Biosafety

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is responsible for reviewing, approving, and monitoring all research projects involving biological materials that may pose different levels of safety, health, or environmental risk to plants, animals, or humans. Policies related to the composition and responsibilities of the IBC have been described in Section IV-B-2 of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (PDF) and EM 23-032.

All research conducted at Chico State involving biological materials that may pose safety risks - regardless of funding source or regardless of the institution that reviewed the research - is subject to institutional, local, and state (including tribal law), and federal policies and regulations and must be submitted to and approved by the IBC prior to initiation. If you are unsure if your project requires IBC review or not, please submit the provided registration form. The IBC is responsible for determining if the research is exempt from IBC review. IBC registration forms are reviewed throughout the year and can be submitted at any time for review. Registration forms for proposed activities should be submitted to ibc@csuchico.edu.

The IBC is comprised of at least five individuals to provide comprehensive reviews of current and proposed research. Members have an appropriate collective knowledge of recombinant and synthetic nucleic acids; members include plant and animal experts and two members unaffiliated with the university. IBC members are required to complete training and are appointed by the Institutional Official (IO). To support the IBC on behalf of the university, Sharon Ruggirello serves as the IBC Coordinator and works in consultation with the IBC, Chair, and Compliance Officer. Sharon is happy to answer general questions regarding the protection of human subjects and can be reached at ibc@csuchico.edu.

Required Training for IBC Members and Research Personnel

IBC members and Key Personnel are required to complete ethics training. IBC members are required to complete the appropriate training course upon appointment. Key personnel listed on BUA submissions must have completed the appropriate CITI training course before submission. Failure to comply with the training requirement will result in the BUA submission being returned to the study team. For additional information, please see the Chico State research ethics training informational website.

All inquiries regarding IBC activities should be directed to Sharon Ruggirello at ibc@csuchico.edu.

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• IBC Forms and Protocol Reviews

  For new IBC Registrations, please submit an IBC Biological Use Application (BUA) form through Qualtrics. Please note: Submitted IBC forms, including new Biological Use Applications (BUAs), are reviewed as received. The IBC meets on an ad hoc basis to review new BUAs. There are no deadlines associated with new BUA submissions.

  Submit an IBC BUA(opens in new window)
  Annual Review/Protocol Change Form (PDF)
  Protocol Discontinuation/Termination Form (PDF)
  Incident Report Form (PDF)
  IBC Exempt Form (PDF) (This form is to be used to determine whether an activity is exempt from IBC review/approval)
  
  Please note: All forms will be reviewed shortly after they are received, and the committee provides reviews year-round.
• Policies

  National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (PDF)

  Chico State EM 23-032: Institutional Biosafety Committee; Supersedes and Decommissions EM 01-002

  Chico State IBC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), approved May 2023

• Student Research Activities

  Graduate and Undergraduate Students are encouraged to seek guidance from their graduate coordinator or faculty advisor in completing the IBC Biological Use Application (BUA) form. Students involved in data collection and research activities must be under the guidance, supervision and ultimate responsibility of a Chico State faculty or staff member.