Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells

2009-03-11Executive Order 13505
Signed by: Barack Obama
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Headline: Removes Limits on Federal Funding for Human Stem Cell Research

What it does: The Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the National Institutes of Health, may fund and conduct responsible human stem cell research and must issue new guidance within 120 days.

Real World Impact:
  • Expands federal funding and support for human stem cell research.
  • Requires the National Institutes of Health to review and issue guidance within 120 days.
  • Removes prior Presidential funding limits and revokes a supplemental executive order.
Topics: stem cell research, medical research funding, health policy, research guidelines

Summary

This order removes previous Presidential limits on federal support for research using human embryonic and non-embryonic stem cells and directs the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health to support responsible, scientifically valuable work.

It instructs the National Institutes of Health to review existing guidelines and issue new guidance within 120 days and to update that guidance periodically. The order also states the 2001 Presidential statement will no longer be government policy and revokes a 2007 supplementary executive order, expanding federal research support subject to law and funding.

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