Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser

Pitt Research
Office of Research Protections

Biorisk Management Group Joins the Office of Research Protections

researchers in lab, wearing safety goggles and masks

Effective June 1, the Biorisk Management Group, including Dr. Molly Stitt-Fischer, Rebecca Lingenfelter, and six others, is moving from the Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S) to the Office of Research Protections (ORP).  

This announcement provides additional information about the transition of the Biorisk Management Group from EH&S to ORP.

This group will collaborate with the University Biohazards Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to:

  • Review uses of biological agents, toxins, and infectious materials.
  • Recommend facility design, engineering controls, training, and protective equipment for safe handling of biological agents.
  • Develop and implement programs to eliminate biological exposure and contamination, including the Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Program.
  • Partner with Employee Health Services to manage occupational health and medical surveillance for biological and animal-related research.
  • Provide guidance on safety engineering, sharps disposal, biological waste disposal, biological spill cleanup, and incidents involving biological agents.

The Biorisk Management Group will collaborate with EH&S, whose responsibilities will continue to include laboratory safety surveys, injury reporting, construction and occupational safety, and fire and life safety programs.

ORP websites are being updated with information about the Biorisk Management Division's programs.  
Visitors to Library

Master Agreements for CMU Members Visiting Pitt


Undergraduate, graduate and other personnel from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) may visit the University of Pittsburgh under one of two master agreements described below. Both agreements require University of Pittsburgh hosts to follow the Academic Visitor Procedures so that the Office of Research Security and Trade Compliance can complete necessary paperwork. Below is a description of each master agreement:

Master Facility Access Agreement - This non-financial agreement allows CMU students, staff and faculty to access University of Pittsburgh-owned or controlled facilities for the purpose of research and academic instruction. This Master agreement does not supersede the need for other agreements necessary to govern formal collaborations and corresponding statements of work, including subcontracts under federal and non-federal prime awards.

Master Visiting Student Educational Support Agreement - This financial agreement allows the University of Pittsburgh to host graduate students from CMU who are pursuing a research project at Pitt related to their area of study and/or towards their theses, dissertations and/or degrees as applicable to the student’s relevant academic program. The agreement allows the University of Pittsburgh to provide financial support to CMU toward tuition and fee costs associated with the CMU student’s graduate program.

Please contact the Office of Research Security and Trade Compliance with questions related to either of these specific master agreements.

Welcoming Visiting Undergrads this Summer


As summer approaches, it is common for undergraduate students enrolled at institutions other than the University of Pittsburgh to seek out short-term research and academic experiences. The University welcomes these visits, provided they comply with current University policy.

All undergraduate visits from institutions other than Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) must comply with the Office of the Provost Guidelines for Undergraduate Students Participating in Research. In summary, undergraduate students from external institutions (excluding CMU) may only visit the University under one of the following options:

  1. As a Temporary Paid Employee through All-Temps
  2. As a Research Intern having an approved Research Internship Plan as defined in Appendix A of the Provost Guidelines
  3. As an Observer who does not participate directly in research activities and meets the criteria in Appendix B of the Provost Guidelines
  4. As a Course-Registered Student at the University of Pittsburgh
  5. As a CMU student whose visit is covered under the Pitt-CMU Master Facility Access Agreement, the process for which is described in the Academic Visitor Procedures under Eligibility Requirements
Government Compliance

Updated Implementation Date for NIH Public Access Policy


The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has updated the implementation date for its Public Access Policy. Effective July 1, 2025, the 2024 policy will replace the 2008 policy.  Amongst other provisions, the policy requires that any manuscript accepted for publication that results from NIH funding, in whole or in part, be submitted to PubMed Central upon acceptance, for public availability without embargo upon the official publication date.

New DURC Questions in MyFunding and NIH Announcement


As announced by the Office of Sponsored Programs, MyFunding now includes three new compliance review questions regarding Dual Use Research of Concern. Depending on the responses to these questions, which cover select agents and toxins, Risk Group 3 or 4 biological agents, and recombinant agents, relevant University offices may conduct follow-up to ensure alignment with biosafety requirements.

The May 7 NIH notice, "Implementation Update: Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research," indicates that additional biosafety requirements may be forthcoming. This notice also prohibits gain-of-function research, which is not currently conducted at the University. We will keep the research community updated on any new requirements.

2025 Department of Defense Decision Matrix for Fundamental Research


The Department of Defense (DoD) has updated its Decision Matrix for Fundamental Research Proposal Mitigation, aligning with the CHIPS and Science Act. The updated Matrix stipulates that DoD will not fund proposals where covered individuals (key personnel) actively participate in a malign foreign talent recruitment program. In addition, DoD prohibits awards involving collaboration with institutions or their employees on a list developed pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

University members may contact the Office of Research Security and Trade Compliance to ascertain whether their current or proposed international collaborations could be classified as a malign foreign talent recruitment program.

NIH Security Best Practices for Controlled-Access Data and Repositories


NIH recently updated its website to provide additional information on security best practices for controlled-access data and repositories. This resource outlines NIH's expectations for users of controlled-access data, NIH-supported repositories that store such data, and NIH systems that provide access to it.

Pitt IT Security will address these best practices during its quarterly briefing, scheduled for:

June 17, from 12 - 1 p.m., via Zoom

The briefing also includes a review of the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Report and Azure application registration.

Register for the security briefing.

Supervisor Reviews of Annual Conflict of Interest Disclosures

If you are a supervisor and you have reviews of Annual Conflict of Interest Disclosures that are pending, you will receive email reminders from MyDisclosures. The reviews must be completed by June 15!

The ORP's Conflict of Interest Division (COI Division) provides guidance on the COI website that supervisors can use as a resource when completing these reviews. Also, the COI Division is offering live training sessions that emphasize considerations supervisors should keep in mind while evaluating disclosures related to outside interests, professional activities, and external relationships.

Sessions are scheduled for the following dates and times:

  • Wednesday, May 21, from 12:00 p.m. To 1:00 p.m.
  • Friday, May 30, from 8:00 a.m. To 9:00 a.m.
  • Friday, June 6, from 8:00 a.m. To 9:00 a.m.
  • Friday, June 6, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, June 12, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Register for any of these sessions.

If the scheduled sessions do not align with your availability, please contact the COI Division at coi@pitt.edu to schedule an alternate time.

Executive Orders and Federal Funding


The University has launched a new webpage dedicated to tracking executive orders and their impact on federally-funded research.

Upcoming Educational & Training Opportunities

Consider signing up for this training opportunity offered by the Office of Research Protections:

Stay in the Loop—Join Our Monthly Newsletter
Mailing List 


If you're not already subscribed to receive our monthly newsletter, it's quick and easy to sign-up and stay connected with the latest from the Office of Research Protections (ORP). 
Roc the Panther

Learn More About How ORP Can Support You >

Roc the Panther

View Upcoming ORP Events >

University of Pittsburgh