Yale University Statement on Proposed USSOCOM Center

The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has corrected information released on Thursday, February 21, 2013. The following statement was issued today (Friday, February 22) by USSOCOM:

“After a review of the facts, we have determined the information concerning a center for excellence in operational neuroscience initially provided to and released by this office was incorrect. U.S. Special Operations Command has not and will not provide Yale funds to establish a USSOCOM Center for Excellence in Operational Neuroscience. We sincerely apologize for any problems, concerns, or confusion releasing the erroneous information has caused Yale, its student body and the citizens of New Haven.”

No center of this type would be established at Yale without a careful review of the scope of its planned activities and any related ethical issues, but in this case, the review should have occurred at an earlier stage of discussion. A Center for Excellence in Operational Neuroscience will not be established at Yale University. 

Additionally, there have been media reports that a prior research publication co-authored by Charles Morgan involved Arabic-speaking participants. The research leading to this publication was conducted under the auspices of the Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts — not Yale — and the ethical aspects of the research were monitored by both an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) and a government IRB. Yale’s IRB had no role in this research. Members of the Yale faculty analyzed the data collected by the Draper study and published their findings. 

All human research at Yale is subjected to robust review and must meet Yale’s strict ethical standards, and include procedures to protect the rights and well-being of all participants.