Advocacy Archive
FOIA Access to Research Data - Send a Letter
March 22, 1999
Dear Colleague:
I hope you've heard about the proposed changes to OMB Circular A-110 that would allow Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) access to research data. This change would be alarming for researchers, particularly for those working with human subjects and confidential information. OMB published draft regulations on the changes in the Federal Register (see OMB Circular A-110, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations") and is receiving comments until April 5. APS is sending a letter opposing the changes, as is virtually every other science group. But we're hearing it is important that OMB receive many letters from individual researchers as well as organizations.
There is a good summary of the issues, along with a link to the Register regulations, on the NIH Web page http://www.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110implications.htm. Further, an April APS Observer cover story on this soon will be available on the APS Web page as will the APS letter. I encourage you to look at the information, and take a few minutes to send comments in a letter or email to OMB. The address and other instructions for submitting comments are posted on the Federal Register link. And please get the word out to your colleagues. We need to make sure researchers are heard loud and clear on this.
Best, Alan
PS - While I have you, let me refer you to Dan Greenberg's op-ed on behavioral research at NIH in this morning's Washington Post, reprinted in many newspapers around the country. He writes about some of the same things that we have been saying (and even refers to some comments I made at a Hastings Center conference a few weeks ago). If you haven't seen it, check it out: Hardly an Ounce for Prevention.