Chimeric Organisms and the Ethics of Humanization . (360G-Wellcome-103565_Z_14_Z)

The funds requested will be used to support qualitative social sciences research into the ethical and legal principles that are emerging around research with chimeric organisms in the United States. These activities will feed into a larger comparative project on how nation-specific legal-constitutional regimes may be implicated in redefining the normative standards of the category human. Specific research activities will include interviewing members of Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Comm ittees at Harvard University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as visits to stem cell laboratories at both these universities. During this time I will be based at Harvard University in the Program on Science, Technology and Society at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. In order to undertake the empirical research it will be necessary to spend approximately 4 months in the United States where I will a) gather collect of documents (e.g. policy and ethical guidelines, repo rts from advisory bodies, media coverage of scientific practice, biomedical journal articles); b) conduct semi-structured interviews with scientists and regulators; c) visit laboratories and institutional settings to observe the conduct and deliberation of those involved in scientific and regulatory practice.