It concerns the ethical, legal and social impact of neuroscience, including the ways in which neurotechnology can be used to predict or alter human behavior and "the implications of our mechanistic understanding of brain function for society... integrating neuroscientific knowledge with ethical and social thought".

The Dana Foundation has a particular interest in neuroethics activities. Dana 's former President, William Safire, is widely credited with giving the word its current meaning in 2002, defining it as "the examination of what is right and wrong, good and bad about the treatment of, perfection of, or unwelcome invasion of and worrisome manipulation of the human brain.

In Gray Matters: Integrative Approaches for Neuroscience, Ethics, and Society, the Bioethics Commission analyzed why and how to achieve ethics integration early and explicitly throughout neuroscience research.

In Gray Matters: Topics at the Intersection of Neuroscience, Ethics, and Society, the Bioethics Commission broadly considered the ethical and societal implications of neuroscience research and its applications.

The MCWG agreed to the creation of this committee. Four MCWG members voluteered to be part of this committee to be chaired by Greely and Grady.