The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) of the University of Connecticut (UConn) is committed to promoting the advancement of research and teaching activities, by ensuring that all experiments involving biological materials are conducted in full compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and guidelines. As required by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines), all institutions that conduct research with recombinant/synthetic nucleic acids (rsNA) and receive NIH funding, must maintain an active IBC. With the cooperative effort of Principal Investigators (PIs), the IBC conducts risk assessments for hazards associated with the use of biological materials, and promotes the safe use of such materials by enhancing lab personnel’s understanding of biosafety practices and procedures, as defined in the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Research and Teaching Labs — Storrs, Groton, Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury

Submission Deadlines & Review Process
Please submit your biological summary by the appropriate deadline listed below. Timely submissions help ensure that proposed projects are reviewed during the next scheduled IBC meeting.
Important Notice – Avoid Approval Delays:
To prevent delays in the review and approval process, please do not edit your bio-summary while your submission is pending—unless specifically requested by the IBC.

*Denotes a meeting date that has been postponed or rescheduled.

IBC Meeting Schedule & Attendance

IBC meetings are held via web conferencing and typically begin at 1:30 PM. Please note that meeting dates are subject to change. If a meeting is rescheduled, Principal Investigators (PIs) with submissions on the affected agenda will be contacted directly. If you are a member of the community interested in attending an IBC meeting, please contact the IBC Program Director at ibc@uconn.edu for more information.

IBC Meeting Minutes

In accordance with NIH Notice NOT-OD-25-082, approved IBC meeting minutes from sessions convened on or after June 1, 2025, are available at the following link: Approved IBC Minutes.

• IBC Policy
• IBC Procedures
• Dual Use Research of Concern
• Responsible Investigator
• Transgenic Animals

• HuskySMS
• Incident Reporting Form
• Lab-Specific Biosafety Manual

• New Researchers
• Pathogen Risk Assessments
• FAQs
• NIH OSP Biosafety and Biosecurity Policy
• NIH Guidelines-April 2024
• CDC & USDA Federal Select Agent Program
• CDC Import Permit Program
• USDA-APHIS Permits
• Arthropod Containment Guidelines
• Plant Containment Guide

For information or assistance with research activities, contact the:

• IBC Program Director with questions regarding the IBC review and approval process, compliance with the NIH Guidelines, or other biosafety compliance concerns;
• IBC Chairperson for information on committee actions and decisions;
• Biosafety Officer with questions regarding recommended containment levels, biosafety practices, or other scientific aspects of research projects