Optional Training Course for VA IBC Members

The VHA Office of Research and Development (ORD) offers an optional training course for VA Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) members in the CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) Program.  The IBC member training course consists of 12 CITI modules that cover topics on laboratory biohazard risk assessment and risk management.  The modules address research with recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, as well as topics on common hazards, hazard mitigation strategies, and biosafety program elements routinely encountered in the review of biomedical research activities requiring IBC review.  While ORD policy does not require current or new VA IBC members to complete this specific CITI training course, ORD has designed it to assist VA IBCs with meeting IBC member training requirements as described in the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules, Sections IV-B-1-f & IV-B-1-h.  The CITI course is available to all VA Facilities at no charge to the local station.

VA Facilities can make this optional IBC training course available to learners by submitting a request by email from the ACOS/R&D or AO/R&D to Dr. Alice Huang at alice.huang@va.gov. In case of questions about making the course available to a station or enrolling individual learners, please contact Alice Huang (alice.huang@va.gov). If you have any technical problems, comments, or suggestions about the CITI site and navigation through it, contact George Lathrop (george.lathrop@va.gov) or Alice Huang (alice.huang@va.gov).

Please email VHACOORDBiosafety@va.gov if you have additional questions regarding the VA IBC member training course in CITI.  Additional information about ORD’s Research Laboratory Biosafety & Biosecurity Program is located at https://www.research.va.gov/programs/biosafety/default.cfm.