Biological Safety

Meeting Schedule

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) meets monthly, unless there are no protocols to be reviewed. Monthly meetings take place during the second Thursday of each month beginning at 2:15 p.m. in the conference room (107) of MLKG, unless otherwise specified. IBC meetings are open to the public (unless proprietary information is discussed, which will occur in an executive session) and meeting dates are published on the Office of Research Compliance website.

Protocol Submission

New protocols to be considered for review must be submitted to the IBC coordinator at least one week prior to a monthly meeting. Contact the coordinator at ibc@uark.edu or 575-2671 for additional details.

Note: Do not fill the forms out online. Instead, download the forms, then fill them out and save on your computer. Otherwise, your entries may not be properly saved.

  •  
  • Form 1: General information (required of all protocols) WordPDF
  • Form 2: rDNA WordPDF
  • Form 2a: Plasmid Additions - use  this  form  to  add  plasmids  to  an  existing,  approved  protocol.Word PDF
  • Form 3: Risk Group 2/3 Microbial Agents WordPDF
  • Form 4: Biological Toxin Word   PDF
  • Form 5: Human or Nonhuman Primate Materials WordPDF
  • Form 6: Animals Word   PDF
  • Form 7: Transgenic Plants Word   PDF
  • Form 8: Notice to Pat Walker Health Center (fill out for work involving infectious materials)Word   PDF
  • Form 9: Mammalian Tumor Cell Lines WordPDF

Protocol Types

New Protocols

  • Contact BSO for assistance completing forms.
  • Forms must be submitted to IBC coordinator no later than 1 week before the IBC meeting.
  • PI or co-PI must present to the IBC.
  • Approval period is three years.
  • Start date is date of IBC meeting.
  • End date is one day before start date,  three years later.
  • Approval letter is sent to PI.

Modifications

  • Occur throughout approval period.
  • The process could take up to two weeks, depending on the type of modification.
  • Any IBC member can request full committee review.
  • Approval letter is sent to PI.

Renewals

  • Required after each three-year approval period.
  • Notices are sent two months prior to expiration.
  • Protocols for renewal must be submitted to IBC Coordinator prior to expiration.
  • Any IBC member can request full committee review.
  • Approval letter is sent to PI.

Terminations

  • Result if protocol is not renewed by expiration date.
  • Treated as new protocol if allowed to expire, but work is still being done on the project.
  • PI is notified by letter.

Student Research

Research conducted by students and involving biological materials, including dissertations, theses, or other research projects, should be supervised by a faculty advisor and submitted to the IBC for review. IBC review and final approval should take place during the proposal stage of the dissertation, thesis, or research project. The IBC cannot approve a project retroactively.

PI Leaving the University

A PI is asked to contact the IBC Coordinator at ibc@uark.edu to request termination of all active protocols or to request that active protocols be transferred to the co-PI or other responsible UA faculty member prior to leaving the university.

Investigator Resources

Contact IBC Program Staff

 

Director of Research Compliance
 
Shatara Porchia-White
 
108 MLKG 
(479) 575-2105 
sporchia@uark.edu
 
Biosafety Compliance Coordinator
 
Shatara Porchia-White
 
109 MLKG 
479-575-2671 
ibc@uark.edu