U.S. Department of Health & Human Services |
|
Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America |
Font Size Print Download Reader
News Release
HHS Observes 25th Anniversary of Belmont Report for Human Research Subject ProtectionsHHS today marked the 25th anniversary of the Belmont Report that articulated the founding principles for federal human research subject protections, with the release of an oral-history video about the report and a ceremony to honor the report's authors. The ceremony honored the members of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, 1974-1979, which produced the Belmont Report and related seminal documents in bioethics and human subject protections. "We owe a debt of gratitude to all of these individuals. They gave us a framework for the ethical use of research volunteers that has withstood the test of time," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "We honor those whose work continues to guide the research community both here and abroad in advancing science while protecting those who volunteer to take part in clinical research." The Belmont Report's "Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research" along with other commission documents marked a turning point in how human research was conducted in the United States. Prior to the report, researchers independently decided what was studied and how studies were conducted. Now however, the system provides protections, including ethical review by committees independent from the research. The Belmont Report identifies three fundamental ethical principles to which all human subject research must adhere -- respect for persons, beneficence and justice -- and those principles set the parameters for the regulations that are still in force today. "We honor the signal contributions of this extraordinary group of individuals to the field of research bioethics," said Dr. Cristina Beato, acting assistant secretary for health. "Since the time of the commission, they have shaped and strengthened research bioethics and helped ensure the welfare of all who are part of the human research enterprise." This educational video is the first in a series of oral history-based training materials that HHS will release over the next year. These educational products will reinforce the importance of the protections now in place for all who enroll as study participants in clinical trials and other research studies. This commemoration was organized by HHS' Office for Human Research Protections, which provides leadership on human research subject protections by supporting and strengthening the nation's system for protecting those who volunteer to participate in research that is conducted or supported by agencies of HHS. Honorees at the commemorative event include members of the National Commission as well as staff and consultants, who are listed below with their commission title followed by their most recent professional activity: Duane Alexander, M.D., Staff -- Director, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. Four of the Commissioners are deceased: Kenneth J. Ryan, M.D., Commission Chair -- Chief of Staff, Boston Hospital for Women, Boston, Mass. (Dr. Ryan's family will accept this honor in his name.) ### Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news. Last Revised: November 16, 2004 |