Information for Researchers

SFA Institutional Biosafety Committee approval is needed for all research, teaching or testing activities conducted by a member of the faculty or staff of SFA prior to initiation of the following work with:

• Recombinant DNA (and RNA) including the creation or use of transgenic plants and animals
  • Biological toxins
  • Select Agents and Toxins, including strains and amounts exempted from the Select Agent Regulations
  • Any material(s) requiring a CDC Import license or USDA permit.
• Pathogens, potential pathogens or infectious agents of humans, animals, or plants
• Materials potentially containing human pathogens (human blood, tissue, and cell lines; non-human primate blood, tissues, and cell lines)

A copy of the IBC approval letter will be provided to the Principal Investigator and the Department Head. 

IBC approval is valid for three years; annual renewals are required.

Amendments are required prior to implementing any change to an existing IBC approval. Changes must be submitted for review and include modifications to:

• Personnel: any deletion or addition of laboratory personnel to a BSL-2 research project
• Funding: any addition of funding
• Agents: any addition of agents, procedures, etc.
• Locations: any change in locations
  • The room being vacated must be decontaminated, chemical and biological agents properly disposed of (and/or secured for transport). The vacated lab will be inspected and decommissioned by the Office of Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management.
  • The new lab must be inspected and certified before work in the new space may commence.

Once the approval memo, signed by the IBC Chair, is received by the Principal Investigator, approved experiments may commence.

The IBC approval will detail the specific outline of the work permitted, including a list of approved agents, locations and assigned biosafety level(s).

See approval of research.

As part of the IBC review and approval process, laboratories will be scheduled for inspection.

The IBC cannot approve any research project until all lab space has been inspected and certified for the appropriate biosafety level.

Principal Investigators conducting research involving recombinant DNA molecules must complete NIH Guidelines training. This training is offered online via the CITI program and must be completed once every three years.

All personnel who will be conducting research at a biosafety level two must complete training before being permitted to work in the BSL-2 lab. BSL-2 training is valid for three years and may be refreshed on-line via the CITI program.

Bloodborne pathogen training is required for all personnel at occupational risk of exposure to human and/or non-human primate blood, tissues, body fluids, and/or other potentially infectious materials. Annual retraining is mandatory. The bloodborne pathogen training is offered online via the CITI program and must be completed prior to initiating work with such agents.

Personnel training requirements will be reviewed annually to ensure that all personnel are current with respect to required trainings.

Termination will initiate the laboratory decommission process described in changes to approval, "Locations."