The United States Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (2014) requires research institutions that receive USG funds for life sciences research and conduct or sponsor research with any of the 15 agents or toxins to provide education and training on DURC for individuals conducting life sciences research with one or more of the agents. The Policy further requires that Principal Investigators ensure that laboratory personnel (i.e., those under the supervision of laboratory leadership, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research technicians, laboratory staff, and visiting scientists) conducting life sciences research with one or more of the agents have received education and training on DURC.
UCLA uses the nationally recognized Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program to fulfill the above requirements for training on dual use research of concern. Personnel working with any of the 15 agents or toxins must complete the online CITI “Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC)” course every three years, so long as they continue to work with the agents or toxins, and so long as the research does not meet the definition of DURC.
For personnel working with any agent or toxin that does meet the definition of DURC, the requirement for refresher training will be defined in the mitigation plan.
Please visit the CITI website to access the Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) training module. Please refer to the CITI Training Frequently Asked Questions for additional information on the CITI certification requirements and how to register or complete the training.
If you have further questions, please contact the UCLA Institutional Contact for Dual Use Research (ICDUR) at (310) 794-9645 or jennifer.klahn@research.ucla.edu.