In the fall of 2000, Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), convened an ad hoc working group on stem cell research to respond to the significant scientific opportunities and ethical issues raised by human pluripotent stem cell research. The working group, which included internationally renowned experts in stem cell research, ethics, law and medicine, was mandated to assist CIHR in setting policies for funding future research involving human pluripotent stem cells and to consider how CIHR might contribute to the development of a coordinated national policy in this area.
As part of its work, the working group carried out widespread consultations and, in January 2002, its report to CIHR's Governing Council was unanimously accepted. The report formed the basis of stem cell research guidelines (Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research: Guidelines for CIHR-Funded Research; "the Guidelines" that were publicly announced in March 2002. CIHR, together with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), collectively called "the Agencies", have agreed to adopt a common approach to implementing the Guidelines.
Based on the recommendation of the working group, the Guidelines call for the establishment of a Stem Cell Oversight Committee (SCOC). SCOC's primary role will be to review research funding applications dealing with human pluripotent stem cells for conformity with the Guidelines. Research applications subject to SCOC's review will include: applications within the scope of the Guidelines that are submitted to the Agencies; applications submitted to other funding organizations but conducted under the auspices of institutions receiving funding from the Agencies; and possibly, with mutual agreement, applications submitted to other funders for research to be performed in other settings. SCOC will advise CIHR's Governing Council with respect to the outcomes of these reviews. The SCOC review is not intended to substitute for the review undertaken by the local Research Ethics Board (REB) at the investigator's research institution. Only proposals that are deemed excellent by peer-review and approved by SCOC and the local will receive federal funding.
SCOC will comprise a diverse group of individuals with a range of backgrounds and disciplines relevant to the mandate of the Committee. Experts will provide the Committee access to the latest scientific, legal and ethical information, while representatives from the general public will represent the views and values of Canadians potentially affected by the new technologies.
SCOC is a committee of CIHR's Governing Council and reports to the Governing Council, normally through the Executive Committee of Governing Council.
A call for members was posted on the CIHR website in May 2003 and sent by e-mail and listserv to health research organizations, fertility clinics, infertility groups, research ethics boards, nursing associations, professional societies, health charity organizations, university departments of bioethics, the National Council on Ethics in Human Research (NCEHR) and other relevant organizations. Applications were accepted for one month. These were reviewed by the Nominating Committee of CIHR's Governing Council and approved by Governing Council itself.
The membership of SCOC is as follows:
| Name | Expertise | Institution/province |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Enzle (Chair) | Social Sciences | University of Alberta, AB |
| Bruce Brandhorst | Biology | Simon Fraser University, BC |
| Raymond Lambert | Biology | Université Laval, QC |
| Cynthia Cohen | Ethics | Georgetown University, USA |
| Donald Evans | Ethics | University of Otago, NZ |
| Bernard Dickens | Law | University of Toronto, ON |
| Arthur Leader | IVF professional | University of Ottawa, ON |
| Teren Clarke | Health charity | Muscular Dystrophy Canada, AB |
| Catherine Clute | IVF patient | Lunenburg, NS |
| Diana Dunstan | International stem cell policy expert | Medical Research Council, UK |
| Cheryl Robertson | Public | Quispamsis, NB |
| Sylvie Langlois | Public (genetic counselor) | University of British Columbia, BC |
Biographical information of SCOC members can be found here.
