Goals, Objectives and Products

The goal of this project is to identify, evaluate and address both the micro- and macro-level challenges raised by IP and data/materials sharing practices in stem cell research against an analysis of science as a public good. The specific objectives are to:

1. Identify the challenges raised internationally by current proprietary structures in stem cell research;
2. Develop a catalogue of practical, forward-looking recommendations (aimed at investigators, institutions, funders, governments) to address these micro-level challenges; and,
3. Situate forward-looking recommendations within the landscape of moral considerations relevant to stem cell science, and science broadly, connecting the near-term, on the ground, fixes to long-term solutions that foster the development of a process of scientific R&D that is supportive of both efficient innovation and the public good.

The principal product of this meeting will be a consensus document drafted by the expert working group.

In addition, drafting of related scholarly articles submitted for publication in the scientific and bioethics literatures and presented at scientific and bioethics meetings by members of the group will be coordinated and facilitated.

Any consensus document(s) and scholarly publications will be posted, for public access, on at least the Hinxton Group (HinxtonGroup.org) and the SCOPE (bioethicsinstitute.org/stemcells) websites.

The Hinxton Group website will be updated to provide full coverage of this meeting. This will include: electronic copies of the consensus document, relevant scholarly papers and briefing materials distributed to attendees; a regularly updated presentation of related news stories; and a blog-style section that allows for public comments and discussion. We will make ongoing efforts to publicize these electronic resources.

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