The objective of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) at Victoria University is to protect the health and safety of members of the Australian community and the Australian environment by identifying risks posed by, or as a result of, work within the University with agents that are potential biosafety and biosecurity concerns, and to manage those risks by regulating "dealings" and certifying facilities.
Terms of Reference
The IBC is guided by its Terms of Reference.
IBC Membership & Duty Statements
The IBC operates within the principles, rules and membership requirements of the Gene Technology Act. In 2014, the role of the IBC was expanded to include the review, monitoring and assessment of all biological material that may be of biosafety or biosecurity concern. In addition to the Chair, the IBC at VU is made up of five main categories (A-E).
The core membership categories are as follows:
- Category A, External Member: must not be employed by the University and must be assessed to be independent of the University.
- Category B, Biosafety Expert: is a biosafety or occupational health and safety professional who is an expert in biosafety practices and legislative and regulatory compliance.
- Category C, Biocontainment Facilities Expert: is an engineer (or equivalent) with expertise in testing biological safety facilities and equipment.
- Category D, Scientific Experts: are Gene Technologist, Microbiologist, Virologist, and/or Animal Researchers with technical and scientific expertise who can assess the risks and hazards associated with “dealings”.
- Category E, Non-voting Members: The IBC may also consist of non-voting members whose skills are considered to enhance the capacity of the IBC to undertake its work. Please refer to the Biosafety Intranet site (LDAP login required off-campus) for a copy of the Duty statements.
Meeting & submission dates
Contact us
IBC Executive Officer | +61 3 9919 4781
Biosafety Manager | +61 3 9919 4199
Email: ibc@vu.edu.au
