Strengthen confidence in cancer institute
By Editorial Board
Another top official is leaving the state-funded Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. While Jerald Cobbs’ resignation, effective Friday, comes without the controversy that has accompanied the recent resignations of numerous scientists affiliated with the agency, it nonetheless keeps fresh troubling questions about how the agency awards grant money to commercial projects and whether political considerations play a role in which companies receive those grants
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The results of a state audit of CPRIT are expected in January, the same month the Texas Legislature convenes. Democratic state Rep. Garnet Coleman of Houston, a longtime critic of CPRIT, plans to introduce legislation to reform the agency. Mandating the agency release details about its grant decisions would be a good start; changing rules regarding members of its oversight committee is also worth re-examining.
Perhaps CPRIT is experiencing nothing more than a natural culture clash between scientists focused on basic cancer research and public officials, political appointees and business leaders who want the agency to give more money to potential for-profit commercial projects. Perhaps the recent allegations of political favoritism are based more on perception than reality.
But even perception has a way of undermining valuable work. The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is an ambitious, worthwhile effort to fight cancer. Its integrity must be above reproach. The best way to protect that integrity, and to get beyond the controversy of the past several months, is to guarantee that sound science, not politics, will determine which projects receive money and which ones don’t.
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