On July 23, 2025, Northeastern University formally established its inaugural Portland Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), marking a significant milestone in the university’s commitment to biosafety oversight. This committee serves as the foundational body responsible for ensuring compliance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for research involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules.

The Portland IBC is charged with the review and oversight of activities involving biological materials across research, teaching, and clinical domains conducted at the university’s Maine campus. Its establishment reinforces Northeastern’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards of biosafety and ethical research practices.

• All registrations—including new projects, amendments, and biennial resubmissions—must be submitted through SciShield by the established submission deadline.
• Principal Investigators (PIs) must notify the Biosafety Program if a submission may not meet the deadline. Late submissions may not be reviewed or included in the agenda for the current month’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) meeting.
• The Biosafety Program strongly recommends that PIs submitting complex or multiple projects, work involving pathogenic or regulated agents, or animal experiments submit their proposals at least two weeks prior to the deadline. Early consultation with the Biosafety Program is encouraged to support timely review and approval.
• IBC approval is required before PIs may proceed with the use of specific biological materials in live animals. PIs are advised to contact the Biosafety Program as early as possible in the planning process.
• Principal Investigators (PIs) requiring documentation of Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) approval—such as a letter of assurance—for funding applications, Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), or other institutional agreements should first check the “Documents” tab within their SciShield profile to access the most recent letter of assurance.
• The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review result in one of the following outcomes:
• Full Approval – The registration is approved without conditions.
• Conditional Approval – Approval is granted pending the submission of additional information or fulfillment of specific requirements, which will be communicated to the Principal Investigator (PI).
• Deferred – The registration is not approved. The reasons for deferral will be provided to the PI, who will revise and resubmit the registration to address the IBC’s concerns.