Safety

A wide variety of safeguards are in place to minimize risks and protect our researchers and the community. In addition to building design and construction, these include the recruitment of experienced researchers; the rigorous observance of standard operating procedures for safety, security and operations; limited access to the NEIDL; and extensive security checks of persons and property.  There will be collaborative training programs with city agencies and integration of our institutional protocols with Boston Medical Center clinicians.  We will follow guidelines and regulations of the Boston Public Health Commission, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

Beyond safety, we are committed to providing transparency in our work. Oversight by several committees ensures community access to information about our work and opportunities for open dialogue.  The Institutional Biosafety Committee, which has oversight responsibility for all biosafety programs at Boston University and Boston Medical Center, includes public representation. The Community Liaison Committee was created specifically to promote community outreach and feedback.  The eleven-member NEIDL Institute Executive Committee, also includes a public member-at-large to represent public interests.

Furthermore, our External Scientific Advisory Committee, the Boston Public Health Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety all provide important links between our activities and our community. Finally, the NEIDL is accountable to independent public health and safety officials in more than a dozen local, state and federal agencies and organizations.