7 
The NIH solicited opinions from a number of different groups in 
the scientific community and the public and private sectors concerning 
departmental patent policies, with respect to recombinant DNA research 
inventions. An analysis of the issues raised by the commentators is 
currently under review. 
IV. THE INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON RECOMBINANT DNA RESEARCH 
I would now like to devote the remainder of my testimony to the 
activities of the Interagency Committee on Recombinant DNA Research. 
This Committee was created, with the approval of President Ford, to address 
extension of the NIH Guidelines beyond the NIH, to the public and private 
sectors . 
The specific mandate of the Interagency Committee is as follows: 
to review the nature and scope of all recombinant DNA research conducted 
in the United States, to determine the applicability of NIH standards 
to regulate this research nationally, to recommend mechanisms to ensure 
that the standards are being complied with, and to facilitate exchange 
of information throughout the Federal sector. The Committee is advisory 
to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. It includes 
representatives of Federal Departments and Agencies that support and 
conduct recombinant DNA research (or may do so in the future) , and 
representatives of Federal Departments and Agencies that have present 
or potential regulatory authority in this area. At the Secretary’s 
request, I serve as Chairman of the Committee. 
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