M E M O R A N D U M

      September 12, 2012

TO:		Members of the Board of Trustees

FROM:	Joseph Belluck, Trustee 
 
SUBJECT:	UB Shale Institute


      I recommend that the Board of Trustees adopt the following resolution:

Whereas The State University of New York is a first-class academic research system;

Whereas scientific integrity is a core principle of the State University of New York and required to qualify for federal scientific grants;

Whereas avoiding conflicts of interest and fully disclosing funding sources of research are core principles of the State University of New York and required to qualify for federal grants;

Whereas there have been widespread reports of concerns from faculty, in the press and from public accountability organizations regarding the formation of the UB Shale Institute, the selection of its directors, and the publication of its initial report, including that natural gas companies requested that the institute be formed, were involved in the selection of its directors and significant errors in its first report, including misstating that it was peer reviewed; 

Resolved that State University of New York, University at Buffalo, is hereby required to fully report to the Board of Trustees in an expeditious manner all of the facts and circumstances regarding the formation of the UB Shale Institute, the selection of its directors and the publication of its first report, including the involvement of the natural gas companies in the formation of the institute, the selection of its directors and the publication of its first report.