NIH Modernizing and Strengthening Biosafety Resource Page
Overview & FAQ document (uploaded 11.1.25)
Azelia Labs Resources:
Framework for Developing Institutional Comments (uploaded 11.1.25)
NIH Modernization Initiative: Guidance for Research Oversight and Institutional Biosafety Leaders
The NIH Modernization Initiative represents a major update to how the National Institutes of Health manages biosafety, research oversight, and institutional accountability across U.S. research organizations.
This effort aims to modernize the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules, strengthen partnerships with institutional oversight bodies, and ensure that biosafety policies and practices keep pace with rapidly advancing science and technology.
While NIH’s current statements focus on empowering Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) as the front line of local oversight, this effort likely has broader implications for institutional coordination among Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) programs, Research Compliance Offices, and Research Integrity leadership.
This interpretation reflects how many institutions organize biosafety oversight in practice, where IBCs work closely with EHS and compliance functions to align policy, training, and risk management.
As NIH collects public input during the comment period, institutions have an important opportunity to contribute their perspectives and help shape the future of national biosafety policy.
This site provides resources, templates, and discussion tools to help IBC Chairs, EHS Directors, Compliance Leaders, and AVPs for Research:
Understand the scope and goals of NIH’s modernization initiative
Assess institutional impacts and readiness
Develop coordinated, constructive institutional feedback for NIH
Stay informed as federal guidance evolves
Whether you’re preparing a formal institutional comment or monitoring developments, these materials are designed to support collaboration, clarity, and proactive planning across the biosafety and research compliance community.
About This Resource
Statements quoted on this site are taken directly from NIH’s public communications.
Where institutional implications are discussed — such as coordination among IBCs, EHS programs, or compliance offices — these reflect professional interpretation of potential impacts, not direct NIH language.
Click the widget to link to the NIH comment submission page:
NIH Modernization Discussion Forum: Preparing Institutional Feedback, hosted by Azelia Labs
A peer led Discussion Forum is designed to help IBC Chairs, Compliance Directors, EHS leaders, and AVPs for Research understand the modernization effort, explore institutional implications, and prepare thoughtful, coordinated feedback for NIH.
**Hosted independently by Azelia Labs. This discussion is not an NIH-sponsored or affiliated event.