— HARVARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION ONE SHATTUCK STREET CABLE ADDRESS: NUTHARV BOSTON 15, MASSACHUSETTS 1 August 1961 Congressman John Fogarty House Office Building Washington 25, D. GC. Dear John: IT have just seen a copy of the Senate Report on Appro- riations for the National Institutes of Health. There is one small but important point which I hope can be changed at the conference session, and since it doesn't involve any additional money, I sincerely hope you can get this changed when you have your conference with the Senate - perhaps you can use it in some bargaining maneuver, This has to do with the funds for primate researches. Not every place that wants to use primates wants a damn big primate center or “monkey farm'' but they do need some limited facilities. From my extensive experience on the primate study section I know this applies to many places including Brown, Vanderbilt, Houston and Harvard. Both Dr. De Bakey and I pointed this out in our testimony before Senator Hill's committee and recom- mended that whatever funds are appropriated for primate centers be available, at the discretion of the Heart Council for either large centers or limited primate facilities. Actually, we requested a separate sum for these limited facilities but since this was not recommended the same purpose would be served by making it clear that the Council cold use the primate funds for either centers or facilities. The present wording of the Senate Report is as follows (top page 40): "The committee also recommends the support of limited primate facilities in individual institutions and universities where needs and research programs make them necessary for the type of investigation which the institutions must conduct. Support of such limited facilities will supplement and complement the regional primate centers, "Funds in the amount of $15 million are therefore included in the appropriation for the construction and support of regional primate facilities. It is expected that individual institutions will apply for con- struction funds for the limited facilities under the health research facili- ties construction program." The following change should be made in the second paragraph of the above quote: "Funds in the amount of $15 million are therefore included in the appropriation for the construction and support of regional and limited _ primate facilities." (The two words I have underlined have been added and the last sentence has been omitted.) Congressman J. Fogarty 1 August 1961 Page 2 Of course the conference report may come out with a smaller figure than $15 million but please hold out for the above change for without it primate research will be seriously handicapped. This change favors the small investigator and hence will permit many to get started in primate research or expand modestly their pre sent activities - you won't have to have a $2 million primate center to get started. Matching funds are simply too hard to come by to ever expect any individual institution to use them for limited primate facilities. What- ever they can scrape together will be used for general research purposes, not the unusual requirements for primates, You will note I am sending a copy of this letter to Bob Moyer on the assumption you would probably have him look into this. If you need any further explanation I should be glad to stop in at your office or see Bob anytime at your convenience before your conference with the Senate. I am also sending a copy to Dr. De Bakey. This really is important and I think you are the one to get this across in the final conference report = no more money, simply add two words and delete one sentence but these are vital to a far wider use of pri- mates in medical research than can ever take place with the present wording. Many thanks, Sincerely, Deb Gta, Fredrick J. Stare, M.D. Professor of Nutrition Chairman, Department of Nutrition FIS:ejm cc: Mr. Robert Moyer Dr. Michael De Bakey