NAS Seeks Court’s Relief to Rename and Repurpose Sackler Funds

WASHINGTON - The National Academy of Sciences filed a petition today with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia requesting that the Court permit NAS to remove the Sackler name from four institutional funds and to repurpose the use of those funds. The notoriety of the Sackler name has made it impossible for the Academy to carry out the purposes for which it originally accepted the funds. The petition asks the Court to modify restrictions in the gift instruments that established the four funds so that the NAS may best utilize them for the Academy's charitable, scientific mission by combining the funds, removing the Sackler name, and repurposing them as a single "National Academy of Sciences Fund for Science and the Public Good."

The aim of the new fund is to support studies, projects, programs, and other research and educational activities that provide evidence-based approaches to societal crises. Funded activities may include, but not be limited to, exploring, understanding, and addressing misinformation surrounding topics at the interface of science and society; providing scientifically validated information to the public in general or to specific groups as appropriate for the topic being addressed; and proposing mitigation strategies and solutions for possible unintended consequences of innovations in science. The purposes of the new fund are consistent with the charitable intentions of the original donations, the petition to the Court notes.

"I am pleased we were able to take this legal action today, as it was impossible to use the funds in a way that was consistent with our mission of providing trusted advice to the nation," said NAS President Marcia McNutt. "We intend for the new fund to be used to bring our expertise and evidence-based approach to bear on many challenges facing society, including the opioid epidemic, which has taken such a terrible toll on individuals, families, and our communities."

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