The research community and the private sector: a hands-on or hands-off relationship?

This article summarizes a symposium held at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Montreal, Canada, and was prepared on behalf of the symposium participants. The discussion focused the relationship between research and the private sector, addressing whether such a relationship is possible or even desirable and how concerns regarding the implementation of any such arrangement can be met. Although participants represented a range of views, there was general agreement on two issues--the need to keep the source of funding separate from the research itself, and the requirement for disclosure and complete transparency.