Biosafety

Overview

biosafety

The USF Biosafety Program oversees the possession, use and storage of various infectious agents, recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA), biological toxins, and select agents/toxins (commonly known as biohazardous materials) in a research and/or teaching environment.

View Biosafety Manual

Training Requirements for Researchers

Training in proper microbiological techniques is required for anyone working with recombinant DNA, infectious agents, select agents, and biological toxins or who works in a laboratory where these materials are used/stored. The assurance of proper training is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator (PI) or laboratory supervisor of the facility in which the hazard is used.

biosafety training

If you are a Principal Investigator (PI) at USF who possess or plans to possess, store, work with, or transport infectious agent(s), biological toxin(s), select agent(s)/toxin(s), and/or recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, you must register them with USF’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).

2024 Institutional Biosafety Committee Meeting Schedule
Submission Deadline Scheduled Meeting
January 8, 2024 January 16, 2024
February 12, 2024 February 20, 2024
March 11, 2024 March 19, 2024
April 8, 2024 April 16, 2024
May 13, 2024 May 21, 2024
June 10, 2024 June 18, 2024
July 8, 2024 July 16, 2024
August 12, 2024 August 20, 2024
September 9, 2024 September 17, 2024
October 7, 2024 October 22, 2024 (Rescheduled due to campus closure for Hurricane Milton)
November 11, 2024 November 19, 2024
December 2, 2024 December 10, 2024
2025 Institutional Biosafety Committee Meeting Schedule
Submission Deadline Scheduled Meetings
January 13, 2025 January 21, 2025
February 17, 2025 February 18, 2025
March 10, 2025 March 18, 2025
April 7, 2025 April 15, 2025
May 12, 2025 May 20, 2025
June 9, 2025 June 17, 2025
June 30, 2025 July 15, 2025
August 11, 2025 August 19, 2025
September 8, 2025 September 16, 2025
October 13, 2025 October 21, 2025
November 10, 2025 November 18, 2025
December 1, 2025 December 9, 2025

Submission Deadlines to Research Integrity & Compliance: These are the dates by which the protocol must be submitted in BiosafetyNet to be placed on that month’s meeting agenda.

USF’s Institutional Biosafety Committee provides oversight and evaluation of research and laboratories that use biohazardous materials at USF and affiliated institutions to ensure they comply with USF IBC policy, University policy, CDC guidelines, NIH guidelines, and federal regulations , , and for select agents.

Please direct questions and comments to the Biosafety Program or Debra Howeth, telephone (813) 974-5091, fax (813) 974-7091.