Welcome to the November 2025 IBC Insights, bringing you essential updates on holiday operations, BUA review timelines, and new support offerings for 2026
Winter Break Closure Notice!
The Office of Research Policy and Compliance (RPC) will be closed for the university’s holiday break from December 24, 2025, through January 2, 2026. Regular operations will resume on Monday, January 5, 2026. During this time, the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) will not conduct committee business. RPC staff will not process IBC Biological Use Authorization (BUA) applications and will be unavailable by phone or email. If your protocol approval is due to expire in December or January, or you have a critical submission that must be reviewed before the closure, please contact the IBC Office as soon as possible so that every effort can be made to complete a review prior to the holiday period.
Continuing Review Reminder
All investigators are reminded to submit continuing reviews of their BUAs well in advance of the IBC expiration date, as listed on the main BUA page in SafetyNet or on the most recent IBC approval letter. SafetyNet sends reminder notifications three months before expiration and monthly thereafter, but you are strongly encouraged to allow approximately one month for full IBC review and approval.
To prevent delays in continuing approval, review your BUA early and determine whether an amendment needs to be submitted along with the continuing review application. The IBC staff, Kristina Britchford and Trevor Powell, are always happy and willing to help with continuing reviews, amendments, or navigating SafetyNet.
*Kristina and Trevor are available by phone, email (IBC@research.ucla.edu), or Zoom to provide personalized guidance*
Spotlight: Updates and Resources for 2026!
Beginning January 2026, the IBC will host monthly drop-in Zoom sessions for investigators and lab staff. These informal sessions will provide live Q&A, SafetyNet troubleshooting, and personalized support for new or renewing BUAs. Zoom sessions will be held on the first Tuesday of each month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
The Zoom link will also be posted on the Homepage of our IBC Website
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