At its June 28–29 meeting, the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) of the US National Institutes of Health endorsed a plan to give increased power to RAC in its oversight of gene therapy clinical trials. The group supported a proposal that would harmonize reporting requirements for serious adverse events, so that NIH receives the same reports as the Food and Drug Administration. Currently, NIH requires that all serious adverse events be reported immediately, whereas FDA has a varied deadline, ranging from 7 days to 1 year, based on severity. In addition, RAC agreed with a proposal that gene therapy protocols should be submitted to NIH at the same time they are submitted to researchers' Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). RAC would not have power to block the trials, but the IRBs would be required to review RAC's complaints. Acting NIH Director Ruth Kirschstein is expected to issue the new guidelines for RAC oversight in the next few months.