Biosafety Program
Portland State University’s Biosafety Program and the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) oversee research activities involving recombinant DNA and potentially bio-hazardous materials in order to assure compliance with regulatory requirements and conformance to best practices. The IBC is an ethics review committee required by the NIH and at PSU is responsible for reviewing and approving all related biosafety research.
Biosafety Approval & Oversight
To request approval for a proposed research study involving recombinant DNA or other potentially biohazardous materials, investigators must submit a protocol application for review by the IBC. A complete IBC submission includes a completed Biosafety Protocol Application and an appropriate Biosafety Manual. Review typically takes between 2-4 weeks and requires a lab assessment performed by the Biosafety Officer. The protocol application and biosafety templates are provided below. Completed form(s) must be submitted by email to ibc@pdx.edu. Once approved, biosafety protocols are generally approved for three years, with an annual lab assessment performed by the Biosafety Program.
Please note that investigators must check with the Biosafety Program prior to applying for external permits, licenses or authorizations to bring potentially biohazardous materials to campus, in order to ensure institutional compliance with federal regulations. Additionally, the Biosafety Program must be included on communications with external agencies and organizations concerning federal or state compliance oversight.
Applications & Forms
Biosafety Manual Templates
Biosafety Training
Faculty, staff and students conducting regulated biosafety research are required to complete the Biosafety research training available via the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). All listed personnel must complete Biosafety CITI training prior to protocol approval (CITI training must be completed within the last three years).
Visit our Training page for specific biosafety training login and completion instructions.
Institutional Biosafety Committee Meetings
The Institutional Biosafety Committee meets approximately once a month. Meetings are subject to re-scheduling due to holidays, university closures, no meeting quorum, etc. At this time, all IBC meetings are hosted virtually, using an online meeting platform. Meetings are scheduled on an as-needed basis.
This site is updated with a meeting agenda at least one week in advance of a scheduled meeting. The next IBC meeting is scheduled for:
To Be Determined
To confirm upcoming meeting information, please contact the Biosafety Program at ibc@pdx.edu.
Biosafety Resources
Regulations & Guidelines
NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules
CDC Bio-safety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories
Non-indigenous Arthropod, Parasitoid and Predators Containment Guidelines
Plant Containment Guidelines: A practical guide to containment
Select Agents
Agencies & Organizations
Contact Us
For additional questions related to the use of recombinant DNA and potentially bio-hazardous materials, please contact the Biosafety Program at ibc@pdx.edu.