Education on Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences

Education on Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences
Board on Life Sciences, National Research Council

Workshop on Promoting Education on Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences

November 16-18, 2009
Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

Under the Auspices of
The InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP)
International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB)
International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS)
United States Department of State

Advances in the life sciences are bringing remarkable benefits for human health, the economy, and the environment. At the same time, the knowledge, tools, and techniques gained through research intended only for legitimate purposes may also have the potential to be misused for creating biological weapons or for bioterrorism. This is sometimes referred to as the "dual use dilemma." In recent years, a number of international scientific organizations have become engaged in efforts to reduce the risks of misuse while promoting scientific progress and the free exchange of scientific benefits. The IAP, for example, established a Biosecurity Working Group in 2004 and released a statement of principles that should be considered in developing codes of conduct in the life sciences in 2005. IUBMB and IUMS have also created codes of conduct and cooperated with the IAP and others in international conferences.

Education is widely recognized as the essential foundation for creating awareness among scientists about dual use issues. The importance of education has been underscored by the World Health Organization and the Biological Weapons Convention, among many international bodies. At present, however, there are only a few educational materials available and their use is not widespread. A concerted effort by the international scientific community to identify existing materials, develop new materials that follow from research on effective educational strategies, and establish procedures for making them available could significantly strengthen efforts to ensure that life scientists are aware of dual use issues and concerns. Recognizing this opportunity, the U.S. Department of State asked several major international scientific organizations to convene a workshop to:

• survey strategies and resources available internationally for education on dual use issues and identify gaps;
• consider ideas for filling the gaps, including development of new educational materials and implementation of effective teaching methods; and
• discuss approaches for including education on dual use issues in the training of life scientists.

The 2-1/2 day workshop will be hosted by the Polish Academy of Sciences and include scientists, educators, and experts in biosecurity. The report of the workshop, produced by an international steering committee under the auspices of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, will summarize the current situation and make recommendations for next steps.

See also the project page on the National Academies Current Projects System.