Arizona Disease Control Research Commission

This report addresses how the Arizona Disease Control Research Commission could increase its impact and improve its contracting processes. The Commission’s historic and statutory purpose is to contract with public and private researchers to support a wide variety of medical research. However, the Commission currently supports only research on the prevention and treatment of tobacco-related illnesses  because its primary source of revenues is statutorily allotted for this purpose.

Although the Commission performs a valuable function, its impact could be increased. The Commission supports a wide variety of tobacco-related research, including projects unique to Arizona. Some of this work has resulted in potentially important medical discoveries. However, the Commission’s impact is limited by not being more closely tied to public health priorities and a lack of awareness regarding its research results.

Additionally, although the Commission appears to award research contracts appropriately, it does not keep adequate records regarding its decisions, and uses an inefficient form of contracting.