The Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) jointly submitted a letter to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) expressing concerns regarding NIH Notice NOT-OD-16-088, which proposed releasing the names of NIH-funded research project personnel through the NIH RePORTER system. The organizations argue that public disclosure of personnel names could endanger the privacy and safety of individual researchers, especially those involved in sensitive research areas that may attract public opposition or harassment, such as animal model or fetal tissue research. Additionally, they contend that the policy would not achieve its intended objective of accurately representing the NIH-supported workforce, as the data could include individuals not directly funded by the NIH, leading to misrepresentation.
The letter underscores the commitment of AAU, APLU, and COGR to participate in further dialogue with NIH concerning alternative approaches to transparently and effectively reflect the scope of NIH-supported activities without compromising individual safety or data accuracy. The leaders of these organizations convey their readiness to collaborate with NIH officials for the development of suitable mechanisms and invite continued communication on the matter.
