The Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education of the National Academies is pleased to announce the upcoming release of the report of the Committee on Ethical Issues in Housing-Related Health Hazard Research Involving Children, Youth, and Families.  The National Academies was asked to review the challenges and ethical issues in conducting housing-related health hazards research in the wake of the Maryland Court of Appeals ruling in the case of Grimes v. Kennedy Krieger Institute.

The ruling highlighted a range of potential ethical concerns and led to substantial controversy and confusion.  Many ethical dilemmas occur because research participants are often poor, members of minority groups, and have few affordable housing options.  Moreover, carrying out research in the home raises unique ethical issues.  The committee's consensus report offers recommendations and practical guidance for the ethical conduct of this type of research.

The briefing will be held in Room 100 at The National Academies, Keck Center, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Anthony Mann at amann@nas.edu

If you cannot attend the briefing, you may participate in the meeting by listening to a live audio webcast and submitting questions using an e-mail form at http://national-academies.org. The webcast requires RealPlayer software, available free at http://www.real.com/player. For more information on setup and hardware requirements, see the Real.com Web site.