University of Michigan. Collegiate Institute for Values and Science.

The Collegiate Institute for Values and Science (CIVS) was founded in the 1976/77 academic year for the purpose of facilitating discussions among scholars regarding scientific research and values. With the encouragement of Billy Frye, Dean of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, and with funds earmarked for interdisciplinary programs, the Institute shaped into a monthly faculty seminar under the direction of faculty members Eric Rabkin, Nick Steneck, and Gordon Kane, with assistance from Roy (Skip) Rappaport.

CIVS initially concerned itself with the debate over research on recombinant DNA, which took place at the University of Michigan as well as on the national level, primarily during the years 1975-1978. The newly developed ability of scientists to manipulate the genetic code sparked sharp debates all across the nation, both within the scientific community and among non-scientists. As a major research institution the University of Michigan, along with Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was deeply involved with the controversy over DNA. The debate centered on three main issues. The first was the conflict between freedom of scientific inquiry and a more cautious approach to genetic research. In this context, the lessons derived from atomic fission and the development of nuclear weapons were recurring themes.

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