The National Institutes of Health has decided to prohibit outside employment for its scientists in an attempt to prevent real and perceived conflicts of interest. Many felt that having scientists employed by the federal government also being on the payroll of private companies as consultants tarnished the image of the agency.
Now, if an organization is affected by NIH policy, scientists working for the NIH will be prohibited from working there. This will especially cover pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
'Nothing is more important for NIH than preserving the public's trust,' Director Elias A. Zerhouni said.
NIH scientists will still be able to teach courses relating to their work and to submit articles to journals and textbooks. 'Clearly we do not want to impair scientific interchange,' Zerhouni added.
In the past, one NIH scientist was allegedly paid by Pfizer Inc. $500,000 over five years to help with research into brain disease. Only an estimated 120 scientists working for the NIH have been alleged to receive outside monies, but such reports raised questions about the objectivity of scientists working for the government.
