Modernizing Biosafety (IBC) Regulations
On September 9, the NIH announced plans to modernize their biosafety regulatory framework. You can see details here:
and here: https://osp.od.nih.gov/policies/biosafety-and-biosecurity-policy/#tab2/
The NIH has indicated the new regulations will align with risk, lower regulatory burden for low-risk research, expand oversight beyond work with recombinant and synthetic nucleic acids, and empower IBCs.
The NIH has pledged to make this a transparent process. It will be a significant endeavor and the largest biosafety regulatory overhaul since the NIH Guidelines on recombinant DNA research were first released 50 years ago. This process will take a year and will involve soliciting input from stakeholders, such as researchers like you. The first listening session was September 30th (https://osp.od.nih.gov/events/strengthening-and-modernizing-biosafety-region-1-listening-session/). Although this session was not specifically targeted to our geographical region, the IBC encourages investigators to review the slides and engage with the public comment process, considering the significance of this regulatory overhaul.
Another notice will go out when the listening session for our region is announced. Please note: the government shutdown may affect this process.
Please feel free to reach out to Debbie Eckert, Institutional Biosafety Committee Director and Biosafety Officer (debbie.eckert@ehs.utah.edu), with any questions or concerns.
Questions? If you have any questions or need assistance, contact the IRB office at 801-581-3655 or irb@hsc.utah.edu.