Home Research Services
Research Services

IBC POL-003 IBC Meeting Minutes

This policy establishes the framework and standardized procedures for the development, review, approval, and management of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) convened meeting minutes. In general, the minutes should offer sufficient detail to serve as a record of major points of discussion and the Committee’s rationale for particular decisions, documenting that the IBC has fulfilled its review and oversight responsibilities as outlined under Section IV-B-2-b of the NIH Guidelines. 

Document Number:  IBC-POL-003-V2-IBC_Meeting_Minutes-APPROVED

Effective Date: 3/10/2026

Last Updated: 3/10/2026

Next Review: 03/10/2029

This policy establishes the framework and standardized procedures for the development, review, approval, and management of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) convened meeting minutes. In general, the minutes should offer sufficient detail to serve as a record of major points of discussion and the Committee’s rationale for particular decisions, documenting that the IBC has fulfilled its review and oversight responsibilities as outlined under Section IV-B-2-b of the NIH Guidelines. 

This policy applies to all proceedings of a convened meeting of the Institutional Biosafety Committee as noted, and salient aspects of the meeting are documented in the form of Meeting Minutes.

For the purposes of this policy, the following terms apply:

  • Convened Meeting: A meeting at which a quorum of voting IBC members is present, either in person or via tele/videoconference as permitted by university policy.
  • Quorum: A simple majority (50%) of voting members of the IBC.
  • Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement (MUA): A formal submission to the IBC describing proposed use of biological materials, agents, and procedures requiring review and approval.

Content: Minutes are intended to contain sufficient information that a reasonable person could understand the nature of the discussion. In general, the minutes should offer sufficient detail to serve as a record of major points of discussion and the Committee’s rationale for particular decisions, documenting that the IBC has fulfilled its review and oversight responsibilities as outlined under Section IV-B-2-b of the NIH Guidelines. Accordingly, the Meeting Minutes will reflect the following details:

  1. Conflict of Interest Statement
  2. The time and place of the meeting
  3. Members (voting members, non-voting members, guests) in attendance
  4. Ratification of the minutes from the previous meeting
  5. Discussion of policies, informational or training materials relevant to the IBC
  6. Any incidents of exposure or noncompliance relevant to the NIH guidelines for r/sNA 
  7. Outcomes of laboratory inspections and lab visits by the Institutional Biosafety Officer.
  8. Discussion and vote on the research activities described in the MUAs under review:
  • Identified by MUA number and title
  • Major discussion points and rationale for decisions
  • NIH classifications if research involves recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules
  • Biosafety Containment Level
  • Bloodborne pathogen training status if needed
  • All major motions, major points of order, and whether motions were approved

i.     Time of meeting adjournment.

  1. Ratification: Draft versions of the Meeting minutes are made available to IBC members in sufficient time for them to review for accuracy and completeness. Minutes are ratified at a subsequent meeting of the IBC and approved by a majority vote of the members in attendance at the meeting. 

     

  2. Retention: Per NIH FAQ “How Long must IBC meeting minutes be posted?” The IBC will publicly post IBC meeting minutes for a period of five years. After which meeting minutes will be maintained if required to do so under Section 8.4.2 of the NIH Grants Policy Statement in 2CFR 200.334. In compliance with this requirement, IBC Meeting minutes that contain federal sponsored awards will be maintained for an additional three years. 
  1. The IBC compliance staff records the meeting proceedings and develops the draft meeting minutes.
  2. Meeting minutes are sent to the IBC voting members in advance of the next IBC meeting.
  3. Once ratified by the committee, the lead IBC compliance staff member will review, make final updates, and sign the final approved documents. 
  4. Interim procedure to comply with NOT-OD-25_082: Meeting minutes for meetings which occurred prior to June 1, 2025, are made available upon request in accordance with the NIH guidelines for r/sNA. Minutes for meetings occurring after June 1, 2025, are made available on an institutional website in compliance with NOT-OD-25-082.
  5. 5. Meeting minutes will be posted publicly for a period of 5 years and meeting minutes containing federally funded awards will be maintained for an additional 3-year period which can be made available to the public upon request. 

NOT-OD-25-082 Implementation Update: Promoting Maximal Transparency Under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules

  1. Updated to conform to new formatting standards in IBC-POL-001
VersionEffective DateSummary of ChangesPrevious Version
23/10/2026Updated to new document format1