Biosafety Office

Definitions

Dual Use Research: Research conducted for legitimate purposes that generates knowledge, information, technologies, and/or products that could be utilized for both benevolent and harmful purposes.

Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC): Life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel, or national security.

Institutional Contract for Dual Use Research (ICDUR): An individual designated by the institution to serve as an institutional point of contact for questions regarding compliance with the implementation of the requirements for oversight of DURC as well as the liaison between the institution and relevant federal funding agencies. At OSU, the Biosafety Officer (BSO) serves as the ICDUR.

Institutional Review Entity (IRE): A committee established by the institution to review all research with dual use potential. At OSU, the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) serves as the IRE.

Principal Investigator (PI): An individual who is designated by OSU to direct a project or program and who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the project or program.