING GROUPS AND SUBCOMMITTEES 
There are three standing subcommittees prescribed in the RAC Charter: 
a. Host-Plasmid Vector Systems - 3 RAC members; evaluates safer host- 
plasmid vector systems; usually meets 3 times a year. 
b. Host- Phage Vector Systems - 3 RAC members; evaluates safer host- 
phage vector systems; usually meets 3 times a year. 
c. Evaluation of Hazards - Approximately 8 RAC members; advises "on 
the design of major experiments to assess biohazards"; meets approximately 
3 times a year 4. 
3 Title 4b, Code of Federal Regulations, sections 73.735-1201 through 1209. 
This document is distributed to members at the time of their appointment. 
4 This Committee is now called the Risk Assessment Subcommittee. 
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