What are my IBC responsibilities as principal investigator or lab instructor?

The PI should make the initial determination of the required levels of physical and biological containment in accordance with the NIH Guidelines and the most recent edition of the BMBL (Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories), and the UMBC Laboratory Safety Guide.

  • The PI should select the appropriate microbiological practices and laboratory techniques to be used for the research.
  • The PI must submit a research protocol in KUALI, and Lab Instructors must submit a teaching lab application in KUALI prior to using recombinant and synthetic DNA as well as research and teaching using transgenic animals and biohazardous materials (such as bacterium, fungi, algae, potential infectious agents and select agents) and follow committee approval before any work begins
  • The PI needs to ensure that all staff listed have access to the currently approved protocol and have read the protocol before beginning work.
  • The PI should ensure that the staff listed on the protocol have sufficient knowledge and are sufficiently trained and documented to safely perform the responsibilities for which they have been assigned.
  • The PI ensures that the protocol participants fully understand the steps necessary following any spills or potential exposures with the agents described in the protocol.
  • The PI should immediately report any suspected confirmed BSL-2 research-related illnesses as well as reporting any accidents, significant problems with or violation of the NIH Guidelines to UMBC ESH immediately and report to the spills or accidents that fall under the UMBC ESH process.
  • The PI is also responsible for these areas during the lifetime of the protocol:
    • Progress (annual) reports
    • Adverse events or incident reports
    • Modifications
    • Changes to research team
    • Premature closure/suspension of activities
    • Final study closure or renewal of research activities.
  • In terms of an IBC application, at PI is a full time faculty member in a department where recombinant and synthetic DNA activities are conducted and may also be defined by UMBC’s Policy on Principal Investigator Eligibility.
  • Investigators are also responsible for complying with applicable policies and procedures of other compliance committees, such as the Institutional Review Board and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee as well as Export Control management.

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