Document k6rDOBVjL8xNOZ0Z7jQmaxbXD

Shanghai Health Study Background Information Q: Who are the funders? A: Current funders (as of Oct. 2002): BP ChevronTexaco ConocoPhillips ExxonMobil Shell Chemical Additional funding from Marathon The American Petroleum Institute is the project administrator. Q: How were the funders selected? A: A consortium of petroleum and chemical companies are sponsoring the SHS as part of their ongoing individual product stewardship and corporate responsibility programs. Others with a similar interest in the health effects of benzene are welcome to join the consortium. Q: How much will the SHS cost? A: $2l.08 million program total for all costs including: operations for five years estimated to identify case studies; staff training, data collection, and analysis; study revisions recommended by the scientific and ethics panels; patient privacy protections; constructing a state-of-the-art laboratory at Fudan University in China; and laboratory operations for research and clinical tests. - The on-site lab provides cutting edge technologies and diagnostic capabilities without necessitating shipping human tissue samples to the U.S. for testing. Q: Are funding shares equal? Ifnot. how they are allocated? A: Funding shares for start-up were determined by size and sector. Currently, a contribution of $500,000 provides full membership benefits (see table at end of document). Q: Apart (rom financial commitments. if our organization were to join. what are the membership requirements? A: Current members can serve on three separate committees -communications, oversight or technical. The oversight committee makes budgeting, resource and other major decisions; the technical committee follows progress of the research; SHS Funding Questions September 13, 2004 SH ELL-MCCLU RG-056705 and the communications committee helps with external communications about the project. Q: Would it be possible to join the SHS as a partial member? Ifso, how would that be decided? A: The Oversight Committee would need to consider that request. Marathon has been admitted as a partial member. They are invited to participate in the Annual Meeting and receive the investigator's periodic updates. Q: Why are petroleum and petrochemical companies the only funders? A: The petrochemical industry has long taken a lead role in researching benzene health effects. However, any interested company or group is invited to participate. Q: Wouldn't the American Petroleum Institute and their European counterpart (CONCA WE) be a logical source for additional funds? A: All of the current funders are API and CONCAWE members. For a variety of reasons, member companies often fund and manage major research initiatives in a separate resource consortium rather than through the association. However, the sponsors do think the project should be of interest to other companies, industries and sectors and would like to see funding diversified. Q: Were other funders solicited? A: Yes and active outreach continues. Q: If they said no, why should I be interested? A: Each company has to set its own priorities and interests. And I can't address the decisions other companies have made. Obviously, since my company is funding the project (ALTfor API staff: since I'm closely involved with..) we think it is important for understanding the health effects of benzene, which is an important part of our product stewardship responsibilities. Q: Why are the original project supporters seeking additional funding? A: We believe this project is of general interest to all companies who produce or handle benzene. We'd like to see as many of them as possible them directly involved. Q: What is the benefit to me to join the study at this point? Won't the study be conducted anyway? A: Study sponsorship allows you the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue on these issues with the people actively searching for worker safety solutions. It will help ensure your company has a solid understanding of the project, beyond the summaries presented in the anticipated peer-reviewed publication of the study SHS Funding Questions September 13, 2004 2 SH ELL-MCCLU RG-056706 results. And it will clearly demonstrate to your employees, customers and shareholders that you agree you have a responsibility to actively study and understand your products. Q: Your company was involved in designing the project; at this point my company wouldn't have input to the research. So why should we join now? A: First, the research was designed by Drs. Richard Irons and Otto Wong. Sponsoring companies established an Ethics Review Board and a Scientific Review Panel, both of which had extensive input to the project. These bodies endorsed the study design. While the initial sponsors had a lot to do with that process, they did not control the study design. As a result, we think we will make a sound contribution to the science of benzene health effects. [As appropriate, repeat reasons for joining.] Q: Is there a role for non-government and/ or government organizations in the SHS? A: We would welcome the opportunity to brief others on the project and to keep in touch with them on future progress. Approved Sponsorship Privileges for New Funding Sponsors Privileges I Oversight Committee Technical Committee Budget Committee Communications Committee SRP/ERP Study Updates Website access Financial Reports Identified as sponsor on publications, posters and meeting presentations Annual Meeting <$500,000 I X I Observer X Invite to participate X -J -J -J Second tier acknowledgement: "With additional funding by .. " Observer $500,000 1 share Participant Participant Participant Participant X -J -J -J Full Participant I SHS Funding Questions September 13, 2004 3 SH ELL-MCCLU RG-056707