For only the second time, the National Institutes of Health is applying pressure to a university over alleged conflicts of interest involving its researchers. The Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, is reportedly being eyed for failing to comply with the agency's conflict of interest policy. Two years ago, the NIHsuspended a grant from Emory University and added new conditions on further grants.
The latest move was sparked by an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education that pointed out several academics with alleged research conflicts, including Baylor's Christie Ballantyne, who received over $34,000 for consulting with Merck about its Vytorin cholesterol pill. This prompted US Senator Chuck Grassley to ask the NIH to investigate (see here), since Ballantyne was listed on several NIH grants concerning cardiovascular studies.
According to current NIH regulations, Baylor should have reported to NIH that Ballantyne received more than $10,000 from a company. Initially, Baylor officials said rules indicated there was no need to disclose the payments to the NIH, but they acknowledge they don't comply with NIH policies. Meanwhile, the NIH last month asked Baylor to conduct a review and placed new conditions on Baylor researchers, requiring documentation that all new grants comply with NIH policies, according to a Jan. 14 letter from NIH director Francis Collins to Grassley (here is the letter).
In the letter, Collins writes that Baylor's response to the NIH "raised serious concerns" and the NIH 'imposed special award conditions on all BCM (Baylor College of Medicine) grant awards until BCM can assure the NIH that the detected deficiencies...have been appropriately addressed." A Baylor spokeswoman tells Nature the university has begun recrafting policies to comply with NIH standards, which date to 1995. The NIH moves comes as agency considers lowering its annual disclosure threshold below $10,000, Nature adds.
6 Comments
Higher Ed is corrupt as hell.
Baylor probably is one of many uni's that have problems
Dr. Nemeroff on south beach with the bling Lilly!!!!
Merger discussions between Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine officially shut down Tuesday, as the heads of the two institutions conceded that the partnership they’d championed for months simply isn’t in the cards.
I love the comment that "Higher Ed is corrupt as ell." Hey, man, it takes two to tango.
As a medical professional and US taxpayer, I am repelled by the naked conflicts of interest at medical schools and research institutions, from the best to the worst. When will these people stop furtively taking the money and owning up to ethics?? NIH should be terminating grants and contracts right and left. Of course, NIH has its own problems with conflicts of interest.
Reportedly without funding to continue... why is that? Integrity In Science Database had it going. Earlier research still available. Does anyone know of another public database like this?
Monitoring, Exposing, and Opposing Conflicts
The Integrity in Science (ISS) Project combats corporate influence on science and science-based public policy. We scrutinize more than 200 science-based federal advisory committees for undisclosed conflicts of interest, monitor the media and scientific literature for failure to disclose, and encourage the adoption of strong disclosure policies.
Integrity in Science Watch maintains an open database of public records of scientists' ties to industry.
Search the Database
http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/