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   POLICY FOR SRI'S ESP RESEARC~ PROGRAM
   SRI International pursues research deemed of significance, relevance
   and leadership. Such research problems are often controversial by their
   Very nature. SRI International has stated in its policy concerning contro-
   versial issues that it is appropriate to be involved in significant and
   relevant research even though it may be controversial, provided the research
   is conducted professionally in all respects.
   A presently ongoing controversial SRI research activity is the ESP
   (extrasensory perception) work currently headed by Dr. Harold Putboff and
   Mr. Russell Targ. SRI recognizes that some people feel the apparent ESP
   phenomena under study are the result of improperly designed experimental
   protocol. or outright trickery or fraud. Others feel there are documented
   ex-perimental manifestations of possible ESP phenomena which they believe are
   not experimental artifacts', fraudl or trickery ana thus warrant careful
   research provided the studies are conducted in a scientifically sound manner.
        ESP research is controversial in that it deals with a concept which many
   find difficult to believe or impossible to quantify in terms of known physical
   laws and hence hard to understand as cr6dible. As a matter of policy, SRI
   will design and conduct only those ESP experiments which will aid in developing
   an understanding of the causal relationships of the phenomena and their re-
   lationship with known or postulated physical laws.
   One purpose of this policy is to define the framework for conducting ESP
   research at SRI. SRI will rely upon its line organization to -manage the ESP
   research activities, as it does for any other research project. Project leaders
   and project supervisors will be assigned the responsibility for individual
   projects and. these, in turn, will report to their appropriate line management..
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       Recognizing, the sensationalism that ESP activities sometimes generate It
       is particularly important that all level-s-lof the management team, from
       project leader up through all levels of research management, be particulazly
       careful in following established SRI research management procedures.
            In this regard, in order to safeguard that all important nuances of
       proper research protocol will always stand up to peer scrutiny from both
       within and outside SRI, a special ESP Program Oversight Committee will be
       established. This committee will be appointed by the Senior Vice President,
       Research Operations, and will have four members from SRI's senior scientille,
       or management staff, and two or more appropriate, knowledgeable individuals
       from outside SRI. To ensure that the possibility of trickery is obviated*
       SRI will try to retain a responsible professional magician as a consultant
       to the program and to serve on or to advise the ESP Committee. Appropriate
       members of line management will serve as ex officio members of the comaittee.
            The ESP Committee will review the ESP research program in depth quarterly,
       paying particular attention to the quality of the research protocols belng~
       used by the ESP research staff and the way SRI's research management Is conducti-,
       the program for SRI and its clients: The committee will report its findIngs to
       SRI management.
       4r
            It is believed essential that the SRI ESP research activity have cr:Ltical
       peer review in order to ensure its credibility and integrity. For this reason
       the ESP research, staff will., after prior approval by SRI management,. be per-
       mitted to seek to publish results that may be significant in appropriate.,
       refereed, professional journals or to offer to present their research, results
       at appropriate professional society symposia and meetings. From time to, time
       it is expected that they will present their results at internal SRI functlons.
       In addition, the ir research results will be published in the form of reports
       which are carefully reviewed by the appropriate SRI research management aud
       issued as required by contract research agreements and current policy coverIng
       all such SRI research.
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..Research-concernin.- ESP is-being undertaken-to attempt to f
     i.nd-facts
to present to the peer community for scientific review and confirmation,
and not for speculation or publicity. SRI, therefore, will provide minimal
media publicity of this ESP research activity. The ESP research staff or
any other SRI staff member will not grant.interviews or release statements
fcr gazeral publication about the research without prior management approval.
TMs 16-igUt control is believed vital to ensure that a proper, objective and
disciplined (not sensational) environment is maintained for the conduct of
ESP research at SRI.
      There is nothing in this policy to restrict its distribution; in fact,,.
its distribution in response to official public enquiries is encouraged.
0. O.K.- OX .
Charles A. Anderson Charles J ook Ray L. Leadabrand