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The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Institutes of Health co-hosted a public workshop on July 22, 2015, for interested stakeholders to discuss implementation of the U.S. Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern. The purpose of the meeting was to inform and engage stakeholders; to collect feedback about resources needed to effectively implement the policy; and to discuss stakeholder experiences, challenges, and innovative practices. The Policy was also released as Federal Register Document 2014-22770.
The workshop was well attended by both domestic and international stakeholders from all levels of institutional DURC oversight. Nearly 200 individuals participated in person and on the webcast. The diverse group of participants facilitated a broad and thorough discussion of the Institutional DURC policy. An open dialogue between institutional stakeholders and the USG will continue as the Policy is implemented. The USG will continue soliciting feedback on the experience of institutions in implementing the Policy; evaluating the impact of DURC oversight on the life sciences research enterprise; assessing the advantages and disadvantages of expanding the scope of the Policy to encompass additional agents and toxins and/or categories of experiments; and updating the Policy, as warranted.
The workshop included an interactive case study that illustrated factors investigators and institutions consider when determining whether research is subject to the Policy. A series of panels comprised of institutional representatives shared their respective approaches to identifying research subject to the Policy, developing risk mitigation plans, and raising awareness and education about DURC. Finally, facilitators opened the forum for participants to share their input on issues relating to interpretation and implementation of the Policy.
OSTP Overview of the United States Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Susan Monarez, Ph.D.
Institutional Approaches: Processes for Identifying and Reviewing Research Subject to the Policy
Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota. Trevor Ames, D.V.M.
Dual Use Research of Concern at Colorado State University
Colorado State University. Robert Ellis, Ph.D., CBSP, SM (ASM), ACVM University Director of Biosafety.
Dual Use Research of Concern – How we do things at St. Jude
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Philip Potter, Ph.D. DURC Sub-Committee Chairman.
DURC Review and Development of Risk Mitigation Plans
University of Wisconsin. Rebecca Moritz, M.S. Select Agent Program Manager.
DURC Review at ISM-MS
Institutional Biosafety Officer and Institutional Official Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai. Philip Hauck, M.S., M.S.H.S., CIH, CBSP, SM (NRCM).
Institutional Approaches: Raising Awareness and Educating about DURC at Kansas State University
Kansas State University. Stephen Higgs, Ph.D. Associate Vice President for Research Director, Biosecurity Research Institute, – contact DURC@ostp.gov for presentation.
Training at Duke University on the USG Policy for Institutional Oversight
NIAID Regional Biocontainment Laboratory at Duke Medicine. Richard Frothingham, M.D., CBSP Director.
Institutional Approaches: Raising Awareness and Educating about DURC at Emory University
Environmental Health and Safety Office Emory University. Patricia Olinger, RBP Assistant Vice President, Office of Research Administration Executive Director.
Stakeholders Meeting: Dual Use Research of Concern Institutional Policy
National Institutes of Health. Carrie D. Wolinetz, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science Policy.
Please contact the USG at DURC@ostp.gov with any additional questions or input.
S3: Science Safety Security
