Berkeleyan
News Briefs
26 September 2007
New policy for reviewing research funding from tobacco industry
At their meeting last week, the UC regents adopted a new policy that establishes special review and approval procedures for research proposals involving funds from tobacco companies or affiliated agencies.
The new policy has a combination of features, including establishing scientific peer review by committee and approval from UC chancellors for any research proposals seeking funds from tobacco-affiliated companies; requiring an annual report to the regents on proposals and research involving or seeking funds from tobacco-affiliated companies; and developing a regental statement to UC researchers that, among other things, upholds academic freedom, expresses concern about the tobacco industry, and asks researchers to exercise professional and ethical care.
Previously, individual researchers could accept funding from any source as long as the funds complied with applicable university (conflict of interest, publication, etc.) policies.
At the end of fiscal year 2006-07, UC researchers held 23 active grants, totaling $16 million, from sponsors with known ties to the tobacco industry. All of this funding, which supports research and related activities on the Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and San Diego campuses, is from Philip Morris USA.
The policy will apply only to awards made in response to new proposals submitted after the policy becomes effective. Awards active as of the effective date of the policy will be allowed to continue. Funds awarded to proposals submitted prior to the effective date of the new policy will also be allowed.
Personal-finance lecture series free to faculty, staff
Former CNN business anchor Valerie Coleman Morris lectures on lifetime personal money management beginning in October. The three-part lecture series is free to Berkeley faculty, staff, and students thanks to the sponsorship of the Haas School of Business and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI @Berkeley). Tickets for the general public are $75 for the three lectures.
The series will be offered on Thursdays, Oct. 4, 11, and 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Oct. 4 lecture will be held in 145 Dwinelle, while the Oct. 11 and 18 lectures will be held in Booth Auditorium, Boalt Hall School of Law. The Oct. 4 lecture is sold out for the campus community, but limited seats are available for the general public.
Seating is still available for both the general public and the campus community for the Oct. 11 and 18 lectures. Campus faculty, staff, and students can enroll through ICE (hrweb.berkeley.edu/ice/home). Campus ID will be required at the door.
To purchase tickets and for more information, visit olli.berkeley.edu or call OLLI @Berkeley at 642-9934.
MBA Association raises $3,700 to replace students' stolen laptops
The Haas School's MBA Association (MBAA) has raised approximately $3,700 to offset the cost of replacing four classmates' laptops that were stolen at Caffè Strada two weeks ago.
Officers of the association reached out to the Haas community for donations to help students recover from the robbery. More than 150 students, faculty, and staff members responded by giving roughly $2,700 to the MBAA's fundraising campaign. The association provided an additional $1,000 donation. The donations will be passed along to the four Haas students affected by the robbery, who will decide how to disburse the funds. If they receive compensation from Caffè Strada or some other entity, the association will create a special initiatives fund and assemble a panel of students to determine an alternate beneficiary.
French department plans memorial for lecturer Brawn
A memorial for the late Anna-Livia Brawn, who died in her sleep last month, will take place at the Rockridge branch of the Oakland Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 1 to 5 p.m. The library is located at 5366 College Ave., Oakland.
Brawn was a visiting assistant professor at Berkeley from 1999 to 2002, and a lecturer here since 2002. She taught all levels of the French language, a number of courses in French linguistics, and courses on the history of the French language, the theory and practice of translation, francophone film, and gender and sexuality in literature.
A blog has been set up in Brawn's memory at rememberingannalivia.blogspot.com.