Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects of Modern Life Sciences and Biotechnology

In 1997, the BMBF initiated funding of research into the ethical, legal and social aspects (ELSA) of molecular medicine as an accompanying measure to efforts in the field of human genomics. From this initial effort an independent funding priority with several programmes has evolved. Currently, the BMBF allocates 3.8 Mio. Euro annually to projects concerning the ethical, legal and social aspects of many facets of modern life sciences and biotechnology (“Bioethics”).

 

Funding Priority: “Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects of Modern Life Sciences  and Biotechnology”
Programme	Description
A: Research Projects	Funding of 3-year interdisciplinary research projects
B1: Capacity Building, Advancement of Young Researchers : Interdisciplinary Research Groups	Establishment and enhancement of structural capacities at suitable research organizations and provision of career opportunities for young scientists. 5- year funding of interdisciplinary, research groups pending commitment of the hosting organization to continue funding for at least 3 further years
B2: Capacity Building, Advancement of Young Researchers: Summer Schools	Enhancement of interdisciplinary communication skills and networking among young scientists. Funding of 1-2-week interdisciplinary retreats for postdoctoral scientists; contemplation and discussion of preselected topics
C: Public and Scientific Discourse	Sustainment of public and scientific debate by funding of discursive projects and symposia.
D: National Resources and Infrastructure	Provision of infrastructure and resources for interdisciplinary research. Funding of information repositories and reference centres.

 

Topics of projects funded in the funding priority „Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects (ELSA) of Modern Life Sciences and Biotechnology (1997-2005)

Programme A: Research Projects

- quality assurance in genetic counseling and diagnostics,
- ELSA of pre-implantation diagnostics,
- ELSA of predictive genetic testing (breast cancer…)
- genetic testing and insurance
- ELSA of pharmaco-genetics
- public attitudes concerning predictive genetic testing for schizophrenia and affective disorders
- ELSA of genetic screening
- Legal aspects of patenting discoveries based of human biological material
- ELSA of the extra-corporal embryo
- ELSA of reproductive medicine
- Legal aspects of informed consent in molecular medicine
- ELSA of handling human germ- and germ-line cells
- Public attitudes towards reproductive medicine and pre-implantation diagnostics
- „gene“ and it s meanings in everyday language
- public attitudes towards down syndrome before and after introduction of prenatal diagnostics
- employment of genetic testing by doctors with non-human genetic backgrounds: risks and benefits
- genetic counseling and adipositas: impact on the quality of life of patients
- predictive genetics in breast cancer, psychological impact on affected women
- genetic diagnostics and cancer
- ELSA of pre-implantation diagnostics and –screening
- Public attitude towards predictive genetic testing in neuro-psychiatric disorders
- Comparison of the medial discourses on human genome research in Germany and the USA
- Presentation of molecular medicine in television 1982-2005
- Ethics and special education

Programme B1: Capacity Building, Advancement of Young Researchers :
Interdisciplinary Research Groups

- the normative role of human nature in scientific-ethical and public discourse
- ELSA of genetic testing in adipositas
- ELSA of molecular-genetic brain research
- Dignity and gene technology

Programme B2: Capacity Building, Advancement of Young Researchers:
Summer Schools

- patient autonomy and family
- therapeutic cloning
- gene therapy
- molecular-genetic brain research
- the relationship of science, ethics and arts in the age of biotechnology
- equality and justice in modern medicine
- ELSA of diagnostics and therapy in Alzheimer dementia
- enhancement
- patient rights
- green biotechnology and it’s public perception
- end of life- decisions

Programme C: Public and Scientific Discourse

- interdisciplinary symposia on ELSA of human genome research
- consensus conference on gene testing / diagnostics
- ethical discourses on biotechnology
- scientific symposion: genetic knowledge and the future of humanity
- discourse project on ethics of biomedicine
- ELSA-workshop for candidate nations of the EU
- scientific symposion: cloning in biomedical research and reproduction
- „Münchner Wissenschaftstage“
- 10 projects aiming at involving young citizens in ELSA-related discourse

 

Programme D: National Resources and Infrastructure

- German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (DRZE), Bonn
- Internet-Database „Ethics and Biotechnology“, University of Tübingen
- Information- and Documentation-Facility „ Ethics in Medicine“, University of Göttingen