Institutional Biosafety Committee
The formation of an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) at any institution conducting research with recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids is mandated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (Guidelines). At Northwestern University, the IBC receives its authority from the President of Northwestern and is further charged with review, approval, and oversight of all research protocols involving the use of biohazardous materials. Thus, the purview of the IBC includes research involving recombinant and synthetic nucleic acids as well as agents infectious or harmful to humans, animals, and/or plants (regardless of the presence of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids), and other genetically altered organisms and agents.
IBC Meeting Schedule
Convened IBC meetings are held monthly on the third Wednesday of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The meeting is held virtually. IBC meetings are open to the public. Anyone interested in attending an IBC meeting should contact ibc@northwestern.edu.
Meeting Minutes
| MONTH | DATE |
|---|---|
| January | 1/15/25 |
| February | 2/19/25 |
| March | 3/19/25 |
| April | 4/16/25 |
| May | 5/21/25 |
| June | 6/18/25 |
| July | 7/16/25 |
| August | 8/20/25 |
| September | 9/17/25 |
| October | 10/15/25 |
| November | 11/19/25 |
| December | 12/17/25 |
For Current IBC Roster, please visit the NIH website.
Assistance with Registrations
The IBC offers hours on the Chicago Campus every Monday from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and IBC Administrators are available to meet virtually (contact ibc@northwestern.edu).
Emergency Response and Reporting
All incidents involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids or genetically modified organisms must be reported to the NIH. Please submit incident reports to the Biosafety Officer via Risk Management.
Questions
For more information about the IBC and biological registrations, email ibc@northwestern.edu.