DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE 
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 
BETHESDA. MARYLAND 20014 
October 26, 1978 
NOTE TO: MEMBERS OF THE INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE 
ON RECOMBINANT DNA RESEARCH 
Enclosed are the complete minutes, as well as a summary, of the meeting 
of the Interagency Committee on Recombinant DNA Research that was held 
on October 12. Dr. Fredrickson has been reviewing your agency's comments 
and the proposed procedures for Interagency Committee participation under 
the NIH Guidelines with the DHEW Committee created by Secretary Califano 
to conduct the Department's September 15 hearing and advise the Secretary 
on the final Guidelines. The Committee will consider these procedural 
elements for inclusion in the Final Revised Guidelines within the next 
two weeks. It is the hope of Dr. Fredrickson and Mr. Peter Libassi, 
HEW Committee Chairman, that final Guidelines will be approved for 
release by the Secretary within the next three to four weeks. 
Dr. Fredrickson has asked me to inform you that the NIH is sponsoring a 
three-day symposium for the Chairmen of approximately 153 Institutional 
Biosafety Committees. This meeting will be devoted to a review of the 
Guidelines, with special emphasis on their scientific aspects, their 
administrative implementation, and laboratory safety requirements. 
The meeting will be held November 19-21 at the Sheraton International 
Conference Center in Reston, Virginia. For further Information on 
this meeting, please contact Dr. William Gartland, Director of the 
Office of Recombinant DNA Activities, at NIH (496-6051). 
I will keep you closely informed on developments concerning the 
Guidelines and procedural aspects involving the Interagency Committee. 
Sincerely yours 
J.D 
Program Planning and Evaluation 
2 Enclosures 
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