COLLEGE RESEARCH RESTUDIED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100030032-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2011
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: February 6, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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DETROIT NEWS (MI)
6 February 1986
College research
Despite the guidelines and an ex-
0 tensive review process involving stu-
dents, faculty and staff, the universi-
ty, s decisions on some Projects have
regularly drawn fire from student
t
`Star Wars' work
draws increasing
fire from some
By Tim Collis
News Special Writer
Opportunities for professors to perform
secret, defense-related research on campus
is increasing as a result of the government's
interest in the Strategic Defense Initiative
and similar programs. Opposition to such
research is increasing, too.
Analysis
As a result of the
opposition, and be-
cause rules banning
"A UNIVERSITY is supposed to be a
place that values the free exchange of ideas
and the Central Intelligence Agency is one
of these agencies in the U.S_ government-
that is the least associated with those
values," Masterson said. "To the university,
the grant represents money and no univer-
sity is going to turn down money."
His statement goes to the root of the
argument and is based on the traditional
view of the university as a place where
information is disseminated openly for
peaceful purposes. While not necessarily
Protesters and the researchers them-
selves. I
THE APPOINTMENT of the'
review committee was prompted in
Part by last summer's rejection of a
Proposal by Raymond Tanter, a U-M
political science professor. A former
Reagan administration arms control
official, Tanter wanted to look at
ways of reaching arms control agree-
ments through means other than for-
mal treaties.
However, the research would have
involved using classified documents
that may have prevented the re
lt
su
s,
contradicting that notion, others stress from being published within a year.
that universities' do not exist in vacuums Thus university rules prohibited it.
and should reflect the needs of the federal "I think it's the height of irony
government, which supplies much of their when a project to study ways in which
funding. They argue that much defense-re- arms control might be possible cannot
lated research is basic and has applications be carried out because of an outdated
that transcend their use for weaponry. Policy to prevent faculty members
Jerry Roschwap, an official with the from making weapons for the Viet-
National Association of State Universities nam War," Tanter said.
and Land Grant Colleges, said many uni- Tanter favors keeping the present
versities are concerned with the issue but guidelines, but with the qualification
classified studies may prevent needed
"peaceful" research, the University of
Michigan and other schools are re-evaluat-
ing rules governing faculty participation in
such projects.
University of Michigan President Har-
old T. Shapiro named a 12-member, facul-
ty-student panel to examine U-M research
guidelines after the school was forced to
reject government-backed studies into ways
of encouraging arms' control limitations.
THE PANEL'S findings ate due next
month. Some panel members already have
suggested there will be "a little loosening" of
restrictions, but no major changes.
"All of us realize this is one of the most
sensitive issues the universities face," said
Dr. James V. Neel, a panel member and a
professor emeritus of human genetics.
"Classified research is an issue all over the
country. Universities are examining this
issue under a lot of stress and strain."
At Harvard University, Nadav Safran,
the head of the university's Center for
Middle Eastern Studies, came under fire for
failing to reveal $152,000 of Central Intelli-
gence Agency (CIA) funds he received for
an academic coonce and research on his
latest book. Because of the outcry from his
colleagues, Safran will resign this summer
as head of the center, although he will
remain a tenured professor.
At Michigan State University, John
Masterson, a mathematics professor, tried
unsuccessfully to prevent the awarding of a
$740,000 CIA research grant to a colleague.
The university trustees rejected his plea
and accepted the contract for Professor
Shui Nee Chow, who will conduct unclassi-
fied research in a highly theoretical field of
mathematics.
are bending the rules or making them
and defense-related research.
"I find that it's a mixed bag situa-
tion," Roschwap said. "Some schools
that will not undertake any classified
research on campus handle classified
information and do research off cam-
pus."
AN EXAMPLE Roschwap gave
was the Lawrence Livermore Nation-
al Laboratory, where the primary
research for the Reagan administra-
tion's "Star Wars" anti-missile shield,
is being conducted. Roschwap said
researchers flow back and forth be-
tween the laboratory and the Univer-
sity of California at Berkley, which
has guidelines similar to those at
U-M. "It's a peculiar kind of thing
(classified research), but universities
are peculiar kinds of places. No one
really knows how to handle it." A..
At the University of Michigan
classified and defense-related re-
search has been generating controver-
sy since the Vietnam War era. The
U-M rules, adopted in 1972, ban
research projects that could lead to
killing or maiming human beings, and
of classified research that cannot be
published within a year of comple-
tion.
that they be nonbinding and left up to
the interpretation of the researchers.
"Have faith in the faculty," he said.
THE NUMBER of classified
contracts at U-M has declined in the
past decade from 12 to two. The two
projects were valued at $368,000 in
the 1984-85 academic year, compared
to a total research budget of $153
million for the same year.
In addition, U-M researchers are
now involved in five "Star Wars"
research contracts totaling $643,696.
Five more proposals totaling
$4,711,614 are being considered.
Over the next five years an esti-
mated $600 million will be given to
universities by the federal govern-
ment for "Star Wars" research.
Last September, the U-M regents
passed a.resolution supporting "Star
Wars" research on campus. Students
and faculty members protesting such
research have been circulating peti-
tions since October, but the regents
have given no indication they will
vote to reverse their resolution.
MUCH OF the increase in de-
fense-related and classified research
is being prompted by the Reagan
administration's "Star Wars" missile
defense plan. Just as significant is the
growth of contracts between academ-
ics and the CIA or private corpora-
tions.
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In an interview published by The
New York Times, Robert Gates, the
Deputy Director of Intelligence, re-
portedly confirmed that the CIA was
making a broad effort to establish ties
with academics. He said about one-
fourth of the agency's intelligence
estimates now are reviewed by profes-
sors or other outside experts.
Private companies are also fund-
ing their share of classified research
at universities. For example, the In-
tern atio al R usiness Machines .nr-
poration (IBM) is spending approxi-
ma1eTy $IS million at Brown
University and $20 million at Carne-
gie-Mellon University in secret proj-
ects involving the use of microcompu-
ter networks.
PROFESSORS ALSO can bend
the rules themselves while remaining
tied to a university that has classified
research guidelines. At most universi-
ties, professors are allowed several
days a month to do outside consulting
that is not governed by university
research restrictions. They also can
bake leaves of absence to work with
the government or a private corpora-
tion on research that might not be
permitted by their university.
University administrators say that
safeguards are built into the system to
prevent abuses of research privileges.
Garrett Heberlein, vice-president
of research and dean of the graduate
school at Wayne State University,
said.
.If a researcher is doing defense
work that could be used for killing,
then we're eventually going to find
out by the nature of the articles he
publishes. And if he doesn't publish,
he's not going to get merit money for
his research or promotion or tenure."
Some top-notch research schools
have no qualms about supporting
classified research related to national
defense. At Pennsylvania State Qni-
versity, each professor decides wheth-
er he wants to do classified research.
"WE THINK it's a very healthy
attitude," said David R. Schuckers, a
Washington lobbyist for Penn State,
where much U.S. naval research is
conducted.
Such an attitude would be consid-
ered very strange by many at the
University of Michigan. Most offi-
cials close to the debate there do not
feel there will be a radical revision of
the present guidelines.
"I suspect we will probably recom-
mend some loosening here and some
tightening there," said Committee
Chairman Philip Converse.
Professor Neel said that the integ-
rity of the researchers, not guidelines,
is what will ultimately preserve the
humanistic traditions of universities.
"In a series of steps almost any-
thing involving basic research can go
in the direction of killing and maim-
ing," Neel said. "If you don't believe
that, look 8t Einstein. All he did was
come up with a formula that said that
nuclear power was-possible. In the end
it all comes down to the integrity of
the. people." -
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