Biological Materials Requiring IBC Review and Approval
Research involving the following materials requires IBC review and approval of a protocol application prior to conducting experiments:
- Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acids
- Human, Animal or Plant Pathogens
- Human-Derived Materials
- HHS/USDA Select Agents or Biological Toxins
A pre-review is required for all higher risk projects and strongly encouraged for all new protocol submissions.
All IBC protocols are approved for a period of 3 years. If a project will be extended beyond 3 years, an IBC protocol renewal must be submitted prior to the expiration date. Any changes to a research project in an approved IBC protocol must be submitted as an amendment to the protocol application. All amendments must be approved prior to initiaing the proposed changes.
NOTE: Updates to lab personnel on a protocol do not require a new protocol submission.
The IBC Charter includes additional information about the committee’s policies and procedures:
Protocols must be submitted on or before the submission deadline for the scheduled meeting. There is no expedited approval for experiments requiring review by the full committee.
The IBC meeting dates may be updated if necessary for quorum attendance.
| Meeting Date | Pre-Review Request Deadline | Submission Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| February 12, 2025 (Wednesday) | January 15, 2025 (Wednesday) | January 24, 2025 (Friday) |
| April 16, 2025 (Wednesday) | March 19, 2025 (Wednesday) | March 26, 2025 (Wednesday) |
| June 11, 2025 (Wednesday) | May 14, 2025 (Wednesday) | May 22, 2025 (Thursday) |
| August 13, 2025 (Wednesday) | July 16, 2025 (Wednesday) | July 25, 2025 (Friday) |
| October 8, 2025 (Wednesday) | September 10, 2025 (Wednesday) | September 19, 2025 (Friday) |
| December 3, 2025* (Wednesday) | November 5, 2025 (Wednesday) | November 12, 2025 (Wednesday) |
- Location: Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams
- * In-person meetings. Location: Benson 303 (Conference Room)
- Start Time: 3 p.m.
- The laboratory must have submitted a corrective action plan for all deficiencies identified during their most recent lab safety inspection
- All personnel included on the protocol must be up-to-date on required Biosafety Training
- Any biosafety cabinet used for the project must have an updated annual certification
- All personnel included on the protocol must have completed any required occupational health services
NIH OSP Institutional Biosafety Committee Registration Management System
FAQs: NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acids [pdf]
FAQs: IBC Meetings and Minutes
FAQs: Major Actions Under Section III-A of the NIH Guidelines