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Scientists and Regulatory Burden: Navigating the Rugged Landscape
Sponsored by APS Public Affairs Committee
Public Policy Track

Biomedical researchers are subject to an increasingly complex set of regulations that governs everything from the protection of human subjects and appropriate animal use to research integrity and conflict of interest. Regulations are imposed by federal, state, and local governments, while research institutions, funding agencies, and voluntary accrediting agencies add another layer of policies and self-regulation requirements. The resulting tangle of rules increasingly produces confusing and wasted effort.

Scientists have an obligation to ensure that research is conducted in a responsible manner and in compliance with all applicable legal and ethical requirements. However, when regulations become overly burdensome, they may interfere with the ability to carry out research in an efficient manner. This symposium will seek to identify current and future areas of burden and explore what scientists can do to balance their obligation to ensure the appropriate and responsible conduct of research with the need to efficiently carry out their work.