Burks said part of the solution will be expanding Knudson s staff to keep up. With increased federal spending on research and complex issues such as genetic-based treatment, the CPHS s work won t get simpler. But it s not all burdensome, Marshall said. Committee members spend hours each month reviewing proposals. It s time well-spent.
Members get a broad overview of the university s varied research interests.
About half of those have resulted in funded research. Liehr suggests that investigators and institutions need to take their concerns about volunteers a step further. Beyond vital safety and consent issues is a simple fact, she said. We are taking their time. What research subjects mainly get in return is some free treatment and the hope of better medical care, if not for themselves, then for others.