Table 1.
Decision-making for Dual-use Dilemmas in the Biological Sciences
| Decisions | Options | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option 1—The Complete Autonomy of the Individual Scientist | Option 2—Institutional Control | Option 3—Institutional & Governmental Control | Option 4—An Independent Authority | Option 5—Governmental Control | |
| Who are the Decision-makers regarding Im/permissible Research? | Individual researcher | (i) Scientists in University (collegial) | (i) Scientists in University (collegial) | Independent Authority | Government |
| (ii) Corporation | (ii) Corporation | ||||
| (iii) Govt Res. Centre | (iii) Govt Res. Centre | ||||
| Should Compliance with Physical Safety & Security Regulation be Mandatory? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Should Dual-Use Technology be Licensed? | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Should Education & Training be Mandatory? | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Should Personnel Security Regulation be Mandatory? | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Who are the Decision-makers regarding Censorship/Constraint of Material proposed for Dissemination? | Individual editor | (i) Individual editor | (i) Individual editor | Independent Authority | Government |
| (ii) Corporation | (ii) Corporation | ||||
| (iii) Govt. Res. Centre | (iii) Govt. Res. Centre | ||||
NB: The decision-making in question pertains only to dual-use research in the biological sciences identified as potentially problematic by virtue of coming under one of the pre-established headings of Experiments of Concern