AAUP Posts New IRB Report

The American Association of University Professors has posted "Regulation of Research on Human Subjects: Academic Freedom and the Institutional Review Board," a report prepared by a subcommittee of the Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure. I served on that subcommittee, which was chaired by Professor Judith Jarvis Thomson of MIT.

The AAUP press release explains,

In July 2011, the federal government took what may be the first step toward the most substantial change in the regulations since 1981, issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, or ANPRM. More than 1,100 individuals and associations have submitted formal comments.

The AAUP report notes that “out of respect for liberty, it is normally expected that government regulation of behavior will consist in listing what is forbidden, all else being permitted.” The report goes on to suggest ways in which the regulations could be rewritten along these lines.

The Association welcomes comments on the report through September 28.