PROJECTS
SPF Program Agenda(2004)

Building a Database for Life Sciences: The Market and Public Interests

12,200,000 yen [Grant Project]
Sophia University (Japan)


The results of basic biomedical sciences have been applied to cost-effective treatments and the development of drugs, and it is getting more and more difficult for researchers in biomedical areas to make rational decisions on ethical subjects including conflicts of interests. Also it is difficult for society to understand the present situation concerning ethical subjects. In addition, there have been insufficient experimental studies on ethical subjects and a lack of trans-disciplinary exchange of information and discussion. This project aims to construct a platform for experimental and normative approaches to ethical subjects by collecting information on biomedical studies and health care activities and constructing a database for trans-disciplinary information in biomedical and health care fields.
The following activities are planned in the last year of the 3-year project.
  1. Construction of a database (2006)
    Interviews and photography sessions are planned at health care centers and universities including Duke University, Harvard University, and Osaka University, and the results of the interviews, including pictures and videos, will be entered into the database as along with other new information. Additionally, the database will include a collection of links to ethical guidelines in domestic and foreign biomedical and health care fields.

  2. Survey (April to December, 2006)
    A survey of ethical subjects will be conducted of about 2000 biomedical researchers and related personnel at public institutes and private companies, and the data will be entered into the database.

  3. Dissemination by homepage and workshop (January to March, 2007) Interface conditions will be tested by tentatively allowing public use of a search engine of the database on the homepage. A workshop will be held at Sophia University involving 30 to 50 invited participants.


(Final year of a 3-year project)




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