Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) serve as a critical linchpin in ensuring the safe and responsible conduct of research.  As such they are essential in building public trust on behalf of the biomedical research enterprise.

Effective June 1, 2025, and as announced on March 28, 2025:

• The NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) has posted the rosters of all active and registered IBCs via the IBC-Registration Management System. Rosters include contact information for the IBC Chair, Biological Safety Officer, and IBC Contact.

• Approved meeting minutes from all IBC meetings occurring on, or after, June 1, 2025, must be posted publicly on an institutional website. It is NIH’s expectation that minutes will be posted immediately after approval and once all appropriate and allowable redactions have been made. 

To assist institutions, NIH has revised its FAQs on IBC Meetings and Minutes and has also issued new guidance, IBC Meeting Minutes Template and Points to Consider, to assist IBCs in producing meeting minutes that document fulfillment of its oversight responsibilities.  

Questions may be sent to [email protected]

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NIH is committed to advancing novel AI approaches that have the potential to accelerate research and improve the health of the public. As such, NIH is seeking input from the public on how to develop and share new generative AI tools while maintaining the highest privacy protections for biomedical research participants.

Comments on the RFI will be accepted until July 16, 2025, and must be submitted using the form found here.

Questions may be sent to [email protected]

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On May 5, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order on Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research, which pauses dangerous research that could or will make a naturally occurring pathogen or toxin more dangerous to American citizens, and directs the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Security Advisor to work with funding agencies to develop such a policy within 120 days. This new Policy is intended to replace the 2024 United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential (DURC/PEPP Policy) and supersedes its implementation at NIH previously set to take effect today.

NIH will work closely with OSTP and our federal partners to ensure the safe and secure conduct of biological research. NIH will also provide more guidance regarding implementation of this Executive Order in the coming weeks.

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Today, NIH is announcing that the NIH Public Access Policy will now be effective July 1, 2025.  This change in effective date will allow researchers and members of the public to have speedier access to NIH-supported findings.  All other aspects of the 2024 Public Access Policy remain the same.

NIH Director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya issued a statement earlier today announcing the change and the benefits it will provide.  

Additional context can also be found in the latest Under the Poliscope blog authored by Dr. Lyric Jorgenson which discusses how this change is another step in NIH’s efforts to maximize transparency.

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