Former NCI Head Denies Charges

The former director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) denied yesterday a Congressional committee’s allegation that while a candidate for the Harvard presidency he influenced the decision to award the University a $40 million contract.

“I personally had absolutely nothing to do with the decision-making process, and I’m surprised that the committee is questioning whether Harvard can compete in a standard, competitive review process,” Dr. Richard Klausner said in an interview.

On Monday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to University President Lawrence H. Summers detailing the investigation into the grant, which was awarded to Loeb Professor of Chemistry Stuart L. Schreiber to found the Initiative for Chemical Genetics.

The committee is seeking detailed documentation from Harvard and NCI—including the records of the closely guarded Harvard Presidential Search Committee.

Klausner was interviewed twice by the committee during Harvard’s presidential search, he said yesterday.

In June 1999, Klausner recused himself from decisions at the NCI relating to Harvard, citing the fact that he was under consideration for a position at the University.

But the House Energy and Commerce Committee alleges that Klausner visited Harvard to discuss the contract after he excused himself from the review process and while he was a candidate for the Harvard presidency.

“Of course I visited Harvard,” Klausner said. “Everyone did. There was great research going on.”

Klausner said that he met with Schreiber only in the context of another project he directed, the Harvard Institute of Chemistry and Cellular Biology.

“Schreiber and I never talked about the Harvard application. He knew that it was absolutely verboten.”

The contract for the Initiative for Chemical Genetics, originally known as the Molecular Target Laboratory (MTL), was awarded to Harvard in March 2002, a full year after the presidential search ended.

Klausner also disputed claims that the company he co-founded with Schreiber, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, benefitted from the contract that was awarded to the Molecular Target Laboratory.

“There was never a relationship between MTL and Infinity,” he said.

Klausner downplayed his initial involvement with Infinity, claiming that he only became seriously involved after he left NCI.

Klausner is now the executive director of global health for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

According to the letter delivered to Summers, the committee is requesting copies of any communications between Harvard and the funders of the lab, records of Klausner’s visits to Harvard and to Schreiber’s laboratory as well as the records of the Harvard Presidential Search Committee—which under University rules are sealed for 80 years following the conclusion of the search.

Harvard’s Senior Director of Federal and State Relations Kevin Casey said that the Harvard administration has not yet decided on a response to the letter from the committee.

“We’re trying to determine what the requests are and how to best cooperate with the committee,” he said. “It’s a lengthy document that we’re still in the process of evaluating.”

Casey would not say whether Schreiber will be questioned by the University, though he said that “all relevant steps will be taken” in order to comply with the committee’s requests.

Schreiber was in Manhattan for a meeting yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

Robert G. Stone, chair of the presidential search committee that chose Summers, said that the allegations against Klausner are “ridiculous” and “far-fetched,” but confirmed that Klausner was considered to fill Harvard’s top job.

“We interviewed 30-40 candidates seriously, and he was one of those,” Stone said. “He didn’t get past that round, but he’s a plausible candidate for anybody.”

“I’ve met with Rick myself and he’s one of the most ethical people, a brilliant scholar,” Stone said.

Stone added that he believed that Harvard would release all presidential search documents requested by the House Committee.

“I’m sure Harvard will do it,” he said. “There’s nothing to hide.”

According to Stone, the documents from this most recent presidential search have not been accessed since Summers was chosen in March 2001.

The House Committee letter states that all documents must be submitted by the University by Dec. 10.