Institute Council on Environment, Health and Safety
The Institute Council on Environmental Health and Safety (ICEHS) is responsible to the President for coordinating the policy development and the assessment of procedures of the several Institute committees concerned with specific areas of environmental health and safety. The council serves as a forum in which overlapping and joint areas of concern of these committees are reviewed and clarified and wherein questions in dispute by individual committees will be resolved.
The council is also responsible for the identification of those new environmental health and safety matters that may emerge as new activities are undertaken and as new technologies develop or old ones change direction. In instances where such new activities do not fall within the purview of an existing committee, the council may expand the area of concern of an existing committee or recommend the creation of a new committee.
The Council is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Committee on Animal Care
The purpose of the Committee on Animal Care (CAC) s to ensure humane treatment of animals used in experimentation, to reduce animal use by encouraging alternative ways of conducting research, and to support research which benefits both humans and animals through compassionate and health-promoting care of experimental animals.
The Committee on Animal Care is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Committee on Assessment of Biohazards and Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight
The Committee on Assessment of Biohazards and Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (CAB/ESCRO) was formed in January of 1975 to ensure the safe and responsible conduct of biological research at MIT. CAB/ESCRO reviews investigations involving potential health and safety problems associated with biological research. The composition and structure of the committee conforms to the requirements of the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules, and the National Academy of Sciences Guidance on Oversight of Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2005). The scope of the committee has changed over time to provide a more consistent and cohesive oversight process for a range of biological research and new technologies.
CAB/ESCRO is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
More About CAB/ESCRO (MIT Certificate Required)
Committee on Radiation Protection
As a Standing Institute Committee reporting to the Vice President for Research, the Committee on Radiation Protection (RPC) is responsible for establishing, maintaining and advancing a radiation protection program at the Institute and its off-campus sites. The RPC reviews and approves all uses of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation sources through a system of authorization/registration programs, risk assessments, and monitoring programs managed by the Radiation Protection Program (RPP).
The RPC is also responsible for Institute compliance with radiation protection regulations and standards promulgated by local, state and federal agencies, and with the conditions of approval noted in the Institute’s government-issued licenses. Within these parameters, the RPC works with students, staff and faculty to facilitate research projects using radiation sources of all types.
Committee on Reactor Safeguards
The primary concern of the Reactor Safeguards Committee (RSC) is with matters of nuclear safety related to the MIT Research Reactor, including the safety of personnel on and off-site. The committee reviews and approves all new operating plans and policies, all significant modifications thereto, and all-new experiments involving significant changes in procedure prior to implementation. The committee verifies that nuclear reactor operation is consistent with MIT policy, rules, approved operating procedures, and license provisions.
The Reactor Safeguards Committee is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Committee on Toxic Chemicals
The Committee on Toxic Chemicals (CTC) is responsible for reviewing current practices with regard to the effects on human subjects of toxic chemicals, including carcinogens. The committee is also responsible for formulating policies necessary to control the risks and exposure to personnel working with such agents and for compliance with governmental regulations.
The Committee on Toxic Chemicals is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects
The Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects (COUHES) is responsible for reviewing every research project utilizing humans as research subjects, and for devising effective procedures to ensure the adequate review of all protocols. Its principal role is to determine whether subjects used in any research project are protected against undue risk and to ensure that their rights, privileges, and privacy are protected.
COUHES is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Institute Council on Environment, Health and Safety
The Institute Council on Environmental Health and Safety (ICEHS) is responsible to the President for coordinating the policy development and the assessment of procedures of the several Institute committees concerned with specific areas of environmental health and safety. The council serves as a forum in which overlapping and joint areas of concern of these committees are reviewed and clarified and wherein questions in dispute by individual committees will be resolved.
The council is also responsible for the identification of those new environmental health and safety matters that may emerge as new activities are undertaken and as new technologies develop or old ones change direction. In instances where such new activities do not fall within the purview of an existing committee, the council may expand the area of concern of an existing committee or recommend the creation of a new committee.
The Council is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Committee on Animal Care
The purpose of the Committee on Animal Care (CAC) s to ensure humane treatment of animals used in experimentation, to reduce animal use by encouraging alternative ways of conducting research, and to support research which benefits both humans and animals through compassionate and health-promoting care of experimental animals.
The Committee on Animal Care is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Committee on Assessment of Biohazards and Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight
The Committee on Assessment of Biohazards and Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (CAB/ESCRO) was formed in January of 1975 to ensure the safe and responsible conduct of biological research at MIT. CAB/ESCRO reviews investigations involving potential health and safety problems associated with biological research. The composition and structure of the committee conforms to the requirements of the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules, and the National Academy of Sciences Guidance on Oversight of Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2005). The scope of the committee has changed over time to provide a more consistent and cohesive oversight process for a range of biological research and new technologies.
CAB/ESCRO is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
More About CAB/ESCRO (MIT Certificate Required)
Committee on Radiation Protection
As a Standing Institute Committee reporting to the Vice President for Research, the Committee on Radiation Protection (RPC) is responsible for establishing, maintaining and advancing a radiation protection program at the Institute and its off-campus sites. The RPC reviews and approves all uses of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation sources through a system of authorization/registration programs, risk assessments, and monitoring programs managed by the Radiation Protection Program (RPP).
The RPC is also responsible for Institute compliance with radiation protection regulations and standards promulgated by local, state and federal agencies, and with the conditions of approval noted in the Institute’s government-issued licenses. Within these parameters, the RPC works with students, staff and faculty to facilitate research projects using radiation sources of all types.
Committee on Reactor Safeguards
The primary concern of the Reactor Safeguards Committee (RSC) is with matters of nuclear safety related to the MIT Research Reactor, including the safety of personnel on and off-site. The committee reviews and approves all new operating plans and policies, all significant modifications thereto, and all-new experiments involving significant changes in procedure prior to implementation. The committee verifies that nuclear reactor operation is consistent with MIT policy, rules, approved operating procedures, and license provisions.
The Reactor Safeguards Committee is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Committee on Toxic Chemicals
The Committee on Toxic Chemicals (CTC) is responsible for reviewing current practices with regard to the effects on human subjects of toxic chemicals, including carcinogens. The committee is also responsible for formulating policies necessary to control the risks and exposure to personnel working with such agents and for compliance with governmental regulations.
The Committee on Toxic Chemicals is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects
The Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects (COUHES) is responsible for reviewing every research project utilizing humans as research subjects, and for devising effective procedures to ensure the adequate review of all protocols. Its principal role is to determine whether subjects used in any research project are protected against undue risk and to ensure that their rights, privileges, and privacy are protected.
COUHES is a Standing Institute Committee that reports to the Vice President for Research.
