On January 15, 2026, from 1:00 – 2:15 PM ET (12:00 – 1:15 PM CT), NIH and the Midwest Area Biosafety Network (MABioN) will be co-hosting a virtual listening session to continue to advance efforts to modernize and strengthen biosafety oversight.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Registration is required if planning to make an oral statement at the listening session.  Those planning to only view the listening session are kindly requested, but not required, to register. Priority speaking slots will be given to participants located in Region 3 of NIH’s stakeholder map. More information about the goals of the listening session, as well as a draft agenda, webcast information, and registration information can be found on the meeting page of the OSP Website. 

For additional information on NIH’s Biosafety Modernization Initiative, including the dates and times of other regional events as well as details on how you can provide on-demand ideas and comments, please visit here. Additionally, previous listening sessions are available through the NIH Videocast archive found here.

Questions may be sent to [email protected].

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting public input on its proposal to establish harmonized and transparent policy requirements for protecting human participant research data. Specifically, NIH proposes to:

(1) establish policy requirements for which data should be controlled-access under NIH data sharing policies, and

(2) revise the NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy to simplify and harmonize requirements.

The full proposal can be found here. Stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the policy proposals as described in the request for information. Comments must be submitted electronically at https://osp.od.nih.gov/comment-form-draft-nih-controlled-access-data-policy-and-proposed-revisions-to-nih-genomic-data-sharing-policy/  Responses will be accepted through March 4, 2026. 

Questions may be sent to: [email protected]

If you are not yet a subscriber to this listserv, please sign up here.   

NIH held its first listening session in support of its new Biosafety Modernization Initiative on September 30, 2025. This was the first in a planned series focused on helping NIH modernize and strengthen biosafety oversight.

The NIH Videocast for that event is now available and can be accessed at: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=57067. Additionally, stakeholders can embed an NIH Biosafety Widget on their own websites to further encourage comments (more information at: https://osp.od.nih.gov/help-modernize-and-strengthen-the-oversight-of-biosafety/).

Stay tuned for details about next engagements by subscribing to our listserv or checking https://osp.od.nih.gov/policies/biosafety-and-biosecurity-policy#tab2/.

Questions may be sent to: [email protected]

If you are not yet a subscriber to this listserv, please sign up here.   

NIH held its first listening session in support of its new Biosafety Modernization Initiative on September 30, 2025. This was the first in a planned series focused on helping NIH modernize and strengthen biosafety oversight.

The NIH Videocast for that event is now available and can be accessed at: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=57067. Additionally, stakeholders can embed an NIH Biosafety Widget on their own websites to further encourage comments (more information at: https://osp.od.nih.gov/help-modernize-and-strengthen-the-oversight-of-biosafety/).

Stay tuned for details about next engagements by subscribing to our listserv or checking https://osp.od.nih.gov/policies/biosafety-and-biosecurity-policy#tab2/.

Questions may be sent to: [email protected]

If you are not yet a subscriber to this listserv, please sign up here.