MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL'S HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH REVIEW BOARD - 20 NOVEMBER 1979

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00788R001100440027-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 1998
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: January 2, 1980
• Content Type: MEMO

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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20310
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF
2 January 1980
SUBJECT: Minutes of Meeting of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee of The Surgeon
General's Human Subjects Research Review B.pard - 26 November 1979
The Surgeon General
Headquarters, Department of the Army
Washington, DC 20310
1. Under provisions of AR 70-25 and OTSG Reg 15-2, a special meeting
of an Ad Hoc Subcommittee of the Human Subjects Research Review Board
(HSRRB) was convened at 0900 hours in Room 3E368 in the Pentagon on
20 November 1979 to consider human use issues represented in protocols
presented by SRI International [Proposed Grill Flame Protocol: Task II
(U) PDSIILPLFRRHONREPNTS (U) - 15 November 1979] and the US Army Missile
Command (MICOM) [RPT (U) - 7 November.1979].
a. Members present were:
COL Edward L. Buescher, MC, Chairman, HSRRB
COL Harry Holloway, MC, Professor and Chairman, Department of Psychiatry,
USUHS, Ad Hoc Member, HSRRB
Dr. K. C. Emerson, Ph.D., Consultant Ad Hoc Member, HSRRB
Dr. Herbert L. Ley, M.D., Consultant Ad Hoc Member, HSRRB
-Dr. Chris J. D. Zarafonetis, M.D., Consultant Ad Hoc Member, HSRRB
Ms. Annie L. Young, Systems Analyst, AMSAA, Ad Hoc Member, HSRRB
LTC Richard W. Severson, MSC, C, Human Use Review Office, USAMRDC, Recorder
CPT (P) Steven M. Porter, JAGC, Judge Advocate, USAMRDC, and Member, HSRRB
b. Observers/Investigators present were:
Dr. Billy Z. Jenkins,. Ph.D., Grill Flame Principal Investigator, USAMICOM
Dr. Edward May,.Ph.D., Grill Flame Project Leader, SRI International,
Menlo Park, CA (contractor)
Dr. Hal Puthoff, Ph.D., SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
Dr. Russell Targ, Ph.D., SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
,Mr. John Kramar, Assistant Director, Army Materiel Systems Analysis
Activity, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
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SGRD-HR
2 January
1980
SUBJECT:
Minutes of Meeting-of the'Ad Hoc Subcommittee of The
General's Human Subjects Research Review Board - 20
Surgeon
November
1979
2. Mr. Kramar presented a resume of the progress-to date on the AMSAA
Grill Flame Protocol [PBAAADREVGPL] (U) - 23 March 1979] dealing with
phenomenological validation of technology to be transferred by SRI. The
AMSAA effort began in March 1979. The following summarized committee
views of the review and discussions: .
a. The study has accomplished the initial objective outlined in
Protocol PBAAADREVGPL (U) - 23 March 1979 and is now exploring new issues.
It is clearly exceeding the validation of technology, and appears to be
beyond the work scope originally examined by HSRRB and approved by TSG.
The basis for this expanded scope is unclear and the current effort appears
to involve human experimentation. The concerns of the ad hoc subcommittee
as detailed in the previous minutes are now more relevant: "Army sponsors
and action agencies are presently unprepared to address all anticipated
problems. Specifically, the concerns include!(1) provision for adequate
scientific review of research protocols, (2) provision for collaborating
behavioral scientists in execution of protocols, and (3) provision for
credible Human Use Review processes or committees in action agencies for
,review of protocols."
b. There clearly is no fixed and formally appointed professional
oversight for work being done under "Grill Flame"; rather, oversight
appears to be ad hoc, incomplete and by multiple groups, resulting in
.inadequate continuing assessment. Conclusions and decisions based on
data generated from the research will be divergent, depending on which
ad hoc group is evaluating the data; evaluating emerging evidence and
deciding which evidence. is worth pursuing will be an uncoordinated
effort.
c. The subcommittee recommends the ad hoc supervision of the
Grill Flame program be discontinued and the command responsibility for
the program be identified.
3.. Dr. May presented the SRI International protocol to the Ad Hoc
Subcommittee. Dr. Jenkins presented the MICOM variations of the same
protocol. Subsequent to discussions, the following is the unanimous
consensus of the subcommittee members:
a. The SRI International and MICOM protocols do indeed constitute
,'research involving human subjects. The immediate risks to the subjects
appear to be minimal; however, there are potential latent related effects
which deserve explanation in the subject consent form. Recommend the
consent form be amended to include:
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SGRD-HR 2 January 1980
,SUBJECT: Minutes of Meeting of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee of The Surgeon
General's Human Subjects Research Review Board - 20 November 1979
(1) "You may lose the esteem or respect from certain colleagues
because of the nature of Grill Flame activities since some may consider
participation in such activities as indicating a belief in the occult
or magical. To the knowledge of the investigators?no-one has suffered
such career damage from a Grill Flame-related activity, but the potential
for such is brought to your attention.
(2) "Some participating subjects'may come to believe that they
can possess the capacity to use and/or powers for
personal profit in risk-taking situations (Example: participating in
games of chance or speculative investment). Some individuals who have
served as subjects in this kind of experiment have acted on such as-
sumptions to their apparent disadvantage. Thus, the risk exists that
you may come to believe that you have a power that you do not possess.
You are advised-of this risk and warned that you assume responsibility
for any assumptions which you make about your personal powers or capa-
cities."
b. The concerns expressed in the minutes of 29 March 1979 (ref.
paragraph 2a above) concerning the Grill Flame program are also appro-
priate for these protocols and should be addressed. Responsibility
seems to be divided between multiple principal investigators and
direction of the program is vague and needs definition. The reviewing
subcommittee felt the Army sponsors and action agencies should address
the following concerning the Grill Flame program because of the public
and political sensitivity of human subjects participating in such a
classified project:
(1) Scientific review.
(2) Command and control of the Grill Flame program needs to be
delineated and liability concerns properly addressed.
(3) Public Information Offices for DA and DoD need to be
knowledgeable of the ongoing and proposed work.
(4) The Chain of Command (and responsibility) for the Grill
Flame program (this protocol) from DA to DoD needs to be identified.
(5) Security classification of the studies under the Grill Flame
program is perceived to be a major impediment to continued credible
scientific pursuit. If the actual R&D effort is biomedical/behavioral
''science, as it has been published in the open literature, the need for
classification is in question. Classification of the military appli-
cation of the specific science would seem appropriate.
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SGRD-HR 2 January 1980
SUBJECT: Minutes of Meeting of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee of The Surgeon
General's Human Subjects Research Review Board - 20 November 1979
.4. In addition, it was recommended that pregnant women should be ex-
cluded from participation in the work carried out under this protocol.
This recommendation is in keeping with the generally prudent policy of
excluding any group of subjects that,might be especially sensitive to
the effects of stress.
5. The ad hoc subcommittee recommends approval. of the protocols
pending receipt of a new revised consent form which addresses the an-
ticipated risks mentioned above.
6. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1550
hours.
RICHARD W. SEVERSON
LTC, MSC
Recorder
'APPROVED/DItAFPR VVED:
APPROVE DLSAP.p#D :
EDWARD L. BUESCHER CHARLES C. PIXLEY
Colonel, MC Lieutenant General
Chairman, Human Subjects The Surgeon General
Research Review Board
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