October is National Biosafety Month

The NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) has designated October as National Biosafety Month to encourage institutions to highlight the importance of biosafety and strengthen their biosafety programs. At BU, these principles are practiced year round to ensure compliance with federal requirements and to foster a culture of responsibility for biosafety and biosecurity.

The BU Biosafety Manual establishes the written policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for biosafety and biosecurity oversight and clearly articulates the expectations for all who are conducting or overseeing research.  The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) reviews this manual on an annual basis to ensure that its policies and SOPs are current and relevant, and address compliance with all applicable requirements and standards.

IBC meeting minutes and resources are posted online to help members of the BU research community understand their responsibilities regarding compliance with biosafety and biosecurity requirements, as well as to keep the external community informed of BU’s oversight systems and safety culture. This transparency keeps BU publically accountable and promotes public trust in the safety of the research enterprise.

Achieving and maintaining BU’s strong culture of biosafety, biosecurity and responsible conduct of research is a direct result of the tremendous efforts of PIs and research staff ensuring they are compliant with federal regulations and institutional policies. To learn more about National Biosafety Month and the activities that OSP has planned see their blog at National Biosafety Month: The New Fall Classic.