An Integrated Curriculum:Genome Sciences and Policy(RMI)

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): With the availability of the full sequence of the human and other genomes, there are enormous opportunities and expectations for utilizing the sequence to benefit the public welfare. At the same time, however, the rapidly increasing pace of genome discovery and the prospect of widespread use of genomic information has raised awareness of a number of potentially troubling issues for society at large, in areas as diverse as individual rights, genetic discrimination, the nature of humanity, intellectual property law, the meaning of normal variation, large-scale data storage and analysis, and national health and science policy. Effective consideration of both the genome sciences and their implications for individuals and society requires a set of individuals who are not only highly trained in biomedical research, but also broadly knowledgeable in public policy and the social sciences and capable of participating in the design and implementation of research at the intersections of these disciplines. The Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy (IGSP) was established with the explicit understanding that such advances for society require not just leading science, but science embedded in a thorough and thoughtful discussion of these societal and policy issues. While this campus-wide initiative is well underway, its focus to date has been on the development of infrastructure to support interdisciplinary research in the genome sciences and on recruitment of new faculty in many schools across campus. The current proposal will foster a similar dedication to the training mission of the IGSP and will lead to the development of an Integrated Curriculum in Genome Sciences and Policy at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels. This integrated curriculum will build on the Pl's commitment to and history of effectiveness in education at all levels and on Duke University's substantial commitment to the IGSP and its long tradition of supporting and enhancing interdisciplinary scholarship.