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
- Other biological materials with safety or compliance risks
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 initiating 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 18, 2025 (Wednesday) | May 15, 2025 (Thursday) | May 27, 2025 (Tuesday) |
| August 27, 2025 (Wednesday) | July 30, 2025 (Wednesday) | August 8, 2025 (Friday) |
| October 22, 2025 (Wednesday) | September 24, 2025 (Wednesday) | October 3, 2025 (Friday) |
| December 10, 2025* (Wednesday) | November 7, 2025 (Friday) | November 12, 2025 (Wednesday) |
- Location: Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams
- * In-person meetings. Location: Benson 303 (Conference Room)
- Start Time: 3 p.m.
Public Notification - IBC Meetings are open to the public. If you would like to attend an IBC meeting, please contact Sherika Smith, Biosafety Officer, at smiths69@mailbox.sc.edu at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting date for further information.
- 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
Members are selected to ensure compliance with membership requirements articulated in the NIH Guidelines. The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) will be comprised of no fewer than six members. Members are appointed to ensure they collectively have experience and expertise to effectively assess the safety and risks of research proposals.
| IBC Member | Department/Member Role |
|---|---|
| Doug Pittman | IBC Chair; Director of Graduate Studies in Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences |
| Mark Robbins | EH&S Research Safety Bureau Chief & Senior Biosafety Officer |
| Shayne Barlow | Associate VP for Research & Attending Veterinarian/Animal Expert |
| Beth Krizek | Professor in Biological Sciences; Plant Expert |
| Sujit Pujhari | Viral Vector Core Director in Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience |
| Jason Kubinak | Associate Professor in Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology |
| Michael Shtutman | Associate Professor in Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences |
| Daping Fan | Professor in Cell Biology and Anatomy |
| Sean Norman | Associate Professor in Environmental Health Sciences |
| Anna Blenda | Associate Professor and Director of Research at USC SOM Greenville |
| William Jackson | Professor and Chair in Biological, Environmental & Earth Sciences at USC Aiken |
| Ben Montgomery | Chair of Mathematics & Computer Science at USC Upstate |
| Amanda Moore | Community member; SC Department of Public Health |
| Vida Mingo | Community member; Senior Lecturer of Biology at Columbia College |
| Kris Kaigler | Laboratory technical staff in Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience |
The NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) is committed to ensuring institutions are transparent regarding compliance with the NIH Guidelines. In 2025, the OSP notified institutions of a new requirement to post the approved minutes on the institution's public-facing website. Minutes from meetings taking place before June 1, 2025, must still be made available to the public upon request. The University may redact proprietary or private information, but this will be done judiciously and consistently for all requested documents.
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