IBC Forms, Deadlines, and 2008 Meeting Schedule

Institutional Biosafety Committee

The Institutional Biosafety Committee is responsible for enforcing policies and guidelines related to university-related use of all potentially hazardous biological agents including but not limited to infectious agents, human and non human primate materials (including established cell lines), known regulated carcinogens, select agents, recombinant DNA and studies involving human gene transfer. The Committee ensures that research involving these agents is conducted in a manner that does not endanger the researcher, laboratory worker, human research subjects, the public or the environment.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee is responsible to:

• Formulate and implement policies related to the safe use of biological materials, CDC select agents, DEA chemical precursors, and known chemical carcinogens, mutagens and highly toxic materials;

• Review all research protocols involving biological materials, CDC select agents, DEA chemical precursors, and known chemical carcinogens, mutagens and highly toxic materials;

• Approve or disapprove such projects based on their hazard potential and proposed containment procedures;

• Establish, approve and monitor proper laboratory conditions and procedures required for such projects;

• Review the qualifications and training of investigators and laboratory personnel engaged in such research to ensure the use of appropriate laboratory safety techniques;

• Ensure the adoption of proper disposal and decontamination procedures;

• Adopt emergency plans that cover accidental spills and personnel contamination resulting from research;

• Ensure that any significant problems with or violations of the NIH and/or CDC Guidelines are investigated and reported as specified in the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules and the "Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories" respectively.

The Committee follows the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules on the use of recombinant DNA and human gene transfer and the CDC/NIH guidelines, "Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories", in addition to implementing more restrictive guidelines as needed.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee meets at least once per month. Fifty one percent of the voting membership is necessary to establish a quorum to conduct business.  Committee members are selected from a pool of faculty with expertise in the properties and safe use of human and non-human primate materials, infectious agents, carcinogens, select agents, recombinant DNA and human gene transfer trials. The pool of faculty selected to serve on the committee shall meet the requirements specified in the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules. Members must attend three-fourths of the meetings or they will be removed from the committee the following year.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee shall consist of at least twelve voting members appointed by the President or his designee: eleven faculty members and the Biological Safety Officer. The twelve voting members must include a member with expertise in Recombinant DNA Technology, a member from the Department of Molecular Biology, the Director of Animal Resources, a member representing Laboratory Technical Staff, two outside community members and the Biological Safety Officer. Ad hoc Committee members will be used for various situations as they arise.

Members shall serve for a term of one year, which may be renewed by the President. The Chair shall be designated by the President and selected from among the faculty representatives on the Committee.

The Committee reports administratively to the President through the Senior Vice President, Administration and General Counsel. The Committee also receives executive oversight and guidance from the Executive Research Compliance Committee (ERCC); as such, it will routinely update the ERCC on its activities and seek ERCC advice as needed to resolve research compliance related issues. The ERCC will in turn apprise the Senior Vice President, Administration and General Counsel of IBC activities and any attendant issues that require executive attention.