In Brief ...

A spokesman for Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)--the Medical School's teaching facility--this week denied suggestions that a West German company contracted to support molecular biology research at MGH would take advantage of public funds to make money. Martin S. Bander, head of news and public affairs at MGH, took issue with Rep. Albert Gore Jr. (D-Tenn.), who said that Hoechst A. G., the company, "contemplated the opportunity to leverage public investment at the hospital to its own interest." Under an agreement reached last May, Hoechst will fund molecular biological research at MGH and receive the right to profit from it before other companies gain access to the findings.

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Dean Rosovsky said this week that his annual report, due out in December, will contain a major statement on affirmative action policy. Rosovsky said he will stress that more lenient federal affirmative action regulations will not induce the Faculty to "do less," but instead will present an opportunity to step up efforts to achieve fairness in hiring procedures.