Learning Verification Committee - January 2024

Chair: Niki Drazenovich
Co-Chair: Matt Fischer

ABSA members currently have 10 quizzes available online for CM points and additional quizzes in development covering two Anthology Books (VIII and VIX) and the Bradford University-Preventing Biological Threats book. These quizzes are low cost and can be located on the website at https://absa.org/online-education/.

Advanced Biosafety Training Subcommittee (ABTS) - January 2024

Chairs: Dan Eisenman and Shalaka Kotkar

The ABTS modules were completely overhauled in 2022. In 2023, we reviewed the associated quizzes and recorded audio for each of the ABTS modules. Further information about each of the seven (7) modules is available at https://absa.org/online-education/.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - January 2024

Co-Chairs: Geoff Phillips and Ray Scheetz

PCC has completed the review of the Preconference Committee comments regarding the 2023 Omaha professional development courses. Logistic considerations for 2024 will include streamlining the course sign-in process, location of instructor tables, and the membership notification regarding the proper electronic devices and plugs used at the conference.

The PCC continues to have dedicated volunteers completing the course reviews and facilitating all the professional development courses at the ABSA conference.

Principles & Practices of Biosafety® - January 2024

Co-Leads: Pat Condreay and Carrie Smith

The Spring session of PPB will be held in San Diego, California in March of 2024. The class is sold-out, and a list has been started for the summer 2024 session which will be held in Denver, Colorado. To be added to the notification list for registration opening, please contact the ABSA Office at info@absa.org.

Training Tools/Resources (TTR) Committee - January 2024

Chair: Maya Nair
Co-Chair: Will Pinard

In October, the TTR met at the conference with 12 members attending. The Strategic Plan was shared and discussed the following points with the committee.

• How can TTR contribute towards the strategic plan?
• What are some strategies that can help to bring resources from affiliates to ABSA?
• Establish guidelines to review the resources.
• How to credit the owners who developed the resources and adhere to copyrights.

Thank you to the seven new committee members that have joined this year! The committee is currently reviewing Agent Information Sheets developed by Boston and Emory Universities.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - January 2024

Chair: Eric Lewis
Co-chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Ericka Pearce, and Endah Sulistijo

The Distance Learning Committee continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members’ professional growth. As of December 2023, 14 courses have been completed, reaching over 1,200 participants. Webinars scheduled for the coming months include: What is Biosecurity? Why is it Important? The Risk Assessment Process—A Hands-on Survival Guide; and Battling Professional Burnout by Taking Control of Your Biosafety Career. Topics for webinars under development include bio-pharma biosafety; export control; and building relationships with local police departments, fire departments, and first responders.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. If you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals, or if you had general comments that you would like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Applied Biosafety Editorial Board - January 2024

Coeditors-in-Chief: Barbara Johnson and Karen Byers

In addition to the typical influx of biosafety and biosecurity related manuscripts being submitted, the Applied Biosafety Editorial Board is working on a special issue of the journal that is focused on Biosafety and Biosecurity for Synthetic Genomics. The Guest Editors for the special issue are Drs. Sarah R. Carter and Rocco Casagrande. They have provided substantial assistance to the APB Associate Editors Scott J. Patlovich and David R. Gillum with identification of experts in the field, manuscript recruitment, and review. To date, there have been 14 manuscript submissions from more than 30 authors on a range of topics, including: safeguarding mail-order DNA, genetic biocontainment technologies, regulatory interpretation and guidance for genomic synthesis screening, biosecurity practices for synthetic DNA providers, biosecurity risk assessments for AI in synthetic biology, cyberbiosecurity for desktop synthesis devices, and much more. Depending on how many articles are found suitable and accepted, there could be two themed issues of the journal dedicated to these topics. The Coeditors-in-Chief, Barbara Johnson and Karen Byers, are working closely with the Associate Editors to meet deadlines for publication and would like to express their sincerest thanks to all the authors and reviewers for the special issue.

Journal – Applied Biosafety - September 2023

Coeditors-in-Chief: Barbara Johnson and Karen Byers
Associate Editors: David Gillum and Scott Patlovich

We are pleased to announce that Applied Biosafety (APB) has recently achieved several notable landmarks. First, the journal recently received its first published Journal Impact Factor (JIF) of 1.5. This metric recognizes that the journal is part of a globally recognized, selective database of scholarly journals. There were over 66,000 article downloads between January and June 2023, a 27% increase from January to June 2022. In addition, Scopus announced the 2022 Cite index for APB articles published was 2.2 an increase of 47% from 2021. APB has been fully searchable in Pub Med Central for the past year. Between January and June 2023, APB's reviews were completed with a median 25-day response to the first decision and 53 days to final decision. To promote biosafety awareness and education to the broader scientific and policymaking community, free access to seven research articles was provided for a limited time, and an additional eight articles were made Open Access. The outstanding manuscripts, and the support provided by the editorial board and publication team, enabled the achievement of these goals.

In 2023, LaTonya Clay was awarded the prestigious annual recognition for the Best Paper by Women and Underrepresented Minorities for her work published in APB. The award is presented by the Rosalind Franklin Society in partnership with Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Dr. Clay’s manuscript, “Monitoring Laboratory Occupational Exposures to Burkholderia pseudomallei” provided valuable and actionable information to inform decisions regarding the prevention of laboratory exposures and subsequent laboratory acquired infections.

A special issue is under development for publication in 2024 focusing on examining the potential risks posed by synthetic genomics technologies and proposed mitigation efforts. It will review existing and forthcoming government policies to determine if there are gaps that still need to be addressed and consider the role of biosafety and biosecurity experts in the development of policies and guidance. The deadline for manuscript submission is December 1, 2023, please see the following link https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/apb.2023.29011.cfp.

Learning Verification Committee - September 2023

Chair: Niki Drazenovich
Co-Chair: Matt Fischer

ABSA members currently have eight quizzes available online for CM points and 11 quizzes in development. These quizzes are low cost and can be located on the website at https://absa.org/online-education/. 

Principles and Practices of Biosafety® (PPB) - September 2023

Co-Leads: Carrie Smith and Patrick Condreay

The summer session of Principles and Practices of Biosafety was held in Pittsburgh, PA in July. The instructors met before the class for our annual curriculum workshop. The spring session will be held in San Diego, CA in March 2024.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - September 2023

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Eric Lewis, Ericka Pearce, and Endah Sulistijo

The Distance Learning Committee continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members’ professional growth. As of August 1, 2023, nine courses have been completed, reaching over 680 participants. Webinars scheduled for the coming months include: Techniques and Tools for Conducting Relevant Literature Reviews; Virus-based Gene Transfer Vectors; and Maintaining Your ABSA Credentials: I Have It, Now How Do I Keep It? Topics for webinars under development include bio-pharma biosafety; a hands-on risk assessment workshop; export control; battling professional burnout by taking control of your biosafety career; and building relationships with local police departments, fire departments, and first responders. DLC members will also be busy helping to facilitate virtual courses associated with the ABSA Conference.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. If you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals, or if you have general comments that you’d like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Training Tools/Resources (TTR) Committee - September 2023

Chair: Maya Nair
Co-Chair: Will Pinard

The Training Tools/Resources committee met virtually in May, June, and July 2023. Members continue reviewing resources from various sources. Currently we are reviewing the resources developed by international biosafety professionals who participated in the Twinning Project in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories. These resources are from different countries representing diverse backgrounds that will enhance the TTR website page. ABSA members are encouraged to leave feedback and suggestions for the committee.

Preconference Course Committee - September 2023

Chair: Kalpana Rengarajan
Co-Chairs: Geoffrey Phillips, Raymond Scheetz, and Danielle Daniely

PCC completed the review of course proposals in May. The committee selected 19 proposals for in-person courses and seven proposals for virtual courses for the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. We had a 100% attendance during the facilitator call and all facilitators have contacted their respective instructors. Everyone is on track for the courses in October. Professional Development Course descriptions and registration can be found at https://absaconference.org/2023-pdc/ . See you all in Omaha.

Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course® (BBTC) - September 2023

Chair: Bob Ellis

The BBTC was held in August in Fort Collins, CO to a full house of 70 participants (11 were international registrants). The next offering will be held August 5-9, 2024.

The course director for the BBTC reminds everyone that attendees have the opportunity to learn about many aspects of biosafety and biosecurity—with general applications as well as specific applications to Animal and Plant Programs and Facilities. Do not forget, the BBTC course awards maintenance of the RBP and CBSP as well as credentials requiring P.A.C.E.® contact hours. We hope to see you in Fort Collins!

Publications Committee - September 2023

Chair: R. Vilmarie Rodriguez Figueroa
Co-Chair: Larry Mendoza

The Publications Committee has been busy working on a number of projects. One of which is on the ABSA Blog. The Committee is actively looking for blog submissions to review and post. Those interested can view current and past blogs as well as access the blog submission form on the ABSA website. The committee is also working on another proposal to revamp and digitize the Anthology series for easier access.

Webinars, Recordings, On-demand Modules - September 2023

Available for Purchase:

• Conspiracy Theories, Mis- and Disinformation
  • Available for purchase until: September 28
• Large-scale Biosafety
  • Available for purchase until: October 19
• Molecular Biology 101
  • Available for purchase until November 15
• PDC1V – Introduction to Biosafety in the Clinical Setting
  • Available for purchase until November 29
• Techniques and Tools for Conducting Relevant Literature Reviews
  • Available for purchase until November 30
• PDC2V: Introduction to the Science and Biosafety of Cell and Gene Therapy Clinical Settings
  • Available for purchase until December 6
• Virus-based Gene Transfer Vectors
  • Available for purchase until December 13
• PDC3V: When & Why Does Biosafety Need a Seat at the Plant Research Design Table?
  • Available for purchase until December 19

Other Upcoming Opportunities for Professional Development Include:

• Free for ABSA Members: Safety for NonProfits Inc. And the Biosafety Professional
  • September 22, 2023
• Free for ABSA Members: Maintaining Your ABSA Credentials: I have it, now how do I keep it?
  • September 27, 2023
• PDC4V: IBC and IRE Basics
  • September 28, 2023
• PDC5V: Keeping it Going: Maintaining and Improving a Select Agent Program over the Long Term
  • October 2 and 5, 2023
• PDC 6V: Selection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • October 27, 2023
• The FBI's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Program and Safeguarding the Bioeconomy
  • November 9 and 16, 2023
• PDC7V: Laboratory Facility Programming and Design Best Practices
  • November 13 and 15, 2023
• PDC10V Institutional Biosafety and Biosecurity - Enhancing Oversight through Effective Governance
  • January 23, 2024

On-demand:

Advanced Biosafety Training Series
Basic Disinfection On-demand Module
Basic Biosafety On-demand Module
ABSA Learning Verification Opportunities

Questions related to courses, please email education@absa.org.

For additional courses and events, please visit ABSA International’s calendar.

Advanced Biosafety Training Series Subcommittee (ABTS) - June 2023

Chairs: Dan Eisenman and Shalaka Kotkar

The ABTS modules were completely overhauled in 2022. Our goal for 2023 was to record audio for the ABTS modules, which we originally expected would cost about $2,000. The subcommittee is extremely grateful to Endah Sulistijo who found a way to record the audio at no cost and proceeded to do so for half of the modules. The committee has divided up the remaining modules with the goal of completing the recordings and reviewing the associated quiz content in time for the 2023 ABSA conference.

Learning Verification Committee - June 2023

Chair: Niki Drazenovich
Co-Chair: Matt Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee has reviewed Applied Biosafety Journals V14 through V23 as well as two Anthologies and a few other resources. ABSA members currently have eight quizzes available online for CM points and nine quizzes are in development. These quizzes are low cost and can be located on the website at https://absa.org/online-education/. 

Principles and Practices of Biosafety (PPB) - June 2023

Co-Leads: Carrie Smith and Patrick Condreay

The spring session of Principles and Practices of Biosafety was held in Alexandria, VA in March. The summer session, to be held in Pittsburgh, PA in July, is full. The instructors will meet before the summer class for our annual curriculum workshop.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - June 2023

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Eric Lewis, Ericka Pearce, Endah Sulistijo

The Distance Learning Committee continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members' professional growth. As of May 1, 2023, four courses have been completed, reaching over 380 participants. Webinars scheduled for the coming months include Concepts of Virology; Conspiracy Theories, Mis- and Disinformation; Large Scale Biosafety; Molecular Biology 101; Techniques and Tools for Conducting Relevant Literature Reviews; and Virus-based Gene Transfer Vectors. Topics for webinars under development include biosecurity with FBI speakers); maintaining your ABSA credentials; and how to build relationships with local police departments, fire departments, and first responders.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues and other professionals to attend. If you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals, or if you have any general comments that you would like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA Office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Preconference Course Committee - June 2023

Chair: Kalpana Rengarajan
Co-Chairs: Geoffrey Phillips, Raymond Scheetz, and Danielle Daniely

PCC started 2023 with a bang. We had a total of 35 Preconference course proposals submitted for the 2023 ABSA conference. We have completed the decision call and selected the courses to be offered. Instructors will be informed about their respective courses by the end of May. The Professional Development Course schedule will be available at absaconference.org in mid-June. See you all at Omaha

Journal Board - June 2023

Co-editors: Karen Byers, Barbara Johnson
Associate Editors: David Gillum, Scott Patlovich

Applied Biosafety serves the ABSA International commitment to promoting global biosafety by providing a forum for exchanging sound biosafety and biosecurity initiatives by publishing original articles, review articles, letters to the editors, commentaries, and brief reviews. Applied Biosafety is a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and articles are searchable in Pub Med Central and other indeces. The Editors are pleased to announce Vol 28 no 2 will be a themed issue focused on ‘Biosafety Evidence”. The policies and submission procedure are available on the Mary Ann Liebert website https://home.liebertpub.com/publications/applied-biosafety/661. 

LAI Database Working Group - June 2023

Co-Chairs: Karen Byers, Margaret Juergensmeyer, Esmeralda Meyer

The LAI Database working group is preparing a campaign to add new entries to this resource. Literature searches are ongoing; soon, we will need volunteers to summarize the relevant information in the database. If interested, please contact the ABSA Office, info@absa.org with LAI Database in the subject line. 

Training Tools & Resources for Biosafety Professionals (TTR) - June 2023

Chair: Maya Nair
Co-Chair: Will Pinard

The Training Tools & Resources (TTR) Committee has reviewed a new Tri-University Biosafety Training Video developed by Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona. The three Biorisk Management videos are available for viewing on the TTR webpage at https://absa.org/topic/ttr/.

Committee members have started reviewing and verifying various recourses developed by biosafety professionals from other countries in other languages with the intent of getting these listed on the website to share.

Biosafety professionals are encouraged to share or suggest a resource at https://absa.org/share-resource/. 

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - January 2023

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Eric Lewis, Ericka Pearce, Endah Sulistijo

The Distance Learning Committee continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members’ professional growth. In 2022, 11 courses were offered, reaching over 560 participants. Webinars scheduled for early 2023 include Updating your Preparedness Toolbox for Future Outbreaks or Pandemics and Arthropod Research & Containment, Biosafety and Beyond.

Webinars under development include topics such as occupational health basics, biosecurity basics, disinformation, train the trainer, and amplicon contamination/decontamination in laboratories. Also scheduled for later in the year are four core biosafety courses: Fundamentals of Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Concepts of Virology, Molecular Biology 101, and Virus-based Gene Transfer Vectors. In addition, a new on-demand module on Basic Disinfection was launched in 2022.

DLC recently developed a guide for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who are planning a webinar. Once approved by Council, this guide will be shared with SMEs when planning webinars, with the goal of making the process run more smoothly for all.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. If you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals, or if you have general comments that you’d like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA Office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Principles and Practices of Biosafety (PPB) - January 2023

Co-Chairs: Patrick Condreay and Carrie Smith

The next class will be March 12-17, 2023, in Alexandria, Virginia. The summer session will be July 9-14, 2023, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Training Tools & Resources for Biosafety Professionals (TTR) - January 2023

Chair: Maya Nair
Co-Chair: Will Pinard

The Training Tools/Resources (TTR) Committee met every month virtually and in October, met in person in Milwaukee at the ABSA annual conference. During the October meeting, the Council approved the request to have Will Pinard serve as co-chair.

Several resources on biorisk management, NIH resources, and biosecurity links from EIDC are some of the content reviewed and recommended by the TTR Committee to post. Information on sharing or suggesting a resource or tool can be submitted on the website resources page.

Preconference Course Committee - January 2023

Chair: Kalpana Rengarajan
Co-Chairs: Geoffrey Phillips, Raymond Scheetz, and Danielle Daniely

PCC had a very successful year. We had a total of 561 participants who took in-person courses during the conference and 186 participants who took courses virtually. For the entire 65th Annual Conference, a total of 152 international participants attended either in-person or virtually, representing 51 countries. In Milwaukee, we had 120 participants from 45 countries attend in-person and thirty-two participants from ten countries attend virtually. Participants particularly from Armenia, Canada, Iraq, and Romania had both in-person and virtual attendees.

PCC chairs have reviewed the comments from participants and course facilitators of the different courses offered. Valuable feedback from all was received. For 2023, prior to soliciting instructors, these recommendations will be incorporated as much as possible. The Call for Course Proposals will open January 9, 2023 and will close April 12, 2023. Watch the ABSA website for further details.

Journal Board - January 2023

Anthology of Biosafety - January 2023

The Anthology of Biosafety is a 14-book series that addresses biosafety in different settings including:

I: Perspectives on Laboratory Design
II: Facility Design Considerations
III: Application of Principles
IV: Issues in Public Health
V: BSL-4 Laboratories
VI: Arthropod Borne Diseases
VII: Biosafety Level 3
VIII: Evolving Issues in Containment
IX: Exploring the Performance Envelope for BSL-3 and BSL-4 Laboratories
X: Animal Biosafety
XI: Worker Health and Safety Issues
XII: Managing Challenges for Safe Operations of BSL-3/ABSL-3 Facilities
XIII: Animal Production and Protection – Challenges, Risks, and Best Practices
XIV: Sustainability

The anthologies may be purchased individually or as a full set here.

Journal Board - September 2022

Editors: Karen Byers, Barbara Johnson, Scott Patlovich, and David Gillum

We are proud to announce that Applied Biosafety (APB) was accepted for indexing in the PubMed Central (PMC), a leading indexing service. This is another milestone in promoting ABSA International as the premier resource for evidence-based biosafety and biosecurity. To gain acceptance into PubMed Central, the Journal met the National Library of Medicine’s quality assessment for application of the scientific method and a standard of editorial quality that contributes to the objectivity and credibility of the content. This is due to the combined efforts of the editorial board, expert reviewers, and the manuscript authors; we are incredibly grateful for their contributions to APB content.

Between January and July 2022, there were over 52,000 downloads of APB articles: a 62% increase since 2021. Also, Scopus announced that the Cite Index for APB articles had risen 36% in 2021. Volume 27, Number 3 is being typeset for on-time release to the membership. This is a themed issue chronicling innovative and best practices to build preparedness and resilience in educational, research, and field environments in response to the current and future public health crises. Insight into one aspect of the FDA clinical trial review is also included. Volume 27, Issue 4 will feature a special section of COVID-19 aerosol exposure prevention and vaccine campaign distribution management. The Editors are actively recruiting manuscripts for 2023 and urge the membership and affiliates to submit manuscripts that inform the profession and policy makers who follow (and regulate) biosafety and biosecurity.

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) - September 2022

Chair: Chair: Maya Nair
Co-Chair: Will Pinard

TTR collects, manages, and makes recommendations for tools and resources that would be useful for biosafety professionals around the world. These resources are collated on the ABSA website featuring a search function, keywords, the origin, and the type of resources. The committee uses an evaluation and review method for new incoming resources that include ratings for usability, applicability, keywords, etc., for incorporation into the database. The committee is now focusing on acquiring high-quality international resources; and assessing and extending its review capacity in languages other than English. The committee is always looking forward to receiving new resources and will keep focusing on evaluating and incorporating international resources. Submit a resource on the TTR webpage

ABSA-Owned Course Committee - September 2022

Advanced Biosafety Training Series (ABTS) Modules
Lead: Daniel Eisenman
Co-Lead: Shalaka Kotkar

The ABTS modules have been overhauled and are live online. The committee’s focus for 2022 is generating audio narration of the scripted slide notes.

Basic Risk Assessment
Lead: Rachel Gamble
Co-Lead: David Harbourt

The Basic Risk Assessment course has transferred leadership and will be offered in-person at the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference as part of the Professional Development Course program.

Principles & Practices of Biosafety^®
Chairs: Patrick Condreay and Carrie Smith

The summer session of PPB concluded in Portland, OR with a full roster of 48 participants. Prior to the start of the summer session, the instructors met for the annual curriculum workshop where they reworked the Shipping and Transport Module and tweaked a few other parts of the course. The instructors are looking forward to trying out a new venue in Alexandria, VA for the spring session in March 2023.

BSL-3 Operations and Management
Co-Leads: Paul Jennette and Carrie Smith

The BSL-3 Operations and Management course will be offered in-person at the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference as part of the Professional Development Course program.

Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course^® (BBTC)
Lead: Bob Ellis

The BBTC was held in August in Fort Collins, CO to a full house of 68 participants. The next offering will be held August 7-11, 2023.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - September 2022

Chair: Kalpana Rengarajan
Co-Chairs: Danielle Daniely, Geoffrey Phillips, and Ray Scheetz

The PCC will be offering 15 courses in-person at the Annual Conference and five virtual courses with one of the courses occurring in February of 2023. Virtual course offerings start in September. If the membership has any questions or suggestions regarding PCC, please contact Kari or Colleen at education@absa.org or the Chair/Co-Chairs. Looking forward to seeing you all at the conference in Milwaukee, WI.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - September 2022

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Eric Lewis, Ericka Pearce, and Endah Sulistijo

The DLC continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members’ professional growth. Currently in 2022, 12 courses have been scheduled and/or completed, reaching over 500 participants.

Webinars under development have a focus on several topics including biosafety in the insectary world, pandemic lessons learned, occupational health basics, biosecurity basics, handling mixed waste, and amplicon contamination/decontamination in laboratories. Also, DLC members will be helping facilitate virtual professional development courses for the ABSA International Conference.

DLC recently developed and launched a new on-demand module, Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) Basics, which is now available to the ABSA community, along with the Basic Disinfection module launched earlier this year.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend.

Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals or if you had general comments that you would like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA Office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Anthology XIV: Sustainability - September 2022

Anthology XIV: Sustainability helps us to better understand how we can create facilities that are more efficient with strategies such as reducing the energy requirements for effective autoclaves, biological safety cabinets, and animal facilities. With sustainability comes commitment for investing in the future, and this Anthology XIV will continue to provide current and forward-thinking information to aid the biosafety community achieve its goals. The Anthology XIV book is available in print and at https://absa.org/publications/.

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) - June 2022

Co-Chairs: Lauriane Quenee and Maya Nair

TTR collects, manages, and makes recommendations for tools and resources that would be useful for biosafety professionals around the world. These resources are collated on the ABSA website featuring a search function, keywords, the origin, and the type of resources. The committee uses evaluation and review methods for new incoming resources that include ratings for usability, applicability, keywords, etc., for incorporation into the database. The committee is now focusing on acquiring high-quality international resources; and assessing and extending its review capacity in languages other than English. The committee is always looking forward to receiving new resources and will keep focusing on evaluating and incorporating international resources. TTR webpage: absa.org/tools-resources/.

Learning Verification Committee - June 2022

Chairs: Niki Drazenovich and Matthew Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee has reviewed Applied Biosafety Journals Volume 23 and Volume 24. ABSA members currently have eight quizzes available online for CM points and nine quizzes in development. These quizzes are low cost and can be located on the website at absa.org/online-education/.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - June 2022

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Eric Lewis, Ericka Pearce, Endah Sulistijo

The Distance Learning Committee continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members’ professional growth. In 2021, 12 courses were completed reaching 917 participants. Currently in 2022, 11 courses have been scheduled and/or completed, reaching over 390 participants.

Topics of upcoming scheduled webinars include Concepts of Virology, Large-scale Biosafety, Molecular Biology 101, and Virus-based Gene Transfer Vectors. Webinars under development have a focus on several topics including biosafety in the insectary world, pandemic lessons learned, occupational health basics, and amplicon contamination/decontamination in laboratories.

DLC launched a new on-demand module, Basic Disinfection, which went live in March and is now available to the ABSA community. Coming in June, Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) Basics will be available on-demand to the ABSA community.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals or if you had general comments that you would like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Journal Board - June 2022

Editors: Karen Byers, Barbara Johnson, Scott Patlovich, and David Gillum

The in-press Applied Biosafety Volume 27, Number 2 presents current research and commentary on a range of critical biosafety topics. Applied Biosafety Volume 27, Number 3 will feature SARS-CoV-2, experiences, responses, and future pandemic preparation. The report from the Applied Biosafety (APB) ONLINE NOW website shows a substantial increase in use: there were 4,900 full-text downloads in February 2022 compared to 1,770 in February 2021. The Coeditors-in-Chief met with leadership of BioPhorum, an international group that represents the biopharmaceutical industry and shares the APB goal of raising biosafety awareness through publication of best practices, and Scott Patlovich presented on the Journal at the Southern Biosafety Association. The APB team also welcomed a new Mary Ann Liebert Publication Manager, Jamie Deveraux.

Preconference Course Committee - June 2022

Kalpana Rengarajan (Chair), Danielle Daniely, Geoffrey Phillips, and Ray Scheetz (Co-Chairs)

The Preconference Course Committee (PCC) is off to a good start. Twenty-two abstracts were submitted for the ABSA 2022 Conference. The membership had two meetings including the decision call on selecting the courses to be offered at the conference. There will be over 15 courses offered in-person in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 5 virtual courses. If the membership has any questions or suggestions regarding PCC, please contact Kari DeServi at education@absa.org or the Chair/Co-Chairs. Announcements will be sent out over the coming weeks about the Professional Development Course Program registration opening.

Publications Committee - June 2022

Chairs: Aparupa Sengupta and R. Vilmarie Rodriguez Figueroa

• The effective Committee Policies and Procedures (P&P) were distributed and discussed with committee members. The effective version is providing clarity in Committee Scope, Mission, and Responsibilities for roles within the Committee.
• ABSA blog status is as follows:
• Blog workflow was completed, and a procedure describing the workflow has been drafted. The procedure will provide guidance to submitters and reviewers while providing insight to overall process management.
• Initiated compilation of topics, submitters, and reviewers for the blog. This will help in keeping topics relevant, timely and provide history of contributors to this activity.
• Administrative

Google Docs account opened for the committee and will be used as document repository for committee members.

ABSA-Owned Course Committee - June 2022

Co-Chairs: Chad Austin and Lisa Benford

Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course® (BBTC)
Chair: Bob Ellis

The course directors for the BBTC are excited for the August 2022 sessions and would like to remind everyone that there is still available space for those who would like to attend and learn about biosafety and biosecurity—with General applications as well as specific applications to animal and plant programs and facilities. Do not forget, completion of the course also counts towards maintenance of the RBP and CBSP as well as credentials requiring P.A.C.E.® contact hours. We hope to see you in Fort Collins!

Basic Risk Assessment
Chairs: Brandon Hatcher and Chad Austin

The Basic Risk Assessment course is planned for delivery at the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in coming October.

Advanced Risk Assessment
Chairs: Brandon Hatcher and Chad Austin

The 2021 offering of Advanced Risk Assessment was delivered as a virtual preconference course for the 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference. Course instructors are planning to review the attendee feedback before making any changes to the planned offering at the 2023 Annual Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.

BSL-3 Operations and Maintenance
Chairs: Paul Jennette and Carrie Smith

Instructors Paul Jennette, Carrie Smith, and Dee Zimmerman are planning to offer this course at the upcoming 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advanced Biosafety Training Series - Review Course Modules
Chairs: Daniel Eisenman and Shalaka Kotkar

The modules for the Advanced Biosafety Training Series have been overhauled and are now available on-demand at absa.org/abts. The committee is focusing on recording the audio for each of the modules. Scripts and slide notes are updated, and audio recording is being scheduled.

Principles & Practices of Biosafety® (PPB)
Chairs: Patrick Condreay and Carrie Smith

The spring offering of the Principle and Practices of Biosafety course in San Antonio, Texas had a full roster of 48 participants. The instructors are currently preparing for our summer offering in Portland, Oregon. This class is sold-out and has a waiting list that will be notified when the Spring 2023 class registration opens.

Learning Verification Committee - January 2022

Chairs: Niki Drazenovich and Matthew Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee has reviewed Applied Biosafety journals (Volume 23 and Volume 24). ABSA members currently have eight quizzes available online for CM points and nine quizzes in development. These quizzes are low cost and can be located on the website.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - January 2022

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Joleen Weese, Eric Lewis

The Distance Learning Committee continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members' professional growth. Eleven courses have been completed so far in 2020 reaching over 886 participants. Work is currently underway scheduling several webinars for 2022.Webinar topics in the works for 2022 include effective communication; biosafety in the insectary world; infectious substance shipping; fundamentals of microbiology and infectious disease; concepts of virology; implementation of ISO 35001; and more! Two new on-demand modules, covering basic disinfection and biosafety cabinets, are also well into development and should be available in 2022.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals or if you have general comments you’d like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Journal Board - January 2022

Editors: Karen Byers, Barbara Johnson, Scott Patlovich, David Gillum

The Applied Biosafety journal (APB) continues to provide peer-reviewed information to serve the biosafety community. From January 1 to September 30, there were 58,864 full downloads. APB is now indexed or abstracted in:

• Web of Science Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)
• Scopus
• Biological Abstracts
• BIOSIS Previews
• SafetyLit
• BenchSci

The APB Editors launched a Survey of Biosafety Professionals - Work Experiences During COVID-19 this fall. Approximately 650 people responded from the US and globally, many who expressed an interest in submitting a manuscript for a Special Themed Issue on the role of biosafety professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Editors are reaching out to survey respondents to formulate a plan and timeline moving forward on the themed issue. In addition, data analysis of the survey is underway for a publication and/or presentation for the biosafety community.

The APB December issue (Volume 26, Number 4) features two program-related articles on the development of the national biorisk management framework in the Philippines, and a management approach for biosafety and biosecurity in Singapore. Another manuscript describes the development of a biosafety climate scale to measure the safety culture in academic settings. Two articles focus on risk assessment by measuring aerosol generation and validating a benchtop cell sorter for work in BSL-3 and evaluating over a decade of industrial hygiene data to develop a biologic banding system for work with protein therapeutics. There is also an informative, comprehensive review on the evolution of gene therapy research, medical breakthroughs and associated biosafety challenges.

Please visit our website for information on submitting a manuscript at: https://home.liebertpub.com/publications/applied-biosafety/661/for-authors.

Preconference Course Committee - January 2022

Antony Schwartz (Chair), Heather Blair (Co-Chair) and Angela Ragan (Co-Chair)

The Preconference Course Committee (PCC) had a great 2021 conference! Participants were able to attend the virtual professional development courses as well as access the recordings to further their learning. Course recordings offered as part of the 2021 conference are available for viewing until March 20, 2022. PCC would like to thank ABSA’s Director of Education, KariAnn DeServi, all the course instructors, course reviewers and course facilitators from PCC and DLC who helped make this a successful year! PCC would also like to announce that Antony Schwartz, Heather Blair and Angela Ragan will be stepping down as Chair and Co-chairs due to other commitments within ABSA and professionally. We are excited to announce that PCC members Kalpana Rengarajan (Chair), Danielle Daniely, Geoffrey Phillips and Ray Scheetz (Co-Chairs) will be taking on leadership roles and move PCC forward to bigger and better things in 2022! If the membership has any questions or suggestions regarding PCC, please contact KariAnn or the new Chairs/Co-Chairs.

Publications Committee - January 2022

Chairs: Aparupa Sengupta and R. Vilmarie Rodriguez Figueroa

Publications Committee (PC) continues the commitment towards highlighting ABSA International’s role in the field of Biosafety and Biosecurity by contributing towards the e-platform publications. The PC plans to collaboratively work with the E-communications Committee and Public Relations and Marketing Committee to enhance the global presence of ABSA International on an e-platform. Regular blogs related to emerging issues in Biosafety, Biosecurity, and career growth within the field would be written and published by the members of PC.

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) - January 2022

Chair: Lauriane Quenee

Training Tools and Resources collects, manages, and makes recommendations for tools and resources that would be useful for biosafety professionals around the world. These collated resources are located on the ABSA website. The committee has finalized the organization of existing resources into a searchable database, featuring keywords, the origin, and the type of resources. The committee has also refined evaluation and review methods for new incoming resources that now include ratings for usability, applicability, keywords, etc. for incorporation into the database. The committee is always looking forward to receiving new tools and resources and will keep focusing on evaluating and incorporating international resources.

ABSA-Owned Course Committee - January 2022

Co-Chairs: Chad Austin and Lisa Benford

Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course (BBTC)
Chair: Bob Ellis

The Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course directors are currently planning to offer the course from August 8-12, 2022. Recent additions to course material include preparation for audits and inspections, BSL-2/BSL-3 building design and operations, field investigations biosafety, and many more. For more information on the course, visit https://absa.org/event/absa-bbtc-fort-collins/. Registration is now open!

Advanced Risk Assessment
Chairs: Brandon Hatcher and Chad Austin

The Advanced Risk Assessment course was delivered virtually in November to a full roster. Initial feedback from attendees was positive, but instructors are awaiting results from the formal course feedback to determine the success of the course. The course instructors are also considering asking for new talent to help teach the course. However, details need to be worked out; so, watch your inbox for the announcement if you would like to be an instructor for either the Advanced or Basic Risk Assessment courses.

BSL-3 Operations and Maintenance
Chairs: Paul Jennette and Carrie Smith

The instructors continue to make improvements to the course in preparation for a 2022 offering. Most notably, the Occupational Health module has been revamped.

Advanced Biosafety Training Series - Review Course Modules
Chairs: Dan Eisenman and Shalaka Kotkar

Advanced Biosafety Training Series (ABTS) expects to complete the updates to the Advanced Biosafety Training modules in December 2021. Several modules required major revisions. Audio for the modules will be recorded in Q1 of 2022.

Principles & Practices of Biosafety® (PPB)
Chairs: Patrick Condreay and Carrie Smith

We are going for the Spring 2022 session of Principles & Practices of Biosafety® (PPB) in San Antonio (March 6-11). Currently the attendance is capped at 40. The class is full and has a waiting list. Registration is open for the July offering in Portland, OR.

Anthology XIV: Sustainability - January 2022

Anthology XIV: Sustainability helps us to better understand how we can create facilities that are more efficient with strategies such as reducing the energy requirements for effective autoclaves, biological safety cabinets, and animal facilities. With sustainability comes commitment for investing in the future, and this Anthology XIV will continue to provide current and forward-thinking information to aid the biosafety community achieve its goals. The Anthology XIV book is available in print and at https://absa.org/publications/.

Learning Verification Committee (LVC) - October 2021

Chairs: Niki Drazenovich and Matthew Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee is currently reviewing Applied Biosafety Journals (Volume 23 and Volume 24). ABSA members currently have 8 quizzes available online for CM points and 4 quizzes in development. These quizzes are low cost and can be located on the website at absa.org/online-education.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - October 2021

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Joleen Weese, and Eric Lewis

The Distance Learning Committee (DLC) continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members’ professional growth. Nine webinars have been completed so far in 2021 reaching over 740 participants. Planning is currently underway scheduling several webinars for late 2021 and early 2022.

Webinar topics in the works for the coming months include an update on COVID-19 and biosafety; gene editing, CRISPR and gene drives; biosafety and biosecurity in the insectary world; media and the biosafety professional; and more! The DLC is also working on several new on-demand courses that we hope to roll-out over the coming months, including classes on basic disinfection; biosafety cabinets; and research occupational health. DLC members will also be helping to facilitate professional development courses for this fall’s ABSA conference.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: absa.org/online-education. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals or if you have general comments, you’d like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA International office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Journal Board - October 2021

Chairs: Karen B. Byers, Barbara Johnson, David Gillum, and Scott Patlovich

In 2021, APB was accepted for indexing in the Web of Science Emerging Sources Citation Index, or ESCI. In addition, Scopus announced that the 2020 cite index for APB articles published in 2017-2019 had risen 83%, from 0.6 in 2019 to 1.1 in 2020. There were 41,312 downloads between January and July 2021. Forthcoming this September is Volume 26, Number 3, which explores laboratory biosafety and biosecurity programs and includes articles on responsible risk assessment of invasive genetic elements in arthropod studies, management and legislation of Select Agents and Toxins in Taiwan and features the application of ISO 35001: 2019 standard and HRO principles for biorisk assessment in diagnostic laboratories. Timely and much needed guidance regarding the management of service animals in teaching laboratories is also included, as well as an updated salary survey of biosafety professionals. APB is also very proud to announce the publication of its first Special Supplemental Issue in 2021 which has been made possible by generous donor contributions and support. The Supplemental Issue is focused on international biosafety and will be published alongside Volume 26, Number 3. The APB Editors are developing an industry-wide survey of institutional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic to populate a special themed issue on best practices for pandemic preparedness, resilience, and response for publication in 2022. Please look for this survey in the near-term and visit our website for information on submitting an article at: home.liebertpub.com/publications/applied-biosafety/661/for-authors.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - October 2021

Chairs: Antony Schwartz, Angela Ragan, and Heather Blair

Since the last update, the Preconference Course Committee (PCC) has been working with the ABSA Education Director to convert all professional development courses from in-person offerings to all virtual offerings due to the annual conference being fully virtual. This includes reaching out to the instructors, rescheduling courses, reassigning facilitators, and working through any technical issues for course delivery. PCC is happy to announce that we are offering 17 virtual professional development courses. Unfortunately, some previously scheduled instructors were unable to teach their courses virtually. We hope to work with those instructors and others to bring in-person offerings for the 2022 conference! Submission for course proposals for the 2022 conference will open in mid-January. We would like to thank the ABSA Office, course instructors, and all the committee members for their understanding and flexibility during these times.

ABSA-Owned Course Committee - October 2021

Chair: Robert Ellis

Co-Chairs: Chad Austin and Lisa Benford

Basic & Advanced Risk Assessment - October 2021

Co-Chairs: Chad Austin and Brandon Hatcher

The course instructors are planning to offer the Basic Risk Assessment course at the 2022 ABSA Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Advanced Risk Assessment course instructors have built upon their successful 2019 content and prepared additional, new, interactive scenarios for the next offering of the course which is scheduled virtually as professional development course #13 at the upcoming 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference. Registration is available online at absaconference.org.

BSL-3 Operations and Management - October 2021

Co-Chairs: Paul Jennette and Carrie Smith

The BSL-3 Operations and Management course has been rescheduled for the 2022 ABSA Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advanced Biosafety Training Series - October 2021

Co-Chairs: Dan Eisenman and Shalaka Kotkar

The Advanced Biosafety Training Series review team is in the process of reviewing and finalizing changes to the previous course material.

Principles & Practices of Biosafety® (PPB) - October 2021

Co-Chairs: Patrick Condreay and Carrie Smith

The first Principle & Practices of Biosafety Course since Spring 2020 was successfully offered July 18-23 in Pittsburgh for 35 participants. Plans are underway for the next offering in San Antonio March 6-11, 2022. We are planning for a full class of 48 participants, though this is subject to change as the pandemic continues to unfold.

Anthology XIV: Sustainability - October 2021

Anthology XIV: Sustainability helps us to better understand how we can create facilities that are more efficient with strategies such as reducing the energy requirements for effective autoclaves, biological safety cabinets, and animal facilities. With sustainability comes commitment for investing in the future, and this Anthology XIV will continue to provide current and forward-thinking information to aid the biosafety community achieve its goals. The Anthology XIV book is available in print and at https://absa.org/publications/.

Learning Verification Committee (LVC) - July 2021

Chairs: Niki Drazenovich and Matthew Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee (LVC) has completed review of the Applied Biosafety journal (Volume 22) and questions have been submitted to the LVC committee for review before sending to ABSA Office to generate the online quizzes. ABSA members currently have 8 quizzes available online for CM points and 4 quizzes in development. These quizzes are low-cost and can be located on the website at https://absa.org/online-education/.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - July 2021

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Joleen Weese, and Eric Lewis

The Distance Learning Committee (DLC) continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members’ professional growth. Six courses have been completed so far in 2021 reaching over 592 participants. Planning is currently underway for additional webinars in 2021.

Webinar topics that are scheduled for later in 2021 include Large Scale Biosafety; Toxin Science and Safety; Molecular Biology 101; and more!

For a list of available webinars, please go to https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals or if you have general comments to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA Office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Journal Board - July 2021

Chairs: Karen B. Byers, Barbara Johnson, David Gillum, and Scott Patlovich

Applied Biosafety (Volume 26, Number 2) has been finalized and mailed to subscribers this month. This special themed issue features several papers utilizing different decontamination methods for various respiratory protection devices. Other manuscripts within this issue include a paper on testing breathing air filters for BSL-4 suits. We have now fully and successfully transitioned to the new publisher, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., and continue to strengthen and grow our relationship with their great staff. The Editorial Staff is planning a special supplementary issue in 2021, and because this is an additional issue above and beyond our normal quarterly publication. Funding from generous ABSA supporters has been secured to make this supplementary issue possible.

Excitingly, another key Applied Biosafety manuscript was referenced in a peer reviewed journal:

• EID Journal 27(5)—May 2021. Case Series of Laboratory-Associated Zika Virus Disease, United States, 2016-2019 https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/5/20-3602_article.
• Shugart JM, Brown CK. Zika virus presents an ongoing occupational health hazard for laboratory and biomedical research workers. J ABSA Int. 2019; 24:8-9.

As always, we continue to solicit high quality manuscripts for the journal, so please consider submitting your research. We also invite ABSA members and readers to contact the journal’s Managing Editor, Karen Savage at karen@absaoffice.org, if they have heard a compelling biosafety related presentation.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - July 2021

Chairs: Antony Schwartz, Angela Ragan, and Heather Blair

The PCC has reviewed the professional development course proposals and finalized the slate of virtual and in-person courses for this year’s annual conference! We started with a healthy number of course proposal submissions across various new and interesting topics. All members reviewed the courses, discussed their choices, and potential modifications to help make the courses better. The Co-Chairs and ABSA’s Education Director are working behind-the-scenes with the instructors to finalize courses and schedules. We are happy to announce that we have 9 virtual courses and 14 in-person courses for this year’s conference. Be on the lookout for emails and social media communication regarding the Professional Development Courses and registration!

Anthology XIV: Sustainability - July 2021

Anthology XIV: Sustainability helps us to better understand how we can create facilities that are more efficient with strategies such as reducing the energy requirements for effective autoclaves, biological safety cabinets, and animal facilities. With sustainability comes commitment for investing in the future, and this Anthology XIV will continue to provide current and forward-thinking information to aid the biosafety community achieve its goals. The Anthology XIV book is available in print and at absa.org/publications.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - January 2021

Chairs: Rhonda O’Keefe, Joleen Weese, and Eric Lewis

The Distance Learning Committee (DLC) continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members’ professional growth. Fourteen courses have been completed in 2020 reaching over 1620 participants. Planning is currently underway to schedule several webinars for 2021.

Webinar topics in the works for 2021 include COVID clinical trials and biosafety; how to convince others that safety is important; biosafety in the insectary world; a comparison of BMBL 5 and BMBL 6; infectious substance shipping; gene editing; and more!

For a list of available webinars, please go to: absa.org/online-education. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, and other professionals to attend. Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course, know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals, or if you have general comments that you would like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Principles and Practices of Biosafety (PPB) - January 2021

Chairs: Patrick Condreay and Carrie Smith

Due to meeting restrictions in the state of California, the March 2021 Principles and Practices of Biosafety (PPB) course has been cancelled. Future offerings are available for PPB in Pittsburgh (July 2021) and PPB in San Antonio (March 2022). For event listing, please visit our site at: absa.org/events/category/absa-sponsored/ppb/

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) - January 2021

Co-chairs: Eric Cook and Lauriane Quenee

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) collects, manages, and makes recommendations for tools and resources that would be useful for biosafety professionals around the world. These resources are collated on the ABSA website. The committee has refined evaluations and reviewed methods for making the information and resources easier to find and more useful. Evaluation of the resources will include ratings for usability, applicability, keywords, etc. for existing resources as well as for the evaluation of any new incoming material. The committee is now working on organizing resources into a database that will allow easy search function and ratings of the tools and resources. The TTR committee will also focus on evaluating and incorporating international resources. TTR webpage: absa.org/tools-resources.

Learning Verification Committee (LVC) - January 2021

Chairs: Niki Drazenovich and Matthew Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee (LVC) has completed its review of the Applied Biosafety Journal V22 and questions have been submitted to the LVC committee for review before sending to ABSA office to generate the online quizzes. ABSA members currently have eight quizzes available online for CM points and 4 quizzes in development. These quizzes are low cost and can be located on the website at absa.org/online-education.

BSL-3 Operations and Management - January 2021

The BSL3 Operations and Management course is planning to be offered at the 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference and will incorporate updates based on suggestions and feedback from the 2019 offering.

Basic Risk Assessment & Advanced Risk Assessment - January 2021

The instructors for the Basic Risk Assessment course needed to experiment somewhat with the new remote delivery options for the offering at the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference; and with the participation of course attendees, were able to hone-in on a successful strategy for course delivery. They look forward the attendee feedback so that future offerings will also be successful.

Journal Board - January 2021

Chairs: Karen Byers, Barbara Johnson, and Scott Patlovich

Applied Biosafety (Volume 25, Number 4) has been mailed to subscribers and contains a special section on Gene Therapy. The papers contain information on safeguards for using viral vector systems in human gene therapy, guidance on biosafety for large-scale gene therapy manufacture, and risk mitigation when using viral mediated gene therapy in clinical settings. Also in this issue are papers on large-scale decontamination of rooms, validation of waste decontamination cycles, assessing the biorisk status of veterinary laboratories in Nigeria using the Food and Agriculture Organization Laboratory Mapping Tool, and the development and implementation of a sustainable approach to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity in Bangladesh. There is a timely Letter to the Editors outlining some of the updates made to the ANSI/ASSP Z9.14-2020 Standard that describes testing and performance verification of ventilation systems in ABSL-3/ABSL-3 facilities. The final transition from Sage Publishing to Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers became effective January 1, 2021. The Editorial Board is planning a special issue on Decontamination Methods in Volume 26, Number 1, which will be published in March 2021. We invite ABSA members and readers to contact the journal’s Managing Editor, Karen Savage at Karen@absaoffice.org, if they have heard a compelling biosafety related presentation. Please provide Karen with the presenter’s name, e-mail address (if possible), the title and venue of the presentation, and specifically why this may be a quality publication for Applied Biosafety.

Publications Committee - January 2021

Chairs: Aparupa Sengupta and R. Vilmarie Rodriguez Figueroa

The Publications Committee continues to meet monthly, make progress, and continue to move forward on standing items. Recently, the committee met with ABSA’s Executive Director, Ed Stygar, to explore the possibility of expanding the role of the committee to influence the Biosafety-Security society worldwide on the current emerging topics in the evolving bio-research world (including and beyond COVID-19). There were some tangible and interesting ideas discussed (such as social media outreach, ABSA blogs, etc.) and the Publications Committee is currently working towards those ideas to establish clear goals and objectives for 2021; in hopes of providing some meaningful additions to the already esteem reputation of ABSA International.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - January 2021

Chairs: Heather Blair, Antony Schwartz, and Angela Ragan

The Preconference Course Committee (PCC) and the ABSA Office worked closely together to provide 12 virtual Professional Development courses for the ABSA International Community. We had a total of 661 participants attend or register for at least one Professional Development Course. The virtual format allowed for increased number of participants per course. Utilization of tools like Padlet enhanced the interactivity among course participants and the instructor(s). PCC met December 18th to gather input and evaluations of the courses and to begin planning for next year’s conference. The PCC would like to thank the Distance Learning Committee and the ABSA Office for their tremendous help and support!

Anthology XIV: Sustainability - January 2021

Anthology XIV: Sustainability helps us to better understand how we can create facilities that are more efficient with strategies such as reducing the energy requirements for effective autoclaves, biological safety cabinets, and animal facilities. With sustainability comes commitment for investing in the future, and this Anthology XIV will continue to provide current and forward-thinking information to aid the biosafety community achieve its goals. The Anthology XIV book is available in print and at absa.org/publications.

Basic & Advanced Risk Assessment - September 2020

Chairs: Brandon Hatcher and Chad Austin

Instructors are planning to deliver the Basic Risk Assessment course using the remote delivery options that ABSA is making available for professional development courses this year. The instructors are working to make sure the content can be effectively delivered using the new venue and are planning to record didactic lectures prior to live, interactive, webinar-based sessions. Course registrants will be asked to watch the didactic sessions prior to the live webinar to ensure that discussion is productive.

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) - September 2020

Chairs: Eric Cook and Lauriane Quenee

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) collects, manages, and makes recommendations for tools and resources that would be useful for biosafety professionals around the world. These resources are collated on the ABSA website. The committee continues to work on evaluation and review methods for making the information and resources are easier to find and more useful. Evaluation of the resources will include ratings for usability, applicability, keywords, etc. for existing resources as well as for the evaluation of any new incoming material. The committee has taken the first steps in organizing resources into a database that will allow easy search function and ratings of the tools and resources. The TTR committee will also focus on evaluating and incorporating international resources. Visit the TTR webpage at https://absa.org/tools-resources/.

Journal Board - September 2020

Editors: Karen B. Byers, Barbara Johnson, and Scott Patlovich

ABSA International has signed a contract with Mary Ann Liebert to publish Applied Biosafety. The Editors are engaged in regular conference calls and e-mails with the new publisher to ensure a smooth transition of the journal and are very pleased with the level of professionalism and assistance being provided by Mary Ann Liebert publication staff. The website transfer was successfully completed July 31 with no apparent disruption to the journal. Volume 25, Number 3, the Special Issue focused on SARS-CoV-2 is being finalized with SAGE. The cover will feature a custom-designed photo collage of healthcare workers and PPE made possible by the Office of Public Affairs at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Work is ongoing for the Special Section in Volume 25, Number 4 regarding gene therapy and related topics.

Principles and Practices of Biosafety (PPB) - September 2020

Chairs: Patrick Condreay and Carrie Smith

The Portland class that was to have taken place in July has been postponed until December 2020. The next offerings will be: March 14-19, 2021 in San Diego, CA and July 18-23, 2021 in Pittsburgh, PA. Watch the ABSA website for additional information.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - September 2020

Chairs: Kathleen Kennedy, Rhonda O'Keefe, and Joleen Weese

The Distance Learning Committee (DLC) continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members' professional growth. Twelve courses have been completed so far in 2020 reaching over 1,500 participants. A new course titled "Making Biosafety Accessible during the COVID-19 Pandemic" will be offered on September 10 (12-2:30 CDT) and will focus on biosafety and biosecurity community outreach. Virus Based Gene Transfer Vectors will be offered again this year on September 23 and 30 from 12:30-3:00 pm CDT.

The DLC is working hard to bring new course content online for biosafety and biosecurity professionals. Course ideas under development include how to conduct robust literature reviews for biosafety professionals, developing effective safety training programs, biosafety in the insectary world, and biosafety considerations for gene editing in research.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals or if you have general comments you'd like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Learning Verification Committee (LVC) - September 2020

Chairs: Niki Drazenovich and Matthew Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee (LVC) has completed review of the Applied Biosafety Journal V22 and questions have been submitted to the LVC committee for review before sending to ABSA office to generate the online quizzes. ABSA members currently have 8 quizzes available online for CM points and 4 quizzes in development. These quizzes are low-cost and can be located on the website at https://absa.org/online-education/.

Preconference Course Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Heather Blair, Antony Schwartz, and Angela Ragan

The Professional Development Courses are finalized and will be ready for registrations on the ABSA Conference website (absaconference.org). There will be 12 courses available during the month of October. The courses will be a mix of 4-, 6-, and 8-hour lengths.

Publications Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Aparupa Sengupta and R. Vilmarie Rodriguez Figueroa

Publications Committee continues to meet monthly. Recently, the committee has discussed the fantastic citations and additional to the LAI database. Committee members continue to add to the ideas for submission to the Applied Biosafety Journal, including COVID-19 various aspects but not just limited to that. The committee has major discussion to ensure due to the pandemic, other emerging topics in the profession besides COVID-19 is not ignored and given equal attention. Also, two of the Publications Committee volunteers are working with the Awards Committee to select the Knudsen Award for this year.

Advanced Biosafety Training Series - June 2020

Chair: Chad Austin

The Advanced Biosafety Training Series instructors continue to process content for migration to the new Learning Management System. New members have been brought on board to expedite the review process.

BSL-3 Operations and Management - June 2020

Chairs: Paul Jennette, Carrie Smith

The BSL-3 Operations and Management course was presented at the 62nd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. Instructors Paul Jennette and Carrie Smith successfully engaged the 43-student class and encouraged the students to ask a lot of questions. The instructors have identified a number of improvements to make to the materials and will be analyzing the student feedback and revising the materials before the next offering in 2021.

Basic & Advanced Risk Assessment - June 2020

Chairs: Brandon Hatcher, Chad Austin

The course instructors are revising course content to ensure the course remains a timely and useful resource for participants at the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Phoenix, Arizona in November. Currently, instructors plan to expand content on agricultural biosafety and biosecurity and are discussing other content areas to revise. Instructors will also be updating materials for the Advanced Risk Assessment course, which is planned for the 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2021.

Journal Board - June 2020

Chairs: Karen Byers, Barbara Johnson, Scott Patlovich

Applied Biosafety has received several submissions regarding SARS-CoV-2 and the editors, reviewers, and SAGE staff have worked to publish accepted submissions on Online-First in record time (some within one week of submission). Applied Biosafety is examining the possibility of having a Special Section in one issue in 2020 for SARS-CoV-2 papers and the other having a Special Section on gene editing, gene therapy, gene drives, and synthetic biology. Applied Biosafety's publisher SAGE has submitted the journal's application to Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). Several of the journal's manuscripts are now listed on the WHO "COVID-19 Global literature on coronavirus disease" website. It is a resource that curates COVID-19 papers and can be accessed at https://search.bvsalud.org/global-literature-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/

Principles and Practices of Biosafety (PPB) - June 2020

Chairs: Patrick Condreay, Carrie Smith

The next Principles & Practices of Biosafety course has been rescheduled for December 6-11, 2020 in Portland, OR and the roster is currently full. Public health efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 are being monitored closely to ensure the health and safety of instructors and participants. Updates can be found at .

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - June 2020

Chairs: Kathleen Kennedy, Rhonda O'Keefe, Joleen Weese

The Distance Learning Committee continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members' professional growth. Seven courses have been completed so far in 2020 reaching over 1250 participants. "Nanomaterials and Biosafety 101" will be offered on June 3, 2020.

The DLC is working hard to bring new course content for biosafety and biosecurity professionals. New course ideas include conducting literature reviews for biosafety professionals, proper risk assessment documentation, and more. Another course under development is Facility Decontamination after COVID-19, a topic that has been very popular this year.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course, know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals, or if you have general comments you'd like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA Office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Learning Verification Committee (LVC) - June 2020

Chairs: Niki Drazenovich, Matthew Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee (LVC) continues to generate online quizzes. These quizzes are low-cost and can be located on the website at https://absa.org/online-education/.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - June 2020

Chairs: Heather Blair, Antony Schwartz, Angela Ragan

The Preconference Course Committee met Wednesday April 29th and finalized the Professional Development Course Program for the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. There will be one less day of professional development courses this year to accommodate limited travel funding/opportunities. The Professional Development Courses will be offered Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2. There will be 16 courses available: 6 Basic, 7 Intermediate and 3 Advanced course options. Included in this total are 4 new-to-ABSA courses and 1 ABSA-owned course. We are looking forward to another great program this year and look forward to seeing you in Phoenix!

Publications Committee (PC) - June 2020

Chairs: Aparupa Sengupta, R. Vilmarie Rodriguez Figueroa

Publications committee continues to meet regularly (monthly). Committee members are working towards getting collaborations on new publications related to COVID-19. There were discussions on collaboration with 'award nomination committees' to go over the award for best publications. The committee continues to brainstorm with members to make strategies to include new publications and bring new authors.

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) - February 2020

Chair: Eric Cook
Co-chair: Lauriane Quenee

Training Tools and Resources (TTR) collects, manages, and makes recommendations for tools and resources that would be useful for biosafety professionals around the world. These resources are collated on the ABSA website. The committee continues to work on evaluation and review methods for making the information and resources easier to find and more useful. These reviews will include ratings for usability, applicability, keywords, etc. for existing resources as well as for the evaluation of any new incoming material. This will allow the committee to better organize the information on the website and enable browsers to identify tools and resources most applicable to their needs. The TTR committee will also focus on evaluating and incorporating international resources. TTR webpage: absa.org/tools-resources.

Advanced Risk Assessment - February 2020

Co-chairs: Brandon Hatcher and Chad Austin

The course instructors have received the attendee feedback for the most recent offering of Advanced Risk Assessment and will be discussing changes that should be made for the next offering planned for Raleigh, North Carolina in 2021.

Instructors will also be updating materials for the Basic Risk Assessment course which is planned for the 63rd Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona in 2020.

Journal Board - February 2020

Coeditors-in-Chief: Karen B. Byers and Barbara Johnson
Associate Editors: David Gillum and Scott Patlovich

The journal is on schedule for publication of Volume 25 Issue 1. The Editors have 6 confirmations from authors for a Special Themed Issue on gene editing, gene therapy, gene drives, and aspects of synthetic biology scheduled for Volume 25 Issue 3. They are in discussions regarding a Supplemental Issue likely in early 2021 focused on biosafety and biosecurity initiatives in low resource settings. SAGE Publishing has submitted the required documentation for the Applied Biosafety journal (APB) to be indexed in PubMed. The Editors welcome Dr. Scott Patlovich to the Editorial Board as an Associate Editor.

Principles & Practices of Biosafety (PPB) - February 2020

Course Directors: Pat Condreay and Carrie Smith

The next Principles & Practices of Biosafety (PPB) course will be held July 19-24 in Portland, Oregon. Expansion of the class size to 48 students during the last offering was successful, so we are continuing with the larger class size to reach more students. We will be debuting newly revised Highlight of Pathogenic Microbiology and Laboratory Practices modules during the course.

Distance Learning Committee (DLC) - February 2020

Chair: Kathleen Kennedy
Co-chairs: Rhonda O'Keefe and Joleen Weese

The Distance Learning Committee (DLC) continues to develop, review, and offer new and ongoing webinars for ABSA International members' professional growth. Three core courses are on the 2020 calendar and open for registration including Q&A Infectious Substance Shipping (February 7), Fundamentals of Microbiology (March 5 and 12), and Concepts of Virology (April 9 and 16). Also, on the calendar is a new course titled "Export Control for Pathogens, Production Equipment, and Related Technologies," which will be offered on February 27.

The DLC is working hard to bring new course content for biosafety and biosecurity professionals. New course ideas include mixed waste management principles and practices, nanomaterials and biosafety, and webinars covering topics of interest to Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBC). One such course for IBCs under development will cover training for committee members and will include a panel discussion from the perspective of public, private, and government institutions along with a review of the relevant sections of the NIH Guidelines. Dr. Kathryn Harris will be a panelist during this webinar discussion.

ABSA International webinar registration fees have been reduced based on the feedback from the ABSA International membership survey administered in 2019.

For a list of available webinars, please go to: https://absa.org/online-education/. Course lists are updated routinely. Please invite your colleagues, nonmembers, or other professionals to attend. Finally, if you are interested in teaching a course or know a subject matter expert in a particular field of interest to biosafety or biosecurity professionals or if you have general comments you'd like to share with the DLC, please contact the ABSA office at education@absa.org. We welcome your involvement and feedback.

Learning Verification Committee (LVC) - February 2020

Chair: Niki Drazenovich
Co-chair: Matthew Fischer

The Learning Verification Committee (LVC) has completed review of the Applied Biosafety journal Volume 22 and questions have been submitted to the LVC committee for review before sending to ABSA International office to generate the online quizzes. The committee has started review of Applied Biosafety journals Volume 23 and Volume 24. ABSA members currently have 8 quizzes available online for CM points and 4 quizzes in development. These quizzes are low-cost and can be located on the website at https://absa.org/online-education/.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - February 2020

Chair: Heather Blair
Co-chairs: Antony Schwartz and Angela Ragan

The Preconference Course Committee (PCC) has added a second Co-Chair to the committee, Angela Ragan. The PCC is also reviewing the course evaluations from 2019 and are collecting information and data to help in the decision making for the 2020 course offerings. The call for course proposals is open. The submission deadline is March 13, 2020 for all course proposals. The submission site is abstractsonline.com. PCC is looking forward to another great year of excellent Professional Development Courses for 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - January 2024

Chair: Hallie Hoskins
Co-Chair: Rhonda O’Keefe

The Board has finalized an improved CM Worksheet in Excel format, and it is now posted on our webpage. Members may begin using it regardless of their cycle end dates as it is a great record-keeping tool as well. The new form lets you know if you are short on any CM points as it tallies points automatically and should be more user-friendly. The Word version is also available for the next year to those not familiar with Excel.

The CMB and the Distance Learning Committee (DLC) hosted a webinar on maintaining RBP(ABSA) and CBSP(ABSA) credentials. There were over 100 people in attendance and the feedback was positive. The webinar will be posted on the Credentialing Maintenance webpage.

We are preparing for a review of credentialing maintenance worksheets for the 2019-2023 cycle and expect approximately 100 people to be recredentialed this year. Worksheets must be submitted by February 1, 2024.

Exam Development Board (EDB) - January 2024

Chair: Joseph Kozlovac
Co-Chair: David Harbourt

The Exam Development Board continues to make revisions and improvements to the CBSP exam to maintain the integrity of the credential. The Board met multiple times in the past quarter to look for subject areas that require additional questions used to generate the exam. Individual members have submitted new questions to improve the quality and balance the difficulty within each subject area of the CBSP exam. Each of these questions will be reviewed by the entire committee for approval early in 2024.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - January 2024

Chair: Paul Meechan
Co-Chair: John Henneman

The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) continues to meet monthly to review applications for certification as Registered Biosafety Professionals (RBP) and Certified Biological Safety Professionals (CBSP). As a reminder, February 1, 2024, is the deadline for submitting CBSP exam applications.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - September 2023

Chair: Hallie Hoskins
Co-Chair: Rhonda O’Keefe

The Board has created an improved Credentialing Maintenance (CM) Worksheet in Excel format, which tallies CM points automatically. This new format is being finalized to ensure consistency in wording and points values with the current worksheet and will be posted online for use shortly. Credential professionals will be able to use either the current Word version or the new Excel version for about one year until we have completely transitioned.

The CMB is working with the Distance Learning Committee (DLC) to host a webinar on maintaining your RBP(ABSA) and CBSP(ABSA) credentials. We will describe the recredentialing process, offer tips on tracking CM points and documentation, highlight activities with revised point structures, and conclude with a Q&A. The webinar is free for ABSA members and will be held Wednesday, September 27 at 12:30 PM CDT. Registration is open and accessible on the ABSA website.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - September 2023

Chair: Paul Meechan
Co-Chair: John Henneman

The Board continues to meet monthly to review RBP and CBSP applications. Information on credential criteria for both is posted on the ABSA website.

The Board welcomes Rachel Gamble as a new Board member and thanks John Balog for his years of service.

Exam Development Board (EDB) - September 2023

Chair: Joseph Kozlovac
Co-Chair: David Harbourt

The Exam Development Board is continually working to maintain the quality of the CBSP exam and the integrity of the credential. The Board met with a statistician post examination in July. There were 28 individuals that sat for the exam this year and of those 19 have been conferred with the CBSP designation. The Board welcomes David Harbourt as the new co-chair and thanks Heather Blair for her service in this capacity.

Credentialing Maintenance Board - June 2023

Chair: Hallie Hoskins
Co-Chair: Rhonda O’Keefe

The Board is excited to announce a forthcoming improved CM Worksheet! Credentialed professionals will be able to track CM points and submit for their five-year recertification. This new Excel format will allow users to see how they are accumulating points and to make sure they are accumulating the 15 CM points for Professional Development (Sections 4-7). CM Worksheet sections will be divided by tabs, and points will automatically total within each section and carry over to the main Summary section. This worksheet will be posted online for use this summer, and we encourage all credentialed members to begin using it immediately.

The CMB is working with the Distance Learning Committee (DLC) to host a webinar on maintaining your RBP(ABSA) and CBSP(ABSA) credentials. We will describe the recredentialing process, offer tips on tracking CM points and documentation, highlight activities with revised point structures, and conclude with a Q&A. The webinar is tentatively scheduled for this fall. Announcements will be sent when the date is finalized.

The Board reviewed 63 CM Worksheets for the 2018-2022 cycle year. Six individuals were randomly selected for audit and are in the process of being evaluated.

Credentialing Evaluation Board - June 2023

Chair: Paul Meechan
Co-Chair: John Henneman

The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) continues to meet at least monthly, completing the applications to sit for the Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP) examination earlier this spring. The Board also reviewed application for the Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) credential on an ongoing basis. The Board would like to remind applicants to provide enough narrative regarding your biosafety program management to allow them to grant you the amount of service credit you request. Adding elements that do not support biosafety (e.g., chemical or radiation safety efforts) does not help the Board evaluate an applicant fairly, will delay their decision and may result in the application being returned for clarification.

Credentialing Evaluation Board - January 2023

Chair: Paul Meechan
Co-Chair: John Henneman

The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) continues to meet at least monthly (frequently more than once per month) to review applications for certification as Registered Biosafety Professionals (RBP) and Certified Biological Safety Professionals (CBSP). This fall, the Board made minor revisions to the CBSP forms for candidates to improve the function of the forms and to ensure that applicants understood that they needed more than 50% of their time working on biosafety issues for their time to count towards the CBSP. As a reminder, the Board requires the use of the new forms and any person submitting a request with the old form will have their application returned. The deadline for submitting all materials required for the 2023 CBSP examination is 01 February 2023.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - January 2023

Chair: Hallie Hoskins
Co-Chair: Rhonda O’Keefe

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) welcomes new member Heidi Page and the transition of new chair Hallie Hoskins beginning in the new year. Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe is stepping down after graciously serving our Board for the last 4 years.

The Board has had a busy year reviewing 138 CM applications (121 approved and seventeen denied) and revising the current ABSA CM point system. As of January 1, 2023, courses taken from this date forward, will receive the following (CM points per hour for attendee): 0.125 CM points for 1-<2 hours; 0.25 CM points for 2-<3 hours; 0.5 CM points for 3-<5 hours; 0.75 CM points for 5-<6 hours (this was 0.5 CM points previously); 1 CM point for 6-8 hours.

The CMB would like to remind all CBSPs and RBPs of the requirement to recertify their credentials. A great tool to have at the ready when completing the Credentialing is the Credentialing Maintenance Program Guide. The CMB will begin to review the re-credentialing applications for the 2018-2022 cycle in January 2023. The deadline for worksheet submission is February 1! If you are not sure of your cycle assignment, please refer to the CBSP/RBP CM Cycle Assignments listed on the credentialing page of the ABSA website. Credentialing Maintenance fees can be paid online under your member profile (you must be logged in to access). The Board would also like to remind individuals that there are low cost or free online education opportunities listed on the ABSA website, including online education, upcoming ABSA events, and a list of free CDC webinars.

Exam Development Board (EDB) - September 2022

Chair: Joseph Kozlovac
Co-Chair: Heather Blair

The (EDB) has been very busy over the past few months, meeting a total of 9 hours to prepare the 150 question CBSP Exam. The entire EDB reviews every question on the exam and then a final review is conducted by the Chair as a final QC check. This year we had 27 examinees that took the exam during the month of June. More than half took the test during the last 5 days of the month!

After the examination window passed, a psychometrician from Kryterion reviewed all the questions to determine if the questions performed as expected and flagged the questions that did not perform as expected. The analysis was then reviewed by both the EDB and the psychometrician to determine if the flagged questions were kept in scoring or removed from scoring. Sixteen of the 27 examinees passed the exam.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - September 2022

Chairs: Paul Meechan
Co-Chair: John Henneman

The CEB continues to meet at least monthly (frequently more than once per month) to review applications for certification as Registered Biosafety Professionals (RBP).

Throughout the spring and summer, the Board continued to make minor revisions to the RBP and CBSP forms for candidates to improve the function of the forms. The changes to the application forms appear to be assisting the applicants and the Board determine in determining the qualifications of candidates. As a reminder, the Board requires the use of the new forms and any person submitting a request with the old form will have their application returned.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - September 2022

Chair: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe
Co-Chair: Rhonda O’Keefe

The CMB has reviewed 59 CM worksheets for the 2017-2021 credentialing cycle and one CM worksheet for extension. Six worksheets were randomly selected for audit and were passed. There were 57 approvals, one pending review, and one failure among the worksheets reviewed. One worksheet was granted a 1-year extension.

The CMB wants to remind the credentialed community that there are several low cost or free online training courses could count toward the required Professional Development activities. These courses can be located at the ABSA Credentialing Maintenance Program Upcoming approved courses (e.g., online options, ABSA webinars, and free CDC trainings). The biosafety calendar also posts the upcoming biosafety trainings.

Credentialing Evaluation Board - June 2022

Chairs: Paul Meechan and John Henneman

The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) continues to meet at least monthly (frequently more than once per month) to review applications for certification as Registered Biosafety Professionals (RBP) as well as prospective candidates for the June 2022 Certified Biosafety Professional (CBSP) examination. Throughout the winter and spring, the Board continued to update the information for candidates that has now been posted to the ABSA website, as well as minor revisions to the RBP and CBSP forms for candidates. The changes to the application forms appear to be assisting the applicants and the Board determine in determining the qualifications of candidates. As a reminder, the Board requires the use of the new forms and any person submitting a request with the old form will have their application returned.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - June 2022

Chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe and Rhonda O’Keefe

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) have reviewed 57 CM worksheets for the 2017-2022 credentialing cycle and two CM worksheet for extension. Six worksheets were randomly selected for audit and four were pass/approved and two are pending for review. There were fifty-six approvals and one failure among the worksheets reviewed.

The CMB wants to remind the credentialing community that there are several low cost or free online training courses listed at the ABSA website. Upcoming, approved courses include the online options, upcoming ABSA activities, and a list of free CDC webinars. The online CM applications can be completed by logging in to the ABSA Portal. The status for all the CM applications can be tracked by each applicant at the ABSA portal. The CMB strongly encourages the credentialed community to: 1) Continuously work on receiving re-credentialing activities during the 5-year credentialing cycle. DO NOT wait until the last year; 2) Submit CM applications for activities as soon as they occur at ABSA website; DO NOT wait until you are due for re-certification; 3) Download the CM worksheet at the beginning of your five-year period and fill-in activities as you complete them; 4) Save all your supporting documents as they occur in case of an audit. DO NOT wait until you are selected for an audit.

ABSA Exam Development Board (EDB) - June 2022

Chairs: Joseph Kozlovac and Heather Blair 

The Board’s primary role is to maintain the quality and value of the Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP) exam as well as the CBSP credential. EDB members have worked thoroughly to assure that examination questions are relevant, understandable, and reasonable.   

The exam is offered through the month of June each year giving the candidate one opportunity each year with no more than six total (lifetime) attempts. This year’s exam was launched June 1 with 23 test takers scheduled throughout the entire month. 

Credentialing Evaluation Board - January 2022

Chairs: Paul Meechan and John Henneman

The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) continues to meet at least monthly (frequently more than once per month) to review applications for certification as Registered Biosafety Professionals (RBP). This summer and fall, the Board has taken on the additional tasks of reviewing and updating the information for candidates that has now been posted to the ABSA website, as well as updating the RBP and CBSP forms for candidates. The changes to the application forms should significantly assist the applicants and will help the Board determine whether an applicant meets the criteria for approval. Considering this, the Board will require the use of the new forms as of February 1, 2022.

The Board is working to finish the review of current RBP applications in anticipation of the 2022 requests to take the CBSP exam. We ask all CBSP candidates to make sure they meet the application deadline of February 1, 2022, or they will be delayed until the 2023 exam.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - January 2022

Chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe and Rhonda O’Keefe

The Credentialing Maintenance Board welcomes new member Sylvie Blondelle. In 2021, the CMB has reviewed 151 CM applications (120 CM apps were approved, and 31 CM apps were denied). The approved CM applications are listed at the ABSA’s Professional Development Activities page. The CMB reminds the credentialing applicants that there are several low cost or free online education opportunities listed on the ABSA website, including the online education, upcoming ABSA events, and a list of free CDC webinars. The CMB will begin to review the re-credentialing applications for the 2017-2021 cycle in January 2021.

The CMB strongly encourages the credentialing applicants to:

• Continuously work on receiving re-credentialing activities during the 5-year cycle
• Submit the CM applications for activities as soon as they occur at the ABSA website
• Download the CM worksheet at the beginning of your 5-year period and fill in activities as you complete them
• Save all your supporting documents as they occur in case of an audit

Exam Development Board - January 2022

Chairs: Joseph Kozlovac and Heather Blair

The Exam Development Board continues to review the current exam pool and develop new questions. We are Happy to announce that Dr. Julie Johnson from Kansas State University will be joining the board. We express our thanks and gratitude to Dr. Mary Delarosa for her years of outstanding service on the board, she will be missed.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - October 2021

Chair: Paul Meechan

After much deliberation, the application fee for the RBP be raised to $150. The fee has never increased since the inception of the program. The new fee will go into effect January 1, 2022.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - October 2021

Co-Chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe and Rhonda O’Keefe

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) has completed the review for the 2016-2020 credentialing cycle of 53 CM worksheets and 1 CM worksheet for reinstating an RBP credential. Five worksheets were randomly selected for audit and 4 were passed and 1 failed. There were 51 approvals and 3 failures among the 54 worksheets reviewed. 94.4% of the applicants received re-certification including 22 RBP(ABSA), 10 CBSP(ABSA), and 19 RBP(ABSA)/CBSP(ABSA) and 1 reinstated RBP(ABSA).

The CMB has increased the CM point allotment for Board and Committee Chairs from 1.0 CM point to 2.0 CM points per year effective for service starting January 1, 2022. The CM point allotment for Board and Committee members has increased from 0.5 CM point to 1.0 CM point per year, also effective for service starting January 1, 2022. The new point assignment will NOT be retroactive. Committees or Boards which are not active will not be eligible for CM points.

The CMB would like to remind the credentialed community that there are several low cost or free online education opportunities listed on the ABSA website, including the webinars and on-demand learning opportunities, upcoming ABSA classes and events, and a list of free CDC webinars. The online CM application form can be completed by logging in with Member Clicks at the ABSA portal, then going to Workflow Dashboard, New, and submitting an Application for Credentialing Maintenance Points. If you don’t have an account, please register at connect.ABSA.org (Member Clicks). The status for CM applications can now be tracked by each applicant in their Workflow Dashboard as well. The CMB strongly encourages the credentialed community to:

• Continuously work on receiving re-credentialing activities during the 5-year credentialing cycle.
• DO NOT wait until the last year.
• Submit CM applications for activities as soon as they occur at ABSA website.
• DO NOT wait until you are due for re-certification.
• Download the CM worksheet at the beginning of your 5-year period and fill in activities as you complete them.
• Save all your supporting documents as they occur in case of an audit.
• DO NOT wait until you are selected for an audit.

The CMB determined that there were ample opportunities, including virtual conferences, symposiums, and online courses, for the credentialing community to obtain CM points during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, if you feel that you experienced extenuating circumstances due to the COVID-19 outbreak, please complete the Request for Consideration Due to Extenuating Circumstances form for the 2017-2021 cycle and submit to credentialing@absa.org prior to December 31, 2021.

Exam Development Board (EDB) - October 2021

The exam development board reviewed and approved the exam questions utilized for this year’s exam which was taken by 22 individuals. Post exam activities included a review of the post-exam statistical analysis of questions relative to performance. The EDB is currently reviewing questions within the exam blueprint and developing questions in areas of the exam blueprint which need new or replacement of retired questions.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - July 2021

Chair: Paul Meechan

The Credentialing Evaluation Board has continually reviewed applications for the Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) credential and applications from those interested in sitting for the CBSP Exam. 68 applications have been reviewed since the beginning of the year.

After much deliberation, the Board has also recommended the application fee for the RBP be raised to $150. The fee has never increased since the inception of the program. The new fee will go into effect January 1, 2022.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - July 2021

Chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe and Krista Murray

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) have completed the review of 53 CM worksheets for the 2016-2020 credentialing cycle and one CM worksheet for reinstating RBP. There were 52 approvals and two failures among the 54 worksheets reviewed. Five worksheets were randomly selected for audit and three were passed and two are pending for review. 96.3% of the applicants received re-certification including 21 RBP(ABSA), 11 CBSP(ABSA), and 19 RBP(ABSA)/CBSP(ABSA) and one reinstated RBP(ABSA).

The CMB as increased the CM point allotment for Team Leaders, Board and Committee Chairs from 1.0 CM point to 2.0 CM points as of January 1, 2022. The CM point allotment for Board and Committee members has increased from 0.5 CM point to 1.0 CM point effective January 1, 2022. The new point assignment will NOT be retroactive. Committee or Boards who are not active will not be eligible for CM points.

The CMB want to remind the credentialing community that there are several low-cost or free online training courses listed at the ABSA website upcoming approved courses that includes the online options, upcoming ABSA activities, and a list of free CDC webinars.

The online CM applications can be completed by logging in to the ABSA portal. The status for all the CM applications can be tracked by each applicant at the ABSA portal. The CMB strongly encourages the credentialed community to:

• Continuously work on receiving re-credentialing activities during the 5-year credentialing cycle. DO NOT wait until the last year.
• Submit CM applications for activities as soon as they occur at ABSA website
• DO NOT wait until you are due for re-certification
• Download the CM worksheet at the beginning of your 5-year period and fill in activities as you complete them
• Save all your supporting documents as they occur in case of an audit. DO NOT wait until you are selected for an audit.

The CMB have determined that there are opportunities of virtual conferences, symposiums, and online courses for the credentialing community to obtain CM points during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, If you are experiencing extenuating circumstances due to the COVID-19 outbreak, please fill out the Request for Consideration Due to Extenuating Circumstances form for the 2017-2021 cycle and submit to credentialing@absa.org prior to December 31, 2021.

CBSP Exam Development Board (EDB) - July 2021

Chair: Joseph Kozlovac

The CBSP Exam Development Board has completed its review and update of the exam pool questions to ensure conformance with the CDC/NIH BMBL 6th and the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 4th edition. The Board reviewed the questions that will be utilized in the upcoming CBSP exam. Additionally, the Board has contributed to the development and review of the ABSA International CBSP Exam Item Writer’s Guide, which will be a useful reference for newly appointed Board members.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - January 2021

Chairs: Paul Meechan and Krista Murray

The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) continues to review Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) candidates monthly and has started to receive applications for Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP) candidates applying to take the 2021 CBSP examination. Interested CSBP exam candidates will need to have their applications in by February 1, 2021. The Board has also been meeting to revise the wording on the Credentialing portion of the ABSA website to make it clearer to the applicants what is applicable in terms of their relevant academic degrees as well as the need to provide details regarding their biosafety efforts and the amount of time spent on those efforts. The Board will also be referring to “year-equivalents” of service, to make it clear that it will take longer for a person serving only part-time in a biosafety role to achieve the time in service over a person who performs biosafety duties full-time.

Exam Development Board (EDB) - January 2021

Chair: Joseph Kozlovac

The Exam Development Board (EDB) has their regularly monthly meetings, and the International Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP) Task Force has worked on determining the market for an international credential.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - January 2021

Chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe and Rhonda O’Keefe

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) have reviewed 179 online Credentialing Maintenance (CM) application submissions and approved 142 applications for CM points in 2020. The online CM applications can be completed by logging in to ABSA portal at absa.org. The status for all the CM applications can now be tracked by each applicant in the ABSA portal. Thirty-three CM worksheets submitted for recredentialing were submitted and reviewed in 2020 by the CMB. Thirty-two CM worksheets were approved for the 2015-2019 credentialing cycle and one extension was approved for the 2014-2019 cycle. Among them are 15 RBP(ABSA), 9 CBSP(ABSA), and 9 RBP(ABSA)/CBSP(ABSA). Three worksheets were randomly selected for audit and all passed. 100% of the applicants received re-certification. The worksheet for recredentialing can be downloaded at ABSA Credentialing Maintenance Program: absa.org/credentials.

The CMB have determined that there are opportunities of virtual conferences, symposiums, and online courses for the credentialing community to obtain CM points during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, if the applicant for the 2016-2020 cycle who is experiencing extenuating circumstances due to the COVID-19 outbreak, he/she can fill out the Request for Consideration Due to Extenuating Circumstances form and submit to Credentialing@absa.org.

The online CM applications can be completed by logging in to the ABSA Portal. The worksheet for recredentialing can be downloaded from the ABSA Credentialing Maintenance Program Guide. The CMB strongly encourages the credentialed community to:

• Continuously work on receiving re-credentialing activities during the 5-year cycle. DO NOT wait until the last year.
• Submit CM applications for activities as soon as they occur at ABSA website.
• DO NOT wait until you are due for re-certification.
• Download the CM worksheet at the beginning of your five-year period and fill in activities as you complete them.
• Save all your supporting documents as they occur in case of an audit. DO NOT wait until you are selected for an audit.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - September 2020

Chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe and Rhonda O'Keefe

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) has completed the review of 32 re-credentialing applications for the 2014-2018 cycle and one extension application for the 2014-2019 cycle. The CMB has audited three randomly chosen applicants to verify their re-credentialing worksheet submission. 100% of these applicants received re-certification. Among the recertified, there are 15 RBP(ABSA), 9 CBSP(ABSA) and 9 RBP(ABSA)/CBSP(ABSA). The CMB has reviewed 243 online CM credit submissions and approved 202 applications for CM credit from July 2019 to July 2020. The online CM applications can be completed by logging in to the ABSA Portal. The worksheet for recredentialing can be downloaded from the ABSA Credentialing Maintenance Program Guide. The CMB strongly encourages the credentialed community to:

• Continuously work on receiving re-credentialing activities during the 5-year cycle. DO NOT wait until the last year.
• Submit CM applications for activities as soon as they occur at ABSA website.
• DO NOT wait until you are due for re-certification.
• Download the CM worksheet at the beginning of your five-year period and fill in activities as you complete them.
• Save all your supporting documents as they occur in case of an audit. DO NOT wait until you are selected for an audit.

ABSA Exam Development Board - June 2020

Chair: Joseph Kozlovac

The Board members have worked diligently to assure that examination questions are relevant, understandable, and reasonable. The Board's primary role is to maintain the quality and value of the exam as well as the CBSP credential. To meet those ends, the Board conducted a review of the exam blueprint and determined areas which needed new or revised questions. Board members created new or edited questions, which were identified as in need of revision during the post exam review. The Board recently generated and conducted the initial review for the 2020 CBSP exam. The Board is planning for a broad review of questions directly related to the BMBL when the 6th edition is released by HHS.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - June 2020

Chairs: Paul Meechan and Donald Wang

The CEB has continued to meet monthly to review applications for the RBP and CBSP credentials. The Board completed reviews for candidates for the 2020 CBSP exam, which may be extended to accommodate the coronavirus restrictions on people and businesses. Additionally, the Board has agreed to a second meeting monthly to review the current criteria and consider revisions and clarifications to the criteria, to improve the consistency of evaluations and allow for a proper evaluation of those persons in non-traditional biosafety positions.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - June 2020

Chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe, Rhonda O'Keefe

The Credentialing Maintenance Board has completed the review of 28 re-credentialing applications for the 2015-2019 cycle and one extension application for the 2014-2019 cycle. There are 13 RBP(ABSA), 8 CBSP(ABSA), and 8 RBP(ABSA)/CBSP(ABSA) among these re-credentialing applications. To complete this cycle of recredentialing review, the CMB has audited three randomly chosen applicants to verify their re-credentialing worksheet submissions.

The CMB has continued to review and approve the online credentialing maintenance (CM) applications. The approved CM applications can be located at the ABSA's Professional Development Activities page. The CMB would like to remind members that the ABSA's online educational resources provide a series of inexpensive online options for gaining credentialing maintenance points.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - February 2020

Co-chairs: Paul Meechan and Donald Wang

The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) continues their monthly conference call to review submitted RBP/CBSP applications and other Board-related matters.

Since the 2019 Conference to date the CEB received and reviewed 19 RBP and CBSP applications including one for the CBSP Exam.

Summary of CEB's Application Reviews:

* Frequent reasons for RBP denial by the Board; lack of information regarding their comprehensive biosafety program experience, short on time (depending acceptable academic degree) in managing a biosafety program, submitted academic degree is not applicable to biosafety.
*** Pending due to needing additional information or clarifications from the applicant prior to Board decision.

CEB Board member changes. Tom Boyle, after serving on CEB for 14 years, has stepped down as Chair and will be serving in other roles within ABSA, Don Wang will inherit back the role as Chair. Paul Meechan has been appointed to the CEB effective January 2020. Paul previously served on CEB and his institutional knowledge on the Board and his biosafety expertise will be a great asset.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - February 2020

Chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe
Co-chair: Rhonda O'Keefe

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) thanks Deborah Newby for her services of the board and as a Co-Chair for many years. The CMB welcome new Co-Chair Rhonda O'Keefe. The CMB develops the continuing education criteria necessary for Certified Biological Safety Professionals (CBSP[ABSA]s) and Registered Biosafety Professionals (RBP[ABSA]s) to maintain their certification and administers the recertification process. The criteria for serving on the Board include being an active status CBSP and/or RBP and a current ABSA member. In 2019, the CMB has reviewed 257 CM applications (230 CM apps were approved, and 27 CM apps were denied). The approved CM applications are listed at the ABSA's Professional Development Activities page. The CMB reminds the credentialing applicants that the ABSA's online educational resources provide a series of inexpensive online courses for gaining credentialing maintenance points. The CMB has started to review the re-credentialing applications for the 2015-2019 cycle and the extension applications for the 2014-2019 cycle in January 2020. The CMB strongly encourages the credentialing applicants to: 1) continuously work on receiving re-credentialing activities during the 5-year cycle; 2) submit the CM applications for activities as soon as they occur at the ABSA website; 3) download the CM worksheet at the beginning of your 5-year period and fill in activities as you complete them; 4) save all your supporting documents as they occur in case of an audit.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Su-Hwi Hung-Cunliffe and Deborah Newby

The CMB welcomed three new members: Amy Helgerson, Hallie Hoskins, and Susanne Savely in July 2019. The CMB has completed the review of 52 re-credentialing applications for the 2014-2018 cycle and five extension applications for the 2013-2018 cycle. The CMB has audited four randomly chosen applicants to verify their re-credentialing worksheet submission. Ninety-three percent of these applicants received re-certification. Among them are 26 RBP(ABSA), 18 CBSP(ABSA) and 9 RBP(ABSA)/CBSP(ABSA). Starting in October 2018, the CM application can be submitted online at the ABSA website. The CMB has since reviewed 245 online CM credit submissions and approved 210 applications for CM credit. The CMB strongly encourages the credentialing applicants to: 1) Continuously work on receiving re-credentialing activities during the five-year cycle. DO NOT wait until the last year; 2) Submit CM applications for activities as soon as they occur at ABSA website. DO NOT wait until you are due for re-certification; 3) Download the CM worksheet at the beginning of your 5-year period and fill in activities as you complete them; 4) Save all your supporting documents as they occur in case of an audit. DO NOT wait until you are selected for an audit.

Credentialing Evaluation Board - April 2019

Co-chairs: Thomas Boyle and Don Wang

Since the last report, the CEB received 32 applications to approve or deny. The CEB received 11 RBP applications; 3 applications were reviewed and approved; 2 were reviewed and denied; and 6 applications are pending. The CEB also reviewed 21 CBSP applications; 14 applications were reviewed and approved; 5 were reviewed and denied; and 2 applications are pending. The CEB received 2 requests for reconsideration as well as 1 formal appeal.

Frequent reasons for RBP denial by the Board include lack of documented comprehensive biosafety program management experience; does not account for the required time managing a comprehensive biosafety program (depending acceptable academic degree); and the submitted academic degree is not applicable to biosafety.

Frequent reasons for CBSP exam denial include applicant does not meet ABSA International’s educational requirement and/or time criteria managing a comprehensive biosafety program.

Applications are considered pending if the Board has requested additional information or clarifications from the applicant.

We continue to maintain our monthly phone conference to review newly submitted RBP/CBSP applications, pending applications and other Board related matters.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - December 2018

Chair: Susan Cook

The CMB would like to remind RBPs and CBSPs of the following recommendations to ensure an efficient and timely review of their recredentialing worksheets.

• Submit applications for CM credit as soon after the activity as possible. This will allow the CMB to review these applications in a timely fashion and will prevent any surprise shortfalls in CM points if an activity is not approved.
• Submit fully-completed documents (CM credit applications or credentialing maintenance worksheets) to minimize the amount of time needed to review the applications and to minimize the number of requests for additional or clarifying information.
• Respond promptly to requests for additional or clarifying information from the ABSA office or the CMB to allow reviews to proceed efficiently.

The CMB recently launched an online portal for submission of CM applications that we hope will reduce the amount of time needed to review these applications. We appreciate any feedback (positive or negative) that the credentialed community has regarding this online portal.

Please remember that if your recredentialing cycle ends in 2018 your renewal materials are due to the ABSA International office by February 1, 2019. Visit https://absa.org/credentials/ to find out when your recredentialing cycle ends and to review other helpful documents.

Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 - December 2018

Leads: David Gillum and Barbara Owen

The Biosecurity Task Force and respective subcommittees held multiple teleconferences to establish the path forward and framework for offering a Biosecurity Credential through ABSA International, determine the resources needed to support credentialing (new training, classes, publications, etc.), and define the marketing strategy to launch this new biosecurity credential. To date, key accomplishments since our August update include: 1) documentation of biosecurity related terms and definitions to establish a common vocabulary across the profession/program; and 2) gap assessment of biosecurity related ABSA courses and resources currently available, which was later used to help define the framework for supporting the credentialing process. Key questions have been asked of each of the four subcommittees; these questions are being utilized to develop a proposal for ABSA Council review/approval, which will define the framework for creating, launching, maintaining, and marketing a biosecurity credential. Components for the proposal will define the marketing strategy prior to launching and after establishing the credential, establish criteria needed to evaluate and award a credential, and identify resources needed to evaluate and support a credential and marketing strategy.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - September 2018

Co-chairs: Thomas Boyle and Donald Wang

The primary function of the Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) is to review new applications and re-applications for registration (RBP) or certification (CBSP) as a biological safety professional meeting the criteria established by ABSA International.

There has been a change in CEB Chair. Donald Wang stepped down as Chair and Thomas Boyle is the new Chair.

We continue to meet monthly via phone conference to review newly submitted RBP/CBSP applications, pending applications and other Board related matters.

In 2018, the Board took on the role of reviewing applications for those seeking to take the CBSP exam. Since the CBSP exam reviewing process is a new function for CEB, we have updated the brochure for the ABSA International Conference. We also need to review and revise our P&Ps to include the CBSP exam reviewing process.

CEB adopted the RBP Instructions and Application Form (with modifications) for the CBSP Exam Application process.

Since the last report (May 23, 2018) the CEB received 21 RBP applications; 11 applications were reviewed and approved; 3 were reviewed and denied; 5 applications are pending; and 2 applications were received just prior to the meeting and were not reviewed.

Frequent reasons for RBP denial by the Board include lack of documented comprehensive biosafety program management experience; does not account for the required time managing a comprehensive biosafety program (depending acceptable academic degree); and submitted academic degree is not applicable to biosafety.

Frequent reasons for CBSP exam denial include applicant does not meet ABSA International's educational requirement and/or time criteria managing a comprehensive biosafety program.

Applications are considered pending if the Board has requested additional information or clarifications from the applicant.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - September 2018

Co-chairs: Susan Cook and Deborah Newby

The CMB has nearly completed the reviews for the 2013-2017 cycle. The CMB approved 38 recredentialing worksheets and over 180 applications for CM credit. The CMB also audited four applicants to verify their recredentialing worksheet submission. Based on these reviews, the CMB has the following recommendations for credential holders who are due to renew in the 2014-2018 cycle. 1) Submit applications for CM credit as soon after the activity as possible. This will allow the CMB to review these applications in a timelier fashion and will prevent any surprise shortfalls in CM points if an activity is not approved. 2) Submit fully-completed documents (CM credit applications or credentialing maintenance worksheets) to minimize the amount of time needed to review the applications and to minimize the number of requests for additional or clarifying information. 3) Respond promptly to requests for additional or clarifying information from the ABSA International office or the CMB to allow reviews to proceed efficiently.

The CMB has developed internal tracking tools and job aids to assist in reviewing applications more quickly and preventing applications from falling through the cracks. We are also developing an online application system for submission of both CM applications and recredentialing worksheets that we hope to be able to demonstrate at the upcoming ABSA International Conference in October. The CMB looks forward to working with the credentialed community to improve the user-friendliness and efficiency of the credentialing maintenance process.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - May 2018

Co-chairs: Susan Cook and Deborah Newby

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) received 41 renewal applications for the 2013-2017 cycle and is finalizing the review of those applications. Ten percent of those who earn enough continuing education credits to renew their credentials will be chosen for audit. In 2017, the CMB reviewed and approved over 200 applications for CM credit. The CMB strongly encourages the credentialed community to submit applications for CM credit throughout the 5-year credentialing cycle to facilitate faster reviews and to ensure that individuals do not unexpectedly fall short of the continuing education requirement.

In 2017, the CMB reviewed and approved over 200 applications for CM credit. For a list of all activities already approved for CM credit, please see ABSA International's Professional Development Activities page. The CMB reminds the credentialed community that a convenient series of inexpensive, online opportunities for credentialing maintenance points are available through ABSA's online educational resources.

The CMB continually reviews the guidance documents available and the forms associated with recredentialing to better serve the credentialed community. The CMB is also investigating the feasibility of an online system for tracking educational activities and submitting forms to the CMB for review. The CMB continues to seek additional low-cost or free educational opportunities to allow the community more opportunities to earn the CM points necessary for credential maintenance.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - May 2018

Co-chairs: Donald Wang and Thomas Boyle

The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) continues their monthly conference call to review submitted RBP/CBSP applications and other Board-related matters. In 2018, the CEB took on the role of reviewing applications for those seeking to take the CBSP exam that was previously managed by ASM. Since the CBSP exam reviewing process is a new function, the CEB will need to evaluate Policies and Procedures to include this as a function. The CEB adopted the RBP Instructions and Application Form for the CBSP Exam Application process.

Since the 2017 Conference to date, the CEB received and reviewed 63 applications; including the RBP, CBSP and those for seeking to take the CBSP Exam. Summary below:
RBP: received 35 applications, review and approved 15, reviewed and denied 9, and 11 pending***.
CBSP: received 5 applications, review and approved 4, reviewed and denied 0, and 1 pending*.
CBSP Exam: received 23 applications, review and approved 14, reviewed and denied 9, and 0 pending*.

* Frequent reasons for RBP denial by the Board; lack of documented comprehensive biosafety program experience, short on time (depending acceptable academic degree) in managing a biosafety program, submitted academic degree is not applicable to biosafety.
** Frequent reasons for CBSP exam denial; applicant does not meet ABSA's educational requirement and/or time criteria in biosafety program management.
*** Pending for due to needing additional information or clarifications from the applicant prior to Board decision.

Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 - May 2018

Leads: Barbara Owen and David Gillum

The ABSA International Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 has created 4 subcommittees to assist in determining the feasibility, scope, and resources needed for creating a biosecurity credential. These subcommittees include: 1) Defining the Biosecurity Credential, Subcommittee Leads-Jessica McCormick-Ell and Ben Perman; 2) Criteria Needed to Evaluate and Award a Biosecurity Credential, Subcommittee Leads-Ryan Burnette and Benjamin Brodsky; 3) Evaluate the Resources Needed to Support the Credentialing Process, Subcommittee Leads-Meghan Seltzer and Erick Guandique; and 4) Evaluate the Marketing Strategy Required to Launch the Biosecurity Credential, Subcommittee Leads-Rebecca Moritz and Daniel Apple. The subcommittees have been very active, holding multiple teleconference calls to discuss their particular focus area. While there are still discussions regarding what the credential would look like and what the best way to assess biosecurity knowledge would be, there has been significant interest in the formation of a formal biosecurity credential offered by ABSA International.

Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) - December 2017

Co-chairs: Susan Cook and Thomas Leonard

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) reviewed 53 recredentialing applications for the 2011-2016 cycle. Ten percent (10%) of those who earned enough continuing education credits to renew their credentials were chosen for audit. Following the audit, 43 of the 53 individuals who applied successfully renewed their credentials.

The CMB reminds the credentialed community that a convenient series of inexpensive, online opportunities for credentialing maintenance points are available through ABSA's online educational resources. Thanks to the efforts of the Learning Verification Committee, credentialing maintenance points may be earned through satisfactory completion of quizzes designed to verify comprehension of Applied Biosafety journal articles and other educational materials. To date, over seven credentialing maintenance points have been preapproved by the CMB.

A notification was recently sent to 65 individuals who are due to renew their credential for the 2012-2017 cycle. The recredentialing materials are due to the ABSA International office no later than February 1, 2018. The CMB encourages individuals to submit any outstanding applications for credentialing maintenance credit as soon as possible so that the Board can review those prior to reviewing the recredentialing applications. As a reminder, the CMB Program Guide, a sample recredentialing worksheet, and an FAQ are all available on the ABSA webpage (under Career Growth -> Maintaining Your Credentials).

As part of the CMB's efforts to continually monitor the balance and effectiveness of the credentialing maintenance program, the Board recently distributed a survey to the entire ABSA International membership. As a result of that survey, the Board is actively reviewing the guidance documents available and the forms associated with recredentialing in an attempt to make the process faster and clearer. The Board is also investigating the feasibility of an online system for tracking educational activities and submitting forms to the Board for review. The Board continues to seek additional low-cost or free educational opportunities to allow the community more opportunities to earn the CM points necessary for credential maintenance.

Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) - December 2017

Co-chairs: Donald Wang and Thomas Boyle

Since the last ABSA update, the Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) received and reviewed 57 applications; 41 were for RBP and 16 for CBSP. Of the RBP applications, 26 were approved and 11 were denied with 4 in pending status, the Board is waiting or wanting additional information from the applicant prior to final decision. Common reasons for the RBP disapprovals were not meeting the time required in managing a comprehensive biosafety program, their academic degree(s) on their application not relevant to biological safety or their work experience provided were not relevant to biosafety. All of the 16 CBSP applications were approved. All applicants approved for an RBP/CBSP between the 2016 and 2017 conference were recognized during the 2017 Conference Recognition Luncheon.

In addition to evaluating applications, the CEB participated in the Biosecurity Credentialing Task Force discussion. The CEB also addressed inquiries from the CDC, Division of Select Agent and Toxin on certifications for their inspectors as a whole. The Board concluded that each inspector would be evaluated and certified on their own merits.

Prior to the ABSA International annual conference, American Society for Microbiology (ASM) announced that they would discontinue their role in administering the CBSP exams. ABSA International has since decided to take over that role. CEB's role in the review of CBSP qualifications were discussed at the ABSA International conference. More details will be available as the CEB role is being developed.

Credentialing Maintenance Board - February 2017

Credentialing Evaluation Board - February 2017

Credentialing Evaluation Board - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Donald Wang and Betty Kupskay

From January to August 2016, the Credentialing Evaluation Board convened monthly by conference calls to review and discuss submitted and pending applications. During this period, the Board reviewed a total of 37 applications; 35 for Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) and 2 for Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP). Of the RBP applications, 23 received approvals, 7 were disapproved, and 5 applications pending; (either waiting for additional information or clarification prior to our final decision). Both of the CBSP applications received were reviewed and approved. Some of the common reasons for disapprovals were: not meeting the period required in managing a comprehensive biosafety program management, the academic degrees not relevant to biological safety, or information provided not relevant to biosafety.

The newly credentialed professionals acknowledged at the annual conference were:

Registered Biosafety Professionals (RBP)
Lorena Altamirano
Gulnara Aumolddayeva
James Baugh
Bryan Bellaire
Jennifer Bosselman
Nick Chaplinski
Michael Chute
Jessica Cromheeke
Michelle Edenfield
Alexandria Elliott
Karon Floyd
Crystal Fortune
Tea Glonti
Changhwa Hwang
Jolanta Jacobs
Christine Johnson
Martin Jones
Partha Krishnan
Cristine Campos Lawson
Eileen Lloyd
Kirk Lubick
Nyree Maes
Rebecca McGirr
Michele Miele
Michael Miles
Darren Moss
Heidi Page
Amy Razukiewicz
Jennifer Robertson
Rebecca Sciulli
Christopher Sieradzki
Adrienne Zweifel

Certified Biological Safety Professionals (CBSP)
Rebecca Anderson
Jessica Bourquin
Megan Brose
Chadi Filfili
Shruti Gentilli
Sonia Godoy-Tundidor
David Harbourt
J. Paul Jennette
Lisa Kercher
Sarah Lawson
Betsy Matos
Samar Tadros

Credentialing Maintenance Board - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Susan Cook and Thomas Leonard

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) reminds the credentialed community that a convenient series of inexpensive, online opportunities for credentialing maintenance points are available through ABSA's online educational resources at http://absa.org/online-education/. Thanks to efforts of the Learning Verification Committee, credentialing maintenance points may be earned through satisfactory completion of quizzes designed to verify comprehension of Applied Biosafety journal articles and other educational materials. Over 7.0 Credentialing Maintenance points have been preapproved by the CMB.

Bylaws Committee - January 2024

Chair: Amy Ryan

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. Two P&Ps were reviewed during the past quarter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-Communications Committee - January 2024

Chair: Matt Anderson

Thank you to everyone who attended the conference in Omaha, Nebraska and took part in the “Selfie Booth.” We heard lots of comments about the stickers and buttons we gave out to those who showed us that they had posted to social media. Some of the feedback we received was about how to find the committee members with the buttons, so we will try to figure out a better system for next year.

With regards to the refresh of the ABSA International website, the committee worked closely with our web developer to create a new navigation menu and layout for the front page of the ABSA website. Council has approved the changes and it is now live. The next steps in the refresh will be to work with task forces and committees to review and curate the existing website content and determine what should stay on the site, what can be removed, and how we might rearrange some pages to improve organization and accessibility to the resources available.

We will be reaching out to task force leaders and committee chairs to start this process. Finally, we are looking for new members to help us with this revamp to serve as liaisons with the teams and committees, then report back to the E-Comm committee on changes and edits the teams and committees want made. We look forward to what is to come this year!

Bylaws Committee - September 2023

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-Communications Committee - September 2023

Chair: Matt Anderson
Co-Chair: Tim Sturgis

The E-Communications committee has been working diligently on revamping the navigation menus for the ABSA website and should be able to roll out those changes by the end of the year. The next step will involve getting assistance from all committees, task forces and other groups that have content on the site to determine what content should be kept and what can be removed and if any changes need to be made to the organization of those pages. A notice related to this will be going out to team leads and committee chairs soon.

We are also planning to bring the Selfie Station back again this year for the ABSA Conference will have more fun buttons to hand out when you take a selfie and post it to social media. There were not a lot of posts last year, but I know people were taking pictures at the selfie booth. Let us do a better job of posting and sharing what a great group of professionals and friends we are!

Bylaws Committee - June 2023

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The ABSA Office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-Communications Committee - June 2023

Chair: Matt Anderson
Co-Chair: Tim Sturgis

The E-Communications committee is busy working on updates to the ABSA website to improve navigation and organization of content. As part of the refresh of the website, we want to add more pictures of biosafety professionals doing biosafety activities instead of most of the pictures being of us at the conference. We will be sending out a request for pictures via email and the listserv soon, so start looking for pictures of you and your colleagues giving training, lab inspections, etc. that we all do on a daily basis.

Bylaws Committee - January 2023

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-Communications Committee - January 2023

Chair: Matt Anderson
Co-Chair: Tim Sturgis

The E-Communications Committee sponsored the selfie booth at the ABSA Conference in Milwaukee in October, and it was a big hit with many attendees taking pictures with friends and colleagues. There were many biosafety-themed buttons given out at the conference to those who posted pictures on social media. The committee has also been tasked by the ABSA Executive Council to revamp the www.absa.org website to improve navigation and functionality. This will not be a quick process but will likely take 6-12 months to complete. We will be soliciting help from committees, task forces, and others that have content on the website to help us determine what is still needed, what is outdated, and should be taken off the website. We will also be sending out a request for photos to the members early in 2023 to refresh the website with pictures of members showing what biosafety professionals do; photos of training sessions, safety inspections and other activities that highlight our day-to-day activities.

Bylaws Committee - September 2022

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. One review has been completed since the last newsletter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-Communications Committee - September 2022

Chair: Matt Anderson
Co-Chair: Tim Sturgis

The E-Communications Committee has started a review of the ABSA International website navigation and organization in response to feedback from the membership. This will likely be a lengthy process that will extend into 2023, but the goal is to make it easier for site visitors to find what they are looking for within 2-3 mouse clicks. Tim Sturgis was selected as Co-Chair of the committee in July. We are also planning to bring the Selfie-Station back this year as we are back in-person for the ABSA Conference, and we are finalizing plans for our annual social media post contest to coincide with the ABSA Conference as well.

Awards Committee - September 2022

Chairs: Jeff Potts and John Veitch

The Awards Committee performed our annual solicitation for Honor Award Nominees from the membership. ABSA now has 4 Honor Awards, and we also select the most relevant article published within the past year in Applied Biosafety. Recipients for 2022 will be recognized at the Honor’s Luncheon this year in Milwaukee. We encourage all the membership to proactively think about submitting a colleague next year so we can have a robust poll of nominees to choose from to honor. If you have any questions about the submission process, please reach out to the Awards Committee.

Bylaws Committee - June 2022

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. Three reviews have been completed since the last newsletter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-Communications Committee - June 2022

Chair: Matt Anderson

We are continuing to work with the Publications committee to publish regular posts to the ABSA International Blog to promote biosafety and highlight the great work many ABSA members are doing every day to keep people safe. If you have something you would like to contribute to the blog, please consider submitting a post (https://absa.org/blog/). Published posts count toward Credentialing Maintenance points.

Bylaws Committee - January 2022

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-Communications Committee - January 2022

Chair: Matt Anderson

The E-Communications Committee is proud to announce the winners of our ABSA Conference Social Media Contest. Most posts award goes to Kalpana Patel (KPGAGal) on Twitter and Sarah Atwood (@sarahattwood) on LinkedIn. Matthew Stinoski (@matthewstinoski), Katherine Kasper (@KKasper42), the Dittmer Lab (@LabDittmer), and The Baker Company (@TheBakerCo) were also selected as winners for their posts promoting the conference. We did not have a lot of participation which we attribute to the conference being virtual for the second year but hope to have more involvement when we are back in person in 2022!

We are also working with the Publications Committee and the Public Relations and Marketing Committee to better utilize the ABSA International blog to promote biosafety and the great work many ABSA members are doing every day to keep people safe. If you have something you would like to contribute to the blog, please consider submitting a post. Published posts count toward Credentialing Maintenance points.

Bylaws Committee - October 2021

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees and has completed 1 review since the last newsletter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-Communications Committee - October 2021

Chair: Matt Anderson

The E-Communications committee has been busy working with both the Publications and the Public Relations Committees to increase post frequency on the ABSA blog. The goal of this endeavor is to highlight the work of our colleagues in Applied Biosafety and promote the profession. The posts will be available on the ABSA website and posted to ABSA social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Please help further support this endeavor by liking and sharing these posts when you see them. The E-Comm committee is again sponsoring a social media post contest during September, October, and November to promote the content of our professional development courses as well as the talks and discussion at the ABSA Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. We will soon be posting details about the conference to the Conference website as well as all the ABSA social media platforms accounts. The prizes this year will be the same as last year as we still have some of the custom face coverings left over. These are very limited edition, and we hope they will be coveted of a reminder of the pandemic and biosafety’s role in keeping people safe during the last 20 months.

Awards Committee - July 2021

Chairs: Jeff Potts and John Veitch

The Awards Committee is pleased to announce the new Diane Fleming Leadership Award. The Diane Fleming Leadership Award is presented to a current ABSA International member who exemplifies leadership within ABSA International and the biosafety and biosecurity profession. The award will recognize excellence demonstrated through mentoring safety professionals, building strong collaborations with other professional organizations, and a commitment to the publication of relevant professional knowledge.

The Awards Committee requests your help in identifying the best candidates to be considered for this year’s Honor Awards. Nominations are being sought for the Arnold G. Wedum Distinguished Achievement Award, the Everett Hanel Jr. Presidential Award, the John H. Richardson Special Recognition Award, and for the Diane O. Fleming Leadership Award. The Committee is also accepting individuals to be nominated for the Hashimoto Recognition Award.

If you have a “go to” biosafety person or know someone who has made outstanding contributions to ABSA International or to the field of biosafety, please let us know. Nominations must be received by August 1, 2021 and may be submitted online at https://absa.org/awards/. Please note that each award now has its own nomination form that reflects the specific criteria for that award.

Nominating Committee - July 2021

Chair: David Gillum

The Nominating Committee has completed the selection of nominees for the 2021 ballot. The Chair of the Nominating Committee, David Gillum, would like to thank Meghan Seltzer, Paul Meechan, Esmeralda Meyer, and Kalpana Rengarajan for their work in selecting tremendous candidates this year. Thank you to the ABSA Office, especially Kari DeServi and Julie Savage, for their support to the Nominating Committee. Lastly, David would like to thank everyone who submitted a name for an open position and if you don’t make it this year, please consider running again next year. ABSA would not work without your support.

Bylaws Committee - July 2021

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

Bylaws Committee - January 2021

Co-chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. One review has been completed since the last newsletter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

Awards Committee - January 2021

Chairs: Jeffrey Potts and John Veitch

The Awards Committee was able to make two wonderful selections for Honor Awards this year. We would like to announce that Bob Ellis is the 2020 Wedum Award recipient and Barb Owen is the Hanel Award recipient. Both are longtime ABSA International members and have contributed in major ways over the years in advancement of biological safety. The Hashimoto Award recipient was Eric Lewis for his efforts with the Distance Learning Committee. The committee would like to encourage all members to consider submitting nominations next year as we have seen a gradual decline in nomination submittals over the last couple of years. We are also working on award criteria for the newly announced Diane Fleming Award which will be posted on the ABSA website sometime in the spring. 2021 will be the inaugural year for this award so we hope to have some strong candidates to choose from for this wonderful honor award.

E-communications Committee (ECC) - January 2021

Chair: Matthew Anderson

The E-communications Committee (ECC) sponsored a social media contest during the professional development courses taught virtually in October and during the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference. We created ABSA-branded cloth face-coverings as prizes for best and most tweets. There were not nearly as many participants as we had hoped would participate but we did have a small number of attendees participate and selected four winners to receive a commemorative face-covering and announced the winners on Twitter and LinkedIn. The Committee is also in search of new members as we have had a few step down this past year. Contact the ABSA Office if you are interested in serving on the E-Communications committee to help with maintenance of the website links and the Risk Group Database updates as well as promotion of the ABSA Annual conference on social media during the conference.

Bylaws Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of the various teams and committees. Two reviews have been completed since the last newsletter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

E-communications Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Sarah Ziegler and Matthew Anderson

The E-communications Committee has been busy planning for the 2020 ABSA Virtual Conference. We are still planning to have a contest for active social media posting during the conference minus the "Sick Art" selfies and plan to have ABSA-branded cloth face-masks as prizes as well as some of the buttons we distributed last year. Pictures of the prizes and contest rules will be posted on social media and the ABSA Listserve during the first part of September. The hashtag for this year's conference has changed due to the lack of an in-person meeting to #Biosafety2020.

Awards Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Jeffrey Potts and John Veitch

The Awards Committee released the call for nominations for the 2020 Honor Awards over the summer. The committee will be busy reviewing submitted nominees for selection in September. They have also been working with ABSA Council to develop a new Honor Award that will be revealed at the annual conference in 2021. If you did not submit a nominee this year, do not wait until next summer. Start collecting examples you might want to use and start writing the justification.

Nominating Committee - September 2020

Chair: Dee Zimmerman

Thank you to all the ABSA members who voted in the 2020 election. Results of the election will be released in September.

Nominating Committee - June 2020

Chair: Dee Zimmerman

The Nominating Committee is in the process of contacting potential nominees for the 2020 election. Please look for the ABSA International Election ballot in your email on August 1, 2020.

Finance Committee - June 2020

Chair: Lolly Gardiner

The Finance Committee has been working with the ABSA International Office on managing the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic to the current budget. The ABSA International Office has received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan which is designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. We are also lowering expenses when possible. Please be reassured that ABSA International has been fiscally responsibility over the years and has healthy reserves to fall back on if needed.

Awards Committee - February 2020

Chair: Jeff Potts
Co-chair: John Veitch

2019 Wedum Recipient:
Kathryn Harris, PhD, RBP(ABSA)

2019 Hanel Recipient:
Elizabeth Gilman Duane, MS, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

2019 Richardson Recipient:
Robert Hawley, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

Scientific Poster Award:
Tahsin Onur Kevenk, Veterinary Control Central Research Institute - Ankara, Turkey

Informational Poster Award:
Biosafety Cabinet Certification Program in Ethiopia - Sarah Young and Sherrie Staley, Association of Public Health Laboratories, Silver Spring, MD

Biosafety and Biosecurity Promotional Item Award:
First Place - Anne Vitoreli, Karin Wasler & Kendall Lafranchi, University of California - Los Angeles
Second Place - Sarah Capasso, University of Pennsylvania

Biosafety and Biosecurity Month Promotional Award:
First Place - Christine Johnson & Emma Mannino, Colorado State University
Second Place - Sherry Bohn, Jamie Pope, Marissa Painter & Amanda Perlman, University of Maryland
Honorable Mention - Subhash Bhore, AIMST University, Malaysia

2019 Hashimoto Recipients:
David Pawlowski - Technical & Regulatory Review
Donald Wang - Credentialing Evaluation Board

E-Communications Committee - February 2020

Chair: Sarah Ziegler
Co-chair: Matthew Anderson

The E-Communications Committee sponsored the Selfie Booth at the ABSA conference again this year. There appeared to be more participation than last year with regards to posts on social media. We offered special biosafety pins this year as a reward for posting to social media. Thanks to all who posted to social media during the conference and used. #BiosafetyAL2019

Bylaws Committee - February 2020

Co-chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. One review has been completed since the last newsletter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

Historical Committee - September 2019

Co-chairs: John Balog, Manuel Barbeito, and Robert Hawley

The committee continues to accept and evaluate photographs, manuscripts, manuals, and related publications relevant to the history of biosafety and the practice of biological safety. The Committee works with Ms. Susan Fugate at the USDA National Agricultural Library (NAL) to facilitate the transfer of historically important materials into the ABSA International Biosafety Archive. The committee is working with Ms. Fugate to establish a process to transfer $5K from ABSA International to the NAL to support the NAL effort for the biosafety archive. There have been some changes to the USDA business procedures since we last transferred funds from ABSA to USDA. Once the new process is developed, we will execute the transfer of funds.

Nominating Committee - September 2019

Chair: Patrick Condreay

The committee has completed the task of contacting individuals and has assembled a slate of candidates for the 2019 election. Thanks to all who have stepped forward to participate in governance of the Association. The ballot for the 2019 election has been sent out to members. Be sure to vote by end of day August 31, 2019.

Finance Committee - September 2019

Co-chairs: Jim Klenner and Sarah McAbee

The Finance Committee has continued to hold regularly scheduled monthly meetings to review ABSA International's financial reports. During the May meeting, the committee accepted the auditor's report for FY 2018 with no concerns. Team liaisons on the Finance Committee are currently working with the various ABSA International Committees and Teams to obtain budget requests in preparation of the 2020 budget.

Awards Committee - September 2019

Co-chairs: Jeff Potts and John Veitch

Thank you for the Honor Award submissions that many of you have submitted. The Awards Committee will be reviewing submissions over the summer and making their selections. As usual, recipients will be recognized during the Annual ABSA Conference in November. The committee will also be asking membership for any names of individuals to be honored, In Memoriam, during the Award luncheon.

E-Communications Committee - September 2019

Co-chairs: Sarah Ziegler and Matthew Anderson

The committee will be sponsoring a selfie-station again this year at the ABSA Conference. The selfie station was popular last year and we hope we get even more members to stop by and snap a selfie in front of the "Sick Art" backdrop and share the pic on social media using the conference hashtag #BiosafetyAL2019. Don't forget to tag ABSA in your posts using @absainternational on Instagram and Facebook or @absaoffice on Twitter. E-Communications Committee members will also be handing out fun ribbons or buttons for your name tag if you show us that you posted a selfie or tweeted about the conference.

Bylaws Committee - September 2019

Co-chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. One review has been completed this quarter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International office. The office will forward changes to the committee for review and approval.

Bylaws Committee - April 2019

Co-chairs: Amy Ryan and Timothy Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. Two reviews have been completed this quarter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

Awards Committee - April 2019

Co-chairs: Jeff Potts and John Veitch

The Awards Committee is planning their first meeting in 2019 to discuss improving the award submission process. After a disappointingly low number of nominees in 2018, the committee is looking to expand the open submission period as well as encourage more nominees to be submitted. Please take some time this spring and reflect on colleagues that you believe are deserving of being recognized in our community.

Bylaws Committee - December 2018

Co-chairs: Amy Ryan and Tim Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies and Procedures of various teams and committees. One review has been completed this quarter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

Awards Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Jeff Potts and Francine Rogers

The committee has been working hard this summer to review the nominations for the 2018 Honor Awards. Nominees have been selected and will be recognized at the 61st Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in October. The committee will also be sending out a request for members to submit names for In Memoriam recognition at the ABSA International Conference Honors Luncheon.

Looking forward to 2019, the committee would like to encourage members to consider submitting nominees. When you submit nominees please provide specific examples and detailed justifications for the individual. 

E-Communications Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Matt Anderson and Sarah Ziegler

The committee will be sponsoring a selfie-station again this year at the ABSA International Conference. This was popular last year and we hope we get even more members to stop by and snap a selfie in front of the "Sick Art" backdrop and share the pic on social media using the conference hashtag #BiosafetySC2018 and the new Biosafety month hashtag #getyourcultureon. Don't forget to tag ABSA in your posts using @absainternational on Instagram and Facebook or @absaoffice on Twitter. E-Communications Committee members will also be handing out fun ribbons for your name tag if you show us that you posted a selfie or tweeted about the conference.

Bylaws Committee - September 2018

Chair: Amy Ryan

The committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. One review has been completed this quarter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

Finance Committee - May 2018

Awards Committee - May 2018

Chair: Jeffrey M. Potts

The Awards Committee will be meeting to review nomination forms and award descriptions. Forms were posted in late April on the ABSA International website for nominations and award nominees will be evaluated over the summer. A committee meeting is being scheduled shortly.

E-Communications Committee - May 2018

Instructions how to submit blog posts and how members can earn CM points for posts have been posted on the ABSA International blog. The committee plans to host a selfie station at the conference again this year, as it was well-received last year, and to promote posting about the conference on social media by handing out fun nametag ribbons.

Bylaws Committee - May 2018

Co-chairs: Amy Ryan and Tim Sturgis

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies and Procedures. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office-the office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

Historical Committee - May 2018

Chair: John Balog

The committee met with USDA National Agricultural Library as the repository of the ABSA Biosafety Archive on April 19 with participants Bob Hawley, Ed Stygar, and John Balog. Agenda items included: deposit publications, manuals, booklets, and miscellaneous documents donated by the estate of Byron Tepper, and potentially other donations; Issues related to financials-what services are provided and the related costs, and curation-what services are provided. We do not anticipate any changes to our relationship with the Ag Library.

Finance Committee - December 2017

Awards Committee - December 2017

Chair: Jeffrey M. Potts

The 2017 Honor Awards were presented at the 60th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference to well deserving recipients. The award winners were Arnold G. Wedum Distinguished Achievement Award-Richard Rebar; Everett Hanel, Jr. Presidential Award-Dee Zimmerman; John H. Richardson Special Recognition Award-Mary Jo Lanzilotta; and Richard C. Knudsen Publication Award-David Pawlowski,

Recently, Janet Peterson stepped-down as co-chair of the committee so we would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank her and acknowledge her many years of hard work on this committee. Francine Rogers has assumed a co-chair roll and we would also like to welcome new committee member, Leslie Miller.

E-Communication Committee - December 2017

Chair: Matt Anderson

Website redesign is complete and we are in maintenance mode. We had a conference call with committee chairs and team leads in October to solicit feedback. Overall impressions were very positive and the website is vastly better than prior version. We have already fixed a few of the issues that were brought-up during the call. I want to ask all teams and committees to be sure to contact the ABSA International office with requests to add content or customize a page that pertains to your program area or if corrections need to be made.

We worked with the PR committee to push social media engagement during the ABSA International conference this year. There were two projects implemented. The first was we handed out ribbons with either a funny saying, like "Diva," "My ribbon is better than yours," Party Animal," etc. or the conference hashtag which is #BiosafetyNM17 for posting on social media about the conference and showing it to a member of the PR or E-Communication Committees.

The other project was a selfie station that was in the exhibit hall. We had a microbe artwork background that attendees could take their picture in front of and post on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) we had instructions on how to post and tag ABSA International and how to use the conference hashtag.

Feedback from both of these projects during the conference was positive and the selfie station was popular even though there was not a lot of pictures posted on social media. Social media posting is definitely something we want to encourage members to do, so if you took a picture at the selfie booth, you can still post it to social media, just don't forget to use the conference hashtag #BiosafetyNM17. We also request that members submit pictures taken at the conference to blog@absa.org if they are willing to let them be used on the website or social media.

We received approval from the Credentialing Maintenance Board to offer CM points for blog posts submitted by members. We will be posting information about this on the blog page and the points will be 0.125 points per post with a maximum of 8 posts or 1 CM point per renewal period.

Nominating Committee - December 2017

Chair: Maureen O'Leary

The new chair of the Nominating Committee is Maureen O'Leary. This committee will not be meeting for a few months until it is time to begin requesting nominees for the next elections. Last year's Nominating Committee produced an excellent panel of nominees.

The ABSA Ambassadors have just been added to the Membership/Leadership team. The ABSA Ambassadors are now a Committee (promoted from a Task Force) since the conference in Albuquerque. They are beginning work on P&Ps for the committee and expect to be reviewing them soon.

Bylaws Committee - December 2017

Chair: Amy Ryan

Bylaws has reviewed six P&Ps (Affiliate Relations, E-communication, Bylaws, Distance Learning, Eagleson Lecture, and Awards). Bylaws looks forward to other committees submitting their updated P&Ps for review.

Historical Committee - December 2017

Chair: John Balog

There were two historical briefs presented at the 60th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. The first was an overview of the early meetings. The second was a brief summary of the evolution of the profession.

Finance Committee - February 2017

Awards Committee - February 2017

E-Communications Committee - February 2017

Nominating Committee - February 2017

Bylaws Committee - February 2017

Nominating Committee - October 2016

Chair: Marian Downing
 
Many thanks to the 2016 Nominating Committee: Janet Peterson, Scott Patlovich, Hallie Hoskins, and Deb Howard. Also, thanks to all the final candidates and others who were contacted and made some difficult decisions.

E-Communications Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Matt Anderson and Sarah Ziegler

The E-Communications Committee has made progress toward the ABSA International website redesign, finalized a navigation menu and picked the Word Press theme. The committee is accumulating photos to use on the site and developing page layouts and brainstorming "call to action" elements. The ABSA International blog has had only one submission in the past few months. We have submitted a request to the Credentialing Maintenance Board to offer CM points for blog posts.  If you are interested in submitting to the ABSA International blog, please visit http://absa.org/blog/

Awards Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Janet Peterson and David Gillum

The Awards Committee had a very busy summer. We worked with the Publications Committee to review all of the Applied Biosafety Journal articles published in the past year to choose the Knudsen Award recipient. Thanks to all of you who submitted nominations and journal articles!

The Committee also worked diligently to review Honor Award nominations. Below are the 2016 Honor Award recipients.

2016 Honor Award recipients:

Arnold Wedum Distinguished Achievement Award
Paul Meechan, PhD, RBP, CBSP
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA

Everett J Hanel Jr. Presidential Award
Brian Petuch, RBP, CBSP
Merck & Co., Inc.
West Point, PA

John H. Richardson Special Recognition Award
Robert J. Emery, DrPH, RBP, CBSP
University of Texas Health Science Center
Houston, TX

2016 HASH Award Recipients:
Shelly Jones, RBP, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Rhonda O'Keefe, CBSP, The Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Susan Cook, PhD, CBSP, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Jeff Owens, MPH, CBSP, HDR, Inc., Atlanta, GA
Yolanda Stringer, MS, RBP, CBSP, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO
J. Paul Jennette, MS, PE, RBP, CBSP, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY
Rebecca Caruso, MPH, RBP, CBSP, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
David Gillum, RBP, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Public Relations and Marketing (PRM) - January 2024

Chair: Robin Tobias
Co-Chair: Daniela Didier

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PRM) is happy to welcome new members this year as well as a new rotation of Chair and Co-Chair. We are actively involved in partnering with the ABSA public relations firm and plan to apply the information learned through this collaboration to the existing media toolkit that we previously developed before circulating. We continue to work on Biosafety and Biosecurity Month as an opportunity for our community to recognize, reflect, promote, and advocate for biosafety and biosecurity in research and healthcare. We are in the beginning stages of planning new projects that will frame biosafety, biosecurity, and biological research in a positive way. Other ongoing projects include participation in a joint webinar with the APHL on laboratory design and construction and providing resources to the ABSA community in the form of templates, blog posts, etc. PRM is also interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion both in terms of how it applies to ABSA members and to the people we serve at our respective institutions.

Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - January 2024

Co-Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The Affiliates Committee is pleased to announce that the Brazilian Biosafety & Biosecurity Society (SB3) has been approved as an affiliate of our organization. SB3’s commitment to promoting biosafety and biosecurity aligns perfectly with our mission, and we believe that their expertise and contributions will greatly enhance our efforts in this field. We extend our warmest welcome to SB3 and look forward to a fruitful collaboration in the future.

We are currently working with the Eurasian Biosafety Society who have expressed interest in becoming an affiliate.

In 2024, the committee plans to meet with the chairs of the affiliate groups. The purpose of these meetings would be to exchange ideas and resources with other local/regional associations.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - January 2024

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

EIDC Toolboxes (https://absa.org/toolboxes/) continue to be updated monthly with the most recent resources. Below are the new resources added in the second half of 2023:

• New toolboxes compiling information on recent outbreaks including Other Zoonotic Agents and Parasites
• The Labroots Video featured during the 2023 ABSA Annual Conference: Introducing the EIDC Toolbox recording was posted to the Toolbox website—this is an introduction to the Toolboxes, what they are, and how to use them in conducting your risk assessments.

Betsy Gilman Duane and Ed Stygar continue to pursue the goal of restoring the ABSA-OSHA Alliance, which produced various useful resources over several years.

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - January 2024

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

Member Resources Committee (MRC) had a productive meeting during the ABSA conference this year. Several ABSA members attended.

The MRC facilitates the relationship between members within ABSA International. The MRC supports and enhances biosafety and biosecurity knowledge by providing sustained opportunities for biosafety and biosecurity communication, education, and mentoring.

Responsibilities/Initiatives include assisting members with getting involved in ABSA teams and committees; highlighting training opportunities and resources for members new to the biosafety profession; facilitating mentorship opportunities for new and existing members and developing the mentorship program guidelines; and hosting the new member reception and other activities to welcome new members at the annual ABSA conference.

The MRC provides resources for new and existing ABSA members. There have been two successful mentee/mentor placements over the last 2 years. MRC met with the credentialing board during the open session to determine how we can collaborate to help new members complete applications for RBP/CBSP credentials. The long-term goal for MRC was shared—to be more inclusive of international members; welcoming them, helping them get involved, and finding mentorship opportunities for them alongside our domestic members.

Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - September 2023

Co-Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

1. Application from the Brazilian Association:

   We have received an application from the Brazilian Association for affiliation with our organization. The application was reviewed and approved by the committee members. It was carefully evaluated to ensure the affiliates’ mission and goals align with ABSA’s values. Final approval for affiliation will come from the ABSA Council.

2. Prospective Affiliate from Eurasia:

   In our ongoing efforts to expand our global network, we have reached out to a potential affiliate from Eurasia. We have initiated contact with the organization to explore the possibility of establishing a partnership. This exciting opportunity has the potential to strengthen our presence in the region and promote collaboration on shared goals.

As the Affiliates Committee, our main objective is to foster meaningful connections with organizations that share our vision and can contribute to our mission. We believe that these recent developments signify progress towards achieving our goals, and we are enthusiastic about the potential positive impact these affiliations can bring.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PRM) - September 2023

Chair: Danielle Rintala
Co-Chair: Robin Tobias

PRM is working to prepare for Biosafety and Biosecurity Month through finalizing a permanent graphic to represent the month that can be reused annually. Biosafety and Biosecurity Month is recognized in October annually and is an opportunity for our community to recognize, reflect, promote, and advocate for biosafety and biosecurity in research and healthcare. We are also developing a Media Toolkit to provide resources for interfacing with the media for biosafety and biosecurity professionals. We look forward to October and to see you at the Conference. 

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - September 2023

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The MRC has posted the recommended listing of Preconference and Virtual courses for biosafety professionals entering the profession. MRC is seeking ABSA members that would be interested in mentoring, please email info@absa.org with your information which will be forwarded to the MRC. 

Public Relations and Marketing Committee - June 2023

Chair: Danielle Rintala
Co-Chair: Robin Tobias

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee has been busy shifting its strategy to focus more on the public relations piece of our group this year. We are exploring training opportunities so we can learn more about public relations. We are working on a media toolkit to help guide biosafety and biosecurity professionals when they are approached by the press or other media outlets to make a statement, participate in an interview, etc. We are also beginning the stages of permanently shifting away from themed Biosafety and Biosecurity Month and more towards an inclusive, celebratory month-long event to use as an opportunity to highlight, leverage, recap, and spotlight biosafety and biosecurity. We are always welcoming new members and new ideas. If you would like to share your ideas with us, we welcome them.

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - June 2023

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The MRC replaced the previous Membership and Mentoring Committees. They continue to review the current information on ABSA.org. The review results in updates to the website, making member information more comprehensive and easier to find. The MRC has completed the annual review of “New Member Welcome Letter” that is provided to new members. The updated list of recommended courses for incoming biosafety professionals is now posted at https://absa.org/membership/ under “New to the Biosafety Profession”. The list has a wide range of course material to support biosafety professionals. The mentorship program is under revision. Please contact the MRC if you are interested in either being mentored or taking the especially important role of a mentor. A current CV, description of your current job duties, and the areas of interest for mentoring should be provided to help the MRC identify a mentor. For more information, please contact info@absa.org. 

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - January 2023

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman, Betsy Weirich

The MRC met in October during the ABSA Annual Conference in Milwaukee. The committee reviewed the P&Ps with two new members and discussed the role of the MRC as advocates for the ABSA membership, encompassing both membership and mentoring. As advocates the MRC is available to support members during the credentialing process, provide guidance and information involving career development, as well as providing an avenue for ABSA members who are interested in a formal mentoring program. The MRC has posted recommended courses for those new to the biosafety profession, which can be found at Entering Biosafety Professional Recommended Course List. The list will be updated periodically as new courses become available. If you are interested in being a mentor or would like to be involved in the MRC, please go to the ABSA Get Involved form here and fill it out with your interest in the MRC.

ABSA Ambassadors - January 2023

Chair: David Harbourt
Co-Chair: Marian Downing

Karen Byers provided information at the NEBSA Symposium on October 22 about Applied Biosafety’s acceptance into PubMed. She also provided a preconference course on laboratory acquired infections (LAIs) at the November 4 Southern Biosafety Association Symposium.

Nicole Marlenee, Stephanie Kutz, and Mylissia Smith provided a 1-hour webinar for the Safety Committee of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians at their national meeting (Oct. 8). The topic was “Biorisk Management Topics in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Necropsy Suite,” and this was attended by 33 safety representatives. This webinar was a joint effort with APHL.

Membership Resources Committee (MRC) - September 2022

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The MRC has been reviewing the current information on ABSA.org and my.ABSA.org. The review will result in updates to the websites with information for the MRC. The Membership Resources Committee is a new committee that replaces the previous Membership and Mentoring Committees. The MRC can be found under Groups on the my.ABSA.org page.

MRC will be introducing new members to the benefits of ABSA International with the “New Member Welcome Letter.” A recommended list of basic courses for incoming biosafety professionals is now being posted under MRC. The list has a wide range of course material to support biosafety professionals. Please reach out to MRC should you have any questions. The mentorship program is running so please contact the MRC if you are interested in either being mentored or taking the especially important role of mentor.

The MRC is working with the ABSA Office in support of the New Member Reception at the ABSA Conference in Milwaukee. The reception will be on Sunday evening so please check the program for the time and location. MRC looks forward to meeting our new members in-person.

Membership Resources Committee - June 2022

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The Membership Resources Committee (MRC) facilitates the relationship of members within ABSA International. The MRC supports and enhances biosafety and biosecurity knowledge by providing sustained opportunities for biosafety and biosecurity communication, education, and mentoring.

ABSA Ambassadors - June 2022

Chairs: David Harbourt and Marian Downing

The Ambassadors Committee is currently looking for additional volunteers to join the committee and continue our mission of outreach and awareness of biosafety and ABSA International. The committee is also reviewing the policies and procedures along with updates to presentations used for ABSA outreach.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - June 2022

Chairs: Danielle Rintala and Robin Tobias

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee is pleased to announce plans for this year’s Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. We would like to focus on the core components of what October should be used to highlight at their institutions: ethical research, transparency, training, engagement, and stewardship of biosafety and biosecurity. We feel that after the last 2-1/2 years, it is vital for both of us as professionals and for the ABSA organization to really bring it back to the core of who we are, what we do, and how we can support an environment of safe science at our institutions. We invite each committee within ABSA to consider what they would like to spotlight during October to support this plan from the vast wealth of tools, resources, and more that you have developed for ABSA, and we invite our membership to consider how they would like to spotlight their Biosafety and Biosecurity Programs at their institutions. We are finalizing graphics to use for Biosafety and Biosecurity Month and will be sharing resources through the link: absa.org/biosafety-biosecurity-month/. We welcome feedback, ideas, and comments about Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. We also have been working on creating a list of Subject Matter Experts in Biosafety and Biosecurity. If you know of someone who knows their stuff about a specific subject area, or you are a subject matter expert, please let us know.

ABSA Ambassadors - January 2022

Chairs: David Harbourt, Marian Downing

Most volunteer activities continue to be remote, due to the pandemic. Karen Byers presented on HIV research biosafety to the Boston Biosafety Working Group in September. The BSWG forum is organized by the Boston Public Health Commission to foster communication with EMS, fire, police, BL3 lab managers. Karen also met with AMEXBIO to tape a 1- hour presentation on “Risk Assessment for Clinical and Research Labs during COVID” and had a Q & A session with AMEXBIO leadership. Jairo Betancourt has been advising AMEXBIO for the last 2 years on the implementation of their virtual conferences, contributing lectures and helping with the selection of speakers. AMEXBIO speakers included Patty Olinger, John Lowe, and Esmeralda Meyer on topics ranging from biosafety support for clinical care to OHS challenges during the pandemic.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - January 2022

Chairs: Danielle Rintala and Robin Tobias

Public Relations and Marketing thanks everyone for their participation in Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. We also appreciate feedback about graphics and information provided during October. We invite our community of professionals to share ideas with us to consider for 2022 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month, public relations outreach, and marketing initiatives. We would also like to invite any biosafety and biosecurity professionals interested in public relations and marketing to join our committee.

ABSA Ambassadors - October 2021

Chair: David Harbourt

Most volunteer activities continue to be remote, due to the pandemic. In July, Lolly Gardiner gave a 2.5-hour presentation/workshop on the Biosafety Profession to university students for the American Society of Virology. Scott Patlovich is serving on the IBC for Rice University as a community member. He also gave a 1-hour virtual presentation to the IOSH Singapore Branch in September entitled “Biorisk management successes and challenges in biomedical laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - October 2021

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The affiliate committee is working with the Ambassador committee to provide information as needed to keep the community informed.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - October 2021

Chair: Eric Cook

The IEC is working closely with the TTR committee to do a comparative review of the new WHO edition and highlight changes in the same manner the BMBL editions were evaluated. The IEC continues to work in translating COVID documents into different languages to provide tools for the biosafety community.

Mentoring Committee - October 2021

Chair: Althea Treacy

The mentoring committee has matched several ABSA members with mentors. They are also continuing to look for more mentors to support the ABSA community.

ABSA Ambassadors - July 2021

Chairs: David Harbourt and Marian Downing

Outreach opportunities for speakers have dwindled during the pandemic, but some members were able to spread the word about ABSA and the field of Biosafety/Biosecurity. Scott Patlovich serves as a Community Member on the Rice University IBC. Marian Downing serves as a Community Member on the UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch) IBC and the Johnson Space Center Biosafety Committee. Sherry Bohn serves as a Community Member on the USAMRIID IBC. Sherry also presented to several 3rd and 4th grade science classes in her community on “What is a Biosafety Professional?” Barb Owen serves as a member of the NBBTP Scientific Advisory Board, mentoring biosafety fellows. Barb presented on “Biosecurity Successes in an International Pharmaceutical Company” for the 2021 ABSA Virtual Biosecurity Symposium. Melissa Morland (ABSA Update) and Barb Owen (Implementing a Biosecurity Program at a Pharmaceutical Institution) presented on June 9 at the 2021 ChABSA Annual Scientific Virtual Symposium.

Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - July 2021

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) is represented by 14 members who are engaged in biosafety work in hospitals, biomedical research, government, academia, and consulting. 2020 was unusually quiet due to the pandemic. The group of members offered COVID 19 assistance through ABSA to reach out to members worldwide where needed. The new affiliates formed in 2019 were:

• Approved, Northern California ABSA
• In review with ABSA Council, Swiss Biosafety Network
• In review with ABSA Council, Argentine Association for Microbiology
• Potential Affiliate, Malaysia ABSA
• Potentially Affiliate, Tanzania

Since the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference was virtual, the committee did not get a chance to meet in 2020. We will convene in 2021 through.

Public Relations/Marketing Committee (PR/M) - July 2021

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The PR/M is working on all the logistics of the 2021 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. The theme for 2021 is “Innovation in Biosafety and Biosecurity”. Additional information about the biosafety and biosecurity month activities will be forthcoming.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - January 2021

Chairs: Eric Cook and Anne-Sophie Brocard

This year the International Engagement Committee (IEC) developed and implemented a mentoring program for the ABSA International membership called Biorisk Management Connect (BRM Connect). It was piloted at the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference. The project team members conducted an orientation for the newly selected mentors and mentees on November 6, 2020 at the conclusion of the ABSA virtual conference. BRM Connect has representation from Kenya, Malaysia, Egypt, and several states within the United States of America. Visit the ABSA website to see the 2020 BRM Connect cohort at: absaconference.org/brmconnect. The event included a “getting-to-know” session, tips on project planning and successful mentoring, speakers from the Sandia “Twinning Program” to share their mentoring experiences, and a breakout session for the mentor/mentee(s) for planning their goals and objectives. Since the orientation, mentors and mentees have been regularly meeting to finalize their goals and have been diligently working on implementing the project within the next 3-6 months. We look forward to the mentors and mentees presenting their projects at the next ABSA conference and/or publishing in ABSA’s Applied Biosafety Journal. Good luck mentors and mentees!

Public Relations /Marketing Committee (PR/M) - January 2021

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations/Marketing Committee (PR/M) would like to thank everyone for a successful annual conference and all the effort put into Biosafety and Biosecurity Month 2020, “The Role of Biosafety and Biosecurity in Mitigating Emerging Risk.” We know this year has been challenging for everyone both personally and professionally; however, we would like to commend the Biosafety and Biosecurity Community for all the work that they have done in supporting their peers, organizations, and communities.

Membership Committee - January 2021

Chairs: Malissa Mayer-Diaz and Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee continues to work with the ABSA International Office and Council to ensure the new members of ABSA are given the support they need. New Emeritus Membership applications are being accepted and processed as needed. We look forward to working with the International Engagement Committee to create Conference Buddies to help new members (both international and U.S. based) in navigating their time at the ABSA International annual conference. As always, we are looking for new members to the committee who will bring their ideas on how to engage the whole ABSA International membership.

Mentoring Committee - January 2021

Chairs: Althea Treacy and Rebecca Moritz

The Mentoring Committee continues to work on the forum, creating a space where people can ask questions and get them answered by a biosafety professional.

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - January 2021

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) is unusual in that it only has work to do when another group requests to be affiliated with ABSA. The Affiliate group has collaborated with the International Engagement Committee to have the COVID ABSA trifold translated.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - September 2020

Chairs: Eric Cook and Anne-Sophie Brocard

The International Engagement Committee (IEC) is working hard to enhance the upcoming virtual 63rd ABSA Conference. They are looking at a variety of ideas to encourage international attendees to come to the ABSA Conference virtually and trying to pair up ABSA members who speak languages other than English with international attendees, particularly first-time attendees. Additionally, they are working to translate some of the COVID-19 toolbox resources, focusing on Spanish and Arabic, and branching out to other languages as possible.

Mentoring Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Althea Treacy and Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee continues to work on the forum, creating a space where people can ask questions and get them answered by a biosafety professional.

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - September 2020

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) is unusual in that it only has work to do when another group requests to be affiliated with ABSA. While they did have one tentative request from an international group, that group has not responded recently. They are ready to assist as soon as they receive information.

ABSA Ambassadors - September 2020

Chair: Marian Downing

Many ABSA Ambassadors continue to self-isolate this quarter. Virtual activities included a Bloodborne Pathogen/COVID-19 session for Ronald McDonald volunteers given by Chris Thompson, and a session entitled "Lessons Learned in the Effluent Decontamination Selection Process" by David Harbourt for a joint ChABSA/AIHA meeting in March. Bob Ellis participated in 3 webinars for the CSU Center for Healthy Aging to answer community questions regarding public health safety and COVID-19. Ongoing activities by Ambassadors include Betsy Gilman Duane's work with S4NP (Safety for Non-Profits) towards a proposed webinar via the Massachusetts Non-Profit Network to review COVID-19 biosafety information. Karen Byers is working with COBTH (Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals) on SARS-CoV-2 research reopening plans.

Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee hopes that this finds you and your membership/organization safe and healthy during this trying time. Each year, ABSA International sponsors Biosafety and Biosecurity Month to raise awareness about the importance of Biosafety and Biosecurity. To recognize the role biosafety and biosecurity professionals play in responding to emerging risks in our laboratories, institutions, and communities, the theme for 2020's Biosafety and Biosecurity Month is "The Role of Biosafety and Biosecurity in Mitigating Emerging Risk." The PR/M Committee is working to provide materials and resources for this year's theme. We are creating items optimized for remote usage, and these items will be available on the event webpage at https://absa.org/biosafety-biosecurity-month. We are also collaborating with a number of peer committees and task forces in support of various efforts to serve our community and to assist with the 2020 ABSA International Virtual Conference. We hope through collaboration to turn the unique challenges of 2020 into opportunities.

Membership Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Malissa Mayer-Diaz and Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee has been working with International Engagement Committee (IEC) on a buddy system for the conference, but those plans are rapidly changing due to the conference now being online only. They have approved multiple emeritus members.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - June 2020

Chairs: Eric Cook, Anne-Sophie Brocard

The International Engagement Committee has been very busy reaching out to various ABSA International members to help with translating the materials in the Covid-19 Toolbox. They have also been gathering links and information from other sites and making it available to the international community. In addition, they are working to analyze the data on a survey that was sent out several months ago, which got responses from 19 countries. They also are working with the Mentoring Committee on a "buddy program" to help match international conference attendees with members who speak the same language, to help with networking and to make people feel more comfortable and welcome in the community.

Mentoring Committee - June 2020

Chairs: Althea Treacy, Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee is still working on adapting a forum for use for ABSA members only. It is live, but still in testing phase. They are working with the International Engagement Committee on a "buddy program" to encourage networking among new members/conference attendees, with a focus on partnering people who speak the same languages.

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - June 2020

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti, Parimala Arokiaraj

2019 was interesting for the committee as the following affiliates were reviewed:

• Approved, Northern California ABSA
• Approved, Swiss Biosafety Network

Our annual meeting at the 62nd ABSA Conference in Birmingham was well attended by representatives from the following affiliates NEBSA, FRABSA, Southern Biosafety Association, Canada, AMEXBIO, LBIONET, NORCAL, MID ATLANTIC, and SEBSA. Affiliates presented updates which included at least an annual symposium offered to the community and online training courses. All affiliates had scheduled conference calls throughout the year. In addition, the Mexico contingent offered help to their neighbors that ranged from organizing meetings to providing training or help with risk assessments. All these activities were on voluntary basis.

ABSA Ambassadors - June 2020

Chair: Marian Downing

Many ABSA Ambassadors were self-isolating this quarter. Anthony Schwartz gave an ABSA Update and covered 2019 Conference Highlights at the CaBSA meeting in February. Krista Murray gave an ABSA International/Biosafety overview at the February University of Delaware "Emergency Animal Management Course."

Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) - June 2020

Chairs: Eric Rouse, Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee hopes this finds everyone in our ABSA family well and safe. We are in a time like no other and must adapt to best serve both our membership and the biosafety and biosecurity community at large. We are pleased to announce that the Council has approved the theme "The Role of Biosafety and Biosecurity in Mitigating Emerging Risk" as the theme of the 2020 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. The committee is hard at work planning numerous resources addressing not only external risks but adaptation to the challenges that you, as Biosafety and Biosecurity Professionals, are facing in this rapidly evolving landscape. In this respect, we are also excited to report that the we are pursuing a number of collaborative efforts with our peer committees and task forces to create the resources to support you in accomplishing new goals, fulfilling developing roles, and sustaining your essential knowledge in biosafety and biosecurity. Stay safe, hang in there, and we look forward to seeing all of you soon!

ABSA International’s Promotional Videos and YouTube Channel - June 2020

Thanks to the Public Relations/Marketing Committee, ABSA has new promotional videos for ABSA and our ABSA Conference. The videos can be found at https://absa.org/ and on ABSA International's YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/xAQPZxMvqRY. Also, ABSA's YouTube channel has video interviews of conference presenters and keynotes. Feel free to share the video, use it in presentations, or link to it from your websites.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - February 2020

Chair: Eric Cook
Co-chair: Anne-Sophie Brocard

The International Engagement Committee (IEC) has identified 8 general regions of the world and new contacts are identified by region. Different members of the committee specialize their focus and contacts in these regions to gain better familiarity with the biosafety practices and needs of these regions. The committee is focusing on engagement of new members during upcoming ABSA meetings, including setting up "one-on-one" meetups with international meeting attendees, to help the new attendee get the most of an event through networking. The committee has also sent out a survey for international nonmembers and is currently doing data analysis on over 300 returned surveys.

Mentoring Committee - February 2020

Chair: Althea Treacy
Co-chair: Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee is working on creating a new forum where people can post a specific biosafety or biosecurity question and have it answered by an acknowledged biosafety/biosecurity professional. It will not be like the Listserve, but instead will have target posts to get more subject matter expert input and be more organized to enable a reader to search for information. Current mentee requests are coming in slowly and the committee is working to identify the best way to match a mentor and a mentee.

Membership Committee - February 2020

Chair: Malissa Mayer-Diaz
Co-chair: Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee has added new members and continues to work with the ABSA International Office and Council to ensure the new members of ABSA are given the support they need. The Committee is working with the International Engagement committee to create Conference Buddies to help new members (both international and U.S.-based) in navigating their time at the ABSA International annual conference.

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - February 2020

Co-chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) is represented by 14 members who are engaged in biosafety work in hospitals, biomedical research, government, academia and consulting.

2019 was interesting for the committee as the following affiliates were reviewed:

Approved, Northern California ABSA

Approved, Swiss Biosafety Network

In review with ABSA Council, Argentine Association for Microbiology

Potential Affiliate, Malaysia ABSA

Potential Affiliate, Tanzania

Our annual meeting at the 62nd ABSA conference in Birmingham was well attended by representatives from the following affiliates NEBSA, FRABSA, Southern Biosafety Association, Canada, AMEXBIO, LBIONET, NORCAL, MID ATLANTIC and SEBSA. Affiliates presented an update, which included at least an annual symposium offered to the community and online training courses. All affiliates had scheduled conference calls throughout the year. In addition, the Mexico contingent offered help to their neighbors that ranged from organizing meetings to providing training or help with risk assessments. All these activities were on voluntary basis.

ABSA Ambassadors - February 2020

Chair: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors continue to spread the word about ABSA and the Biosafety profession.
Meghan Seltzer gave an ABSA Update at the ChABSA Annual Symposium in June, and Marian Downing gave an ABSA Update at the Fall Southern Biosafety Association meeting in November.

Karen Byers spoke about Laboratory Acquired Infections at the AMEXBIO Meeting in November, and she also spoke to the 3rd Academic Meeting of the Life Science Institute (the Biomedical Engineering Forum of China) in November, covering the procedures and equipment used in analysis of LAI.

Melissa Morland spoke in April at the Biodefense Summit, Implementation of the National Biodefense Strategy, National Academy of Sciences in Washington DC, addressing ABSA's efforts to assist in Goal #2: Ensure Biodefense Enterprise Capabilities to Prevent Bioincidents.

Bob Hawley addressed Safety Culture and Climate! with a biosecurity panel composed of Georgetown University Graduate Students in the Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Disease Program.

Eric Rouse participated in a free joint ABSA International and APHL webinar on October 31--ZOMBIES, MAD SCIENTISTS, AND SPACE WARS: Leveraging Pop Culture to Promote Staff Engagement with an Annual Laboratory Safety Fair as part of National Biosafety Month efforts.

Marian Downing spoke in October about ABSA Updates and Sandia Twinning at the UT School of Public Health, Infection Prevention and Biosafety Course.

In January 2020, Richard Gilpin gave a 2-hour technical seminar Legionella Risk Management for Safety Professionals at a joint meeting of ChABSA and the Potomac Section of AIHA in Gaithersburg MD.

Jim Klenner took the opportunity in January to speak about ABSA International to a group of BSOs in training in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - February 2020

Chair: Eric Rouse
Co-chair: Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee would like to thank everyone for their efforts in making Biosafety and Biosecurity Month 2019 a success. From hosting events at your institutions, to contributing materials and interviews, we could not have accomplished so much without your support. At the 2019 conference in Birmingham, Alabama, we engaged membership with special "See Me" stickers to reinforce the theme of visibility. We would also like to express gratitude to those that submitted to the ABSA International Biosafety and Biosecurity Promotional Awards and allowing us to display their submissions at the conference. Additionally, we worked with the ABSA office to create an amusing series of biosafety/biosecurity themed magnets that were offered at the ABSA Store Conference Pop-up. If you missed them, they are available at the ABSA Store for purchase now.

We are looking forward to seeing more of the amazing work you do in 2020! This was ABSA International's second year coordinating Biosafety and Biosecurity Month, and we are already working excitedly on 2020's efforts.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Cook and Anne-Sophie Brocard

The IEC has been working to develop a survey to distribute to biosafety professionals outside of the US. The survey will target those who are not members of ABSA International and will gather information to help inform leadership about the needs and interests of these professionals and how ABSA International can improve its services and image to grow internationally. Members of the committee have divided-up the world into eight regions and are gathering key contacts in these regions to help distribute the survey. The IEC is also working with other committees to help improve the experience for participants from outside the US at the ABSA Conference. If you have experience, contacts, language abilities and/or interest in international biosafety/ biosecurity, please contact education@absa.org to join or support the IEC in these efforts.

ABSA Ambassadors - September 2019

The ABSA Ambassadors continue to spread the word about ABSA and the Biosafety profession. David Gillum presented at Georgetown University's "Biosecurity Collaborations with the Research Community: Challenges and Successes."

Marian Downing represented ABSA International in a Biosafety Roundtable at the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Annual Meeting entitled "Preparing Sentinel Clinical Laboratories: Safety, Biological Risk Assessments and Other Biosafety Issues."

Bob Hawley taught a session on Biological Toxins for graduate students at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. He also presented a session at the Johns Hopkins Control of Biohazards Course on "The Biosafety Professional-A Path to Earning Credibility and Support." Bob and Joe Kozlovac also collaborated on a 2-hour ABSA-sponsored webinar covering "Toxin Science and Safety."

Krista Murray spoke about biosafety to ABSA International and Affiliate organizations in two sessions to an international audience: Poultry Disease Outbreak Management & Regionalization Certificate Symposium and The Emergency Poultry Disease Response Certificate Symposium.

Karen Byers will speak at the MABioN symposium about updated Lab Associated Infection material, the LAI Database and the Applied Biosafety Journal. Karen will also present to BRAP (BioRisk Association of the Philippines) in conjunction with the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists on these topics.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The PR/M Committee is hard at work preparing materials and logos for the October 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. The theme is "Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity." The logos and posters for promotional materials are now available and additional promotional materials are in progress. Visit the webpage for the 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month at: . We hope to make handouts, videos, and more as part of this event to provide to the biosafety and biosecurity community. Check the Biosafety and Biosecurity Month page regularly for updates!

International Engagement Committee - April 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Cook and Anne-Sophie Brocard

The IEC is a new committee this year. Our primary focus is to promote and help improve ABSA’s engagement, outreach, and growth beyond the United States. We just finalized a draft of our Policies and Procedures and are awaiting approval from the Council and Bylaws Committee. We have divided the world into 10 regions and will assign a member or two from our committee to be the primary liaison in each region. They will represent the IEC and be responsible for our information gathering and outreach activities in that region. We plan to do another survey of needs and outreach to members, affiliates, and potential ABSA members who live outside the U.S. in the coming months.

ABSA Ambassadors - April 2019

Lead: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors continue to spread the word about ABSA and the Biosafety profession.

Mary Cipriano continues to work with her local hospital on their Biosafety programs. Currently, she is working with the Occupational Health Nurse to ensure appropriate Caregiver Health (for approximately 1600 employees and volunteers) regarding screening and vaccination programs.

Bob Hawley presented “Life Everlasting! Embracing “Life-transition of Retirement” as part of the Kaufman Lunch Break Series Go-To Training.

Marian Downing presented to 14 sites of the NASA EHS Community, via WebEx, “Biosafety Basics” including a high-level overview of Biosafety levels/facilities, risk assessment, waste handling and training.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The 2018 Biosafety Month was a recognized success for ABSA International. As the face of ABSA is ever evolving to further highlight the importance of biosecurity, “Biosafety Month” will now be known as “Biosafety and Biosecurity Month.” The ABSA Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee is excited to announce the October 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month theme will be: “Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity.” The focus will be centered around outreach, education and training, school visits, supporting the STEM disciplines in teaching and learning, and how biosafety and biosecurity professionals are more than just compliance people. By increasing visibility, we increase the likelihood that individuals may pursue biosafety as a profession and promote transparency (as applicable and practical) about research involving biological materials to the public. This also supports efforts by ABSA to establish and promote biosafety and biosecurity in universities and colleges. Throughout October 2019, spotlights will focus on these ideas, highlight ABSA members that are already doing these things, and showcase ABSA’s involvement in increasing the visibility of biosafety and biosecurity. These efforts will extend into November, where the components of increasing visibility will apex at our annual conference. The PR/M Committee hopes you are as enthusiastic as we are for what 2019 holds for “Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity!”

ABSA Ambassadors - December 2018

Lead: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors have been busy since the last update. Activities have included:

Richard Gilpin gave an ABSA Update to the IBC at Medimmune in August and November, and also presented on Biosafety IT to the ISC2 conference in September. He gave a talk on Legionella Biosafety at the ASM Maryland Chapter (ASM President Seminar) in September.

Mary Cipriano continues to work with her local hospital clinical laboratory, now moving on to generating a waste SOP.

Karen Byers presented on laboratory acquired infections, the ABSA LAI Database and the ABSA Journal at the Asian Pacific Biosafety Association Biorisk Conference in Beijing, China in August. She has also provided a narrated PowerPoint presentation relative to Laboratory acquired infections with HIV, with discussion of prevention options to be presented to medical professionals at an International Conference on Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases being held in November in Guangxi China. The same presentation will also be used in December in Nanning City, Guangxi at a conference related to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Marian Downing presented to UT Houston School of Public Health students in October on ABSA Programs and Training Opportunities, membership benefits, history of ABSA, etc.

Meghan Seltzer presented an ABSA Update at the ChABSA symposium in June, and also did outreach to first grade students in November on biosafety as a career.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - December 2018

Chair: Joshua E. Turse

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee would like to thank everyone for making Biosafety Month 2018 a success this year. This event was only possible through your contributions and participation. We are already looking forward to Biosafety Month 2019! Additionally, the PR/M Committee is discussing opportunities for future campaigns centered on biosecurity and making the biosafety professional more visible in the research community. We are excited to see what 2019 brings.

ABSA Ambassadors - September 2018

Lead: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors have been very busy since the last update. Activities include:

Bob Hawley presented on Biological Toxins (Georgetown U School of Medicine) and spoke on "The Biosafety Professional-Earning Credibility and Support" at the Control of Biohazards Course (Johns Hopkins). Bob and AJ Troiano gave a go-to-training session on "The Next Generation of Leadership in Biosafety."

Richard Gilpin gave an ABSA update for the Control of Biohazards Course (Johns Hopkins) and at the NSF Legionella Conference (Baltimore). Richard also presented an ABSA Update and program overview at the CSHEMA Annual Conference in Baltimore.

Krista Murray spoke at the Delaware Laboratory Preparedness Advisory Committee meeting about the field of Biosafety and ABSA as a resource. She also spoke twice at the Poultry Disease Outbreak Management and Regionalization Certificate Symposium on ABSA and international affiliate programs.

Barb Owen promoted ABSA and ABSA Credentialing at the NJ AIHA CIH Review Course in Baltimore and gave an ABSA Update at the MABSA June Symposium.

Karen Byers presented on laboratory acquired infections and the ABSA LAI Database at the June AMExBio Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Marian Downing presented an ABSA update and on public health outreach efforts at the Southern Biosafety Association Meeting in April. Marian also presented a Poster at the National APHL meeting in June entitled "ABSA International Outreach-What Can We Do for You?" Marian recorded sessions on Biorisk Management, Biosafety as a career path, and ABSA programs for the Loyola University School of Nursing Course for Infection Control Practitioners.

Pat Condreay presented an ABSA update to the August 2018 MABioN Symposium.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Joshua Turse, Eric Rouse, and Lolly Gardiner

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee continues to concentrate on 2018 Biosafety Month, a period of time when individuals and organizations are encouraged to focus on and reinforce their attention to biosafety and biosecurity standards. 2018 Biosafety Month will be held in October this year. The theme for this year-"Promoting a Culture of Biosafety and Responsibility"-was announced in July with the social networking hashtag #getyourcultureon. Shortly after, the official logo and marketing graphics materials were released for use by biosafety and biosecurity stakeholders. Updates and additional supporting materials will continue to be provided by ABSA International, through both email outreach and posted to the Biosafety Month website, leading up to the 61st Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. A special feature will also appear in Applied Biosafety. We hope you will join us in Charleston where the presentation "Biosafety Month 2018: ABSA International Responses to Members' Needs" will provide an inside look on how ABSA has approached management of this valuable initiative for our community. Visit .

Affiliates Committee - May 2018

Co-Chairs: Jennifer Gaudioso and Despina Felis

The Affiliates Committee reviews requests by groups for acceptance into ABSA International as an Affiliate. There have not been any application submissions since the last Update e-newsletter.

ABSA Ambassadors - May 2018

Lead: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors have given a variety of presentations to a wide range of audiences (see Ambassador Committee efforts below). Recently, they gave a webinar titled "Practical Disinfection Guidance for the Clinical Laboratory" in conjunction with the Public Health Preparedness and Response Program. Marian Downing will be presenting a poster on ABSA International, "What Can We Do for You," at the June APHL meeting. Ambassador Committee efforts since December 2017:

Barbara Owen
ASU Biosecurity Workshop
December 7-8, 2017
University/Researchers, Biosafety professionals, Biosecurity professions and government organizations such as FBI, CDC and NIH
~200
1 hour
ABSA Biosecurity Task Force Update/Q&A

Rebecca Moritz
Presentations (2) at a middle school
December 1, 2017
Middle School
45
Biosafety as a career

Rebecca Moritz
Middle school career day
December 7, 2017
Middle school career day
50
Biosafety as a career

Rebecca Moritz
Middle school career day
December 7, 2017
Middle school career day
50
Biosafety as a career

Pat Condreay
CDC Symposium
February 12, 2018
Biosafety professionals
~200
15 minutes
ABSA update and task force update

Membership Committee - May 2018

Co-chairs: Malissa Mayer-Diaz and Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee met at the conference and are working on revising the New Member Survey. They are also working with the PCC to create "roadmaps" for new attendees and ABSA International members to see what courses are of best benefit to new members who are attending the conference.

Mentoring Committee - May 2018

Co-chairs: Althea Treacy and Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee is following-up on people who requested to be either mentors or mentees. They are actively recruiting and accepting both and request that anyone who wishes to be a mentor/mentee to please update their my.ABSA profile.

Membership Committee - December 2017

Co-chairs: Malissa Mayer-Diaz and Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee has a new chair, Malissa Mayer-Diaz. Kelly Flint will be serving as co-chair, and Je T'aime Newton is thanked for her years of service. They are working on a "New Member" survey, and are talking on how to work with PCC and Marketing on member retention. ABSA International Membership-there were 284 new members for 2017; 1,506 current members (148 of which are international members); 47 countries represented; and 38 Emeritus Members.

Nominating Committee - December 2017

Chair: Maureen O'Leary

The new chair of the Nominating Committee is Maureen O'Leary. This committee will not be meeting for a few months until it is time to begin requesting nominees for the next elections. Last year's Nominating Committee produced an excellent panel of nominees.

The ABSA Ambassadors have just been added to the Membership/Leadership team. The ABSA Ambassadors are now a Committee (promoted from a Task Force) since the conference in Albuquerque. They are beginning work on P&Ps for the committee and expect to be reviewing them soon.

Mentoring Committee - December 2017

Co-chairs: Althea Treacy and Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee is following-up on people who have requested to be either mentors or mentees. They are actively recruiting and accepting both, and request that anyone who wishes to be a mentor/mentee update their my.ABSA profile. They are also looking for a new chair as the current chair has met the term limit requirements.

Public Relations Committee - February 2017

Membership Committee - February 2017

Nominating Committee - February 2017

Mentoring Committee - February 2017

ABSA Ambassadors Task Force - February 2017

Affiliate Relations - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Despina Felis and Jennifer Gaudioso
 
The ABSA International Council approved the Affiliate Ribbons for the conference in October. Several affiliates participated.  Feedback from the Affiliates regarding the ribbons was positive. For more information on Affiliates go to http://absa.org/affiliates/.

Mentoring Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Althea Capul and Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee has submitted an ABSA-wide request for potential Mentees and Mentors to establish Mentoring Program profiles in my.absa.org. If you are interested in becoming a Mentor or are looking to join the program as a Mentee, information can be found on the Welcome page of my.absa.org. Follow the link to participate in the Mentoring Program. All ABSA International members are welcome!

Nominating Committee - October 2016

Chair: Marian Downing
 
Many thanks to the 2016 Nominating Committee: Janet Peterson, Scott Patlovich, Hallie Hoskins, and Deb Howard. Also, thanks to all the final candidates and others who were contacted and made some difficult decisions.

Membership Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: JeT'Aime Newton and Malissa Mayer-Diaz
 
This quarter the Membership Committee contacted all new members that were interested in getting more information/joining ABSA International committees. They are still receiving the responses and putting them into contact with the Chairs of the committees. We have 274 new members so far this year, which includes 43 new international members. The Membership Committee continues to review Emeritus applications as submitted.

Public Relations Committee - October 2016

Chair: Rebecca Moritz and Joshua Turse

The Public Relations Committee worked with SME's Kelly Tyrell, University of Wisconsin Madison, and Jim Newman, KGB Texas Communications, to develop the course titled Media and Public Relations for Biosafety Professionals. This course was offered during the ABSA Conference.

Legislative Affairs Committee - January 2024

Chair: Karon Floyd
Co-Chair: Brian O’Shea

The Legislative Committee has been a little busy this year. We reviewed the request for comments on the Proposed Revisions to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) regarding potential changes to the policies for oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) and the Potential Pandemic Pathogen Care and Oversight (P3CO) Policy Framework. The Legislative Committee provided comment alongside ABSA Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) Chaired by Esmerelda Meyer. We are currently reviewing, with some stakeholders, the process of BSO notifications of CDC/USDA permits.

We are continuing the transition to merge with the Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee. We are still reviewing and modifying the committee charters, roles, and responsibilities. We are looking forward to the new year with some excitement and the impact ABSA makes on the biosafety community.

Biological Select Agent and Toxin (BSAT) Community Advocate Committee (CAC) - January 2024

Co-Chairs: Kelly Flint and Anthony R. Sambol

The BSAT Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) is in a rebuilding phase. Support from the CDC had been re-initiated, and together the committee and CDC are planning webinars for the 2024 calendar year. The BSAT CAC is looking to add to its membership. The main requirement of membership is being part of a Select Agent Program, i.e., current RO and ARO. Please visit the Teams and Committee page on the ABSA Website and use the “Get Involved” button to volunteer.

Coming soon the BSAT CAC is looking to offer a webinar on Emergency Response in High-Containment Labs. Please be on the lookout for an announcement.

Legislative Affairs Committee - September 2023

Chair: Karon Floyd

This past year has been a year of changes. After the Legislative Affairs Committee experienced a change in leadership, it was decided to merge the Legislative Affairs Committee with the Technical Review Committee. We found that these two committees had very similar objectives and performed roughly the same duties. Understanding that and that their bylaws were similar, it just made sense.

Committee members just recently participated I recently had the pleasure of attending a lunchtime meeting hosted by NTI on “Encouraging Congressional action on dual-use bioscience research of concern,” featuring Dr. Gerald “Gerry” Parker and Dr. Jaime Yassif. It was held at the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.

The two speakers took turns explaining to a room of staffers and interns the issues related to emerging bioscience and biotechnology, such as the need to mitigate the risks of dual-use research with dangerous pathogens without stifling innovation, and the biosecurity risks posed by artificial intelligence enabled bio-design tools. They ended by urging congressionalist's of the importance for funding and their forethought on legislation on these and other biosafety/biosecurity issues. They referenced the NSAAB 12 recommendations for biosafety and biosecurity as well as the need for oversight of pathogen research and emerging tools and capabilities. They spoke on DNA Sequencing screening and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technologies and capabilities and the need for oversight.

On Committee matters, we continue to monitor for new and proposed legislation and stand ready to assist the Council in legislative review. The TRR and Legislative Affairs Chairs are currently discussing optimization of the roles and responsibilities assigned to each Committee leveraging the ABSA members’ expertise. It is our hope to submit a more refined and efficient committee process to the council for consideration.

Training Tools/Resources (TTR) Committee - September 2023

Chair: Maya Nair
Co-Chair: Will Pinard

The Training Tools/Resources committee met virtually in May, June, and July 2023. Members continue reviewing resources from various sources. Currently we are reviewing the resources developed by international biosafety professionals who participated in the Twinning Project in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories. These resources are from different countries representing diverse backgrounds that will enhance the TTR website page. ABSA members are encouraged to leave feedback and suggestions for the committee.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - September 2023

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

EIDC Toolboxes (on ABSA website main page) continue to be updated monthly with the most recent credible resources. Here are additional contributions so far for 2023:

1. Recently added toolboxes include those for Fungi and Waterborne Diseases, and additional resources for parasitic diseases.
2. The EIDC submitted a 2023 Conference proposal entitled A Panel on Risk Assessment of Laboratory Activities involving Emerging or re-Emerging Infectious Microorganisms–this panel is expected to be recorded and delivered as a virtual platform via Labroots during the conference.
3. Posted a Blog on Waterborne and Fungal Diseases in June 2023.
4. Betsy Gilman Duane and Ed Stygar have been in contact with OSHA in hopes of restoring the ABSA-OSHA Alliance, which produced various useful resources over several years.

Lastly, EIDC welcomed three new members in 2023: Travis McCarthy, Susan Harper, and Ami Patel.

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) - September 2023

Chair: Esmeralda Meyer

Members of the TRR Committee continue to monitor the Federal Register for instances where proposed regulatory changes are announced. At the request of the ABSA leadership, the TRR prepared a draft document with comments and recommendations to the WHO Biosecurity Guidance in July 2023. Conversations between the Team Leaders for Regulatory & Technical Affairs occurred and the Chair of the TRR and Legislative Affairs discussed the next steps regarding branding and P&Ps.

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) - June 2023

Chair: Esmeralda Meyer

Members of the TRR Committee continue to monitor the Federal Register for instances where proposed regulatory changes are announced. The TRR and Legislative Affairs Chairs are discussing optimization of the roles and responsibilities assigned to each committee leveraging the ABSA members' expertise. Stay tuned.

Legislative Affairs Committee - June 2023

Chair: Karon Floyd

Early in the year, there was a change in leadership. The Chair, Brian O’Shea, stepped down and the Co-Chair, Karon Floyd, assumed responsibilities as the Chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee. Mr. O’Shea agreed to continue to assist the committee. Members of the Legislative Affairs Committee reviewed and provided comments on a Bill proposed by Senator Ted Cruz. We continue to monitor new and proposed legislation and stand ready to assist the Council in legislative review. The TRR and Legislative Affairs Chairs are currently discussing optimization of the roles and responsibilities assigned to each committee leveraging the ABSA members' expertise. It is our hope to submit a more refined and efficient committee process to the ABSA Council for consideration.

Biological Select Agent and Toxin (BSAT) Community Advocate Committee (CAC) - June 2023

Chair: Kelly Flint
Co-chair: Anthony Sambol

The BSAT Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) is in a rebuilding phase. This group no longer has a CDC support contract and is looking to redefine itself. At this time, all activities will be supported by ABSA International. The BSAT CAC is looking to add to its membership and the only requirement of membership is being part of a Select Agent program, i.e., current RO or ARO designations, and those holding a current SRA clearance. Please visit the Teams and Committee page on the ABSA Website and use the “Get Involved” button to volunteer.

The BSAT CAC is looking to offer a webinar on CDC/USDA Inspections Lesson Learned and general information sharing. Please be on the lookout for an announcement to come late summer.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - January 2023

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer, Marian Downing

The EIDC continues to compile, assess, and post biosafety resources for all Toolboxes. The existing Toolboxes for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, Zika, Influenza, Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance, Polio Virus, and Pox Viruses continue to be updated monthly, as new information becomes available. New in January will be a toolbox for Water-borne diseases, so check back often.

The EIDC wishes to send a farewell to David White and Luis Ochoa Carrera who are stepping down from this Committee. We thank David White for his service to the EIDC since its inception. We also thank Luis for his service to the EIDC and now as President-Elect of ABSA. Lastly, we are looking for feedback on the value of the Toolboxes to the ABSA professionals. Please send your comments and suggestions to info@absa.org with the subject header: EIDC feedback.

Legislative Affairs Committee - January 2023

Co-Chairs: Karon Floyd and Brian O’Shea

The Legislative Affairs Committee has been working to monitor proposals for legislation on Capitol Hill that may have a potential impact on biological research and/or research oversight. Most recently, ABSA was asked to review and provide feedback regarding the draft bill from Ted Cruz (R-TX), to require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a repository of Institutional Biosafety Committee minutes for Federally funded research projects that involve potential pandemic pathogens, and for other purposes. The committee met to discuss and review the proposed legislation and provided comments regarding this bill to ABSA Council. The Legislative Affairs Committee is excited to see staffers and legislators on Capitol Hill looking to and reaching out to ABSA International and its members for assistance in the drafting legislation such as this.

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) - January 2023

Chair: Esmeralda Meyer

During the last quarter of 2022, the Technical and Regulatory Review Committee contributed to the ABSA Council request to respond to Senate Bill Legislation to Establish a Repository of Institutional Biosafety Committee Minutes for Federally Funded Research Projects that Involve Potential Pandemic Pathogens, and For Other Purposes (Senator Cruz). Several members of the TRR provided feedback via email to the Legislative Affairs Committee and the recommendations were submitted to the ABSA Council by December 7. The TRR Chair continued to review the Federal Register weekly as part of the responsibilities of the TRR. Lastly, David Pawlowski, Chair of the TRR, announced that he would be stepping down as Chair to join the forces of the Legislative Affairs Committee. We thank David for his continued service as Chair of the TRR. Esmeralda Meyer will continue as Chair and during the first quarter of 2023 she will lead the review of the TRR P&Ps, including the selection process for a Co-Chair.

Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - September 2022

Chair: David Pawlowski
Co-Chair: Esmeralda Meyer

This quarter, the TRR committee assisted with ABSA responses to two items. The first item was published in the Federal Register entitled, “Screening Framework Guidance for Providers and Users of Synthetic Nucleic Acids.” As published, this regulation would add a burden to both the producers of synthetic nucleic acids and to the end users. The second item reviewed was proposed legislation for a Centralized Management Strategy for Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Biorisk Management. This bill has the potential to dramatically alter the oversight of biological research at the Federal level.

Emerging Infectious Disease Committee (EIDC) - September 2022

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The EIDC has been busy this summer compiling and assessing biosafety resources for Monkeypox and Polio. The Monkeypox section has been posted on the ABSA EIDC Toolboxes page and it is updated regularly. Biosafety-related resources for Polio were also compiled by the members of the EIDC and made available through the distribution lists. The existing Toolboxes for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, Zika, Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance, and Influenza continue to be updated monthly, as new information becomes available. The EIDC assembled a basic list of basic Biosecurity resources and passed them on to the Training Tools and Resources team (TTR) for review and potential inclusion in the ABSA TTR page. Lastly, we are looking for feedback on the value of these resources to the ABSA professionals. Please send your comments and suggestions to info@absa.org with the subject header: EIDC feedback.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - June 2022

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Diseases Committee continues to update the SARS-CoV-2, Zika, Influenza, Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses, and Antimicrobial Resistance toolboxes. The committee is also reviewing documents created during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that these reflect current guidance.

Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - June 2022

Chairs: David R. Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The TRR committee has been busy this quarter. Similar to the BMBL (Biosafety in Microbiological & Biomedical Laboratories) 6th edition summary published to the ABSA website, we have completed a summary of the WHO LBM (Laboratory Biosafety Manual) 4th edition and its accompanying monographs in collaboration with the International Engagement Committee. We hope to see this work published on the website in the upcoming quarter. In addition, the TRR reviewed the WHO Global Action Plan IV draft for the Polio Containment. Lastly, the TRR is currently reviewing the ”Screening Framework Guidance for Providers and Users of Synthetic Oligonucleotides” document published in the Federal Register from DHHS.

Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - January 2022

Chairs: David R. Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The Technical and Regulatory Review has teamed with the International Engagement Committee to review the 4th edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual (WHO LBM) using a similar approach to the 6th Edition of the BMBL that was recently published on the ABSA website. Members of the International Engagement Committee will review the WHO LBM and its monographs and write executive summaries, which will then be coalesced into an easy to navigate electronic site for use by the international biosafety community.

The TRR continues to monitor the Federal Register for relevant publications.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - January 2022

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The EIDC has updated the toolboxes for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, Influenza, Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (including Ebola Virus), Zika Virus, and Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance. We look forward to receiving feedback from the ABSA members to improve the content and organization of the toolboxes. Lastly, the EIDC welcomes Kenneth Shenge as the new member of the EIDC starting January 1, 2022.

Technical and Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee - October 2021

Chairs: David R. Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The TRR has teamed with the International Engagement committee to review the 4th edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual (WHO LBM) using a similar approach to the 6th Edition of the BMBL that was recently published on the ABSA website (absa.org/bmbl). Members of the International Engagement Committee will review the WHO LBM and its monographs and write executive summaries which will then be coalesced into an easy to navigate electronic site for use by the International Biosafety community.

The TRR continues to monitor the Federal Register for relevant publications.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - October 2021

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

OSHA published the interim final rule for the Occupational Exposure to COVID-19; Emergency Temporary Standard on June 21,2021. OSHA requested Comments on any aspect of the ETS and whether the ETS should be adopted as a permanent standard by August 20, 2021. The Emerging Infectious Diseases Committee worked with the Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) on drafting a “Comment” to this temporary standard. The ABSA Council reviewed and approved the Comment, and it was posted on September 1, 2021.

The EIDC continues to update the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 toolbox bi-weekly. The Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (HFV) toolbox has been renamed to include information about Ebola Virus outbreaks, and outbreaks caused by Marburg Virus and other hemorrhagic fever viruses.

Lastly, the EIDC worked on a proposal to the ABSA Council to ask the question How will ABSA International support implementation of ISO 35001:2019? The discussion is appropriate at this time as ABSA is charting the roadmap for the coming years.

Technical and Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee - July 2021

Chairs: David R. Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The ABSA Technical and Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee has published the “Summary of Changes to the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories 6th Edition (BMBL-6)” that can be found at https://absa.org/bmbl/. Along with the summary is a side-by-side comparison of editions 5 and 6 published as a downloadable spreadsheet. These documents are intended to be helpful resources as you read and review the newest edition of the guidelines, not as a substitute. The TRR also advised ABSA Council on joining the AIHA led “Joint Consensus Statement on Addressing the Aerosol Transmission of SARS CoV-2 and Recommendations for Preventing Occupational Exposures.” Lastly, the TRR reviews the Federal Register daily to identify items interest or consequence to the biosafety community.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - July 2021

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

During the first semester of 2021, the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 toolbox was redesigned based on the feedback provided by the users. The EIDC also updated the document “Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples” to include handling of synthetic nucleic acids and viral vectors associated with the COVID-19 vaccines (the Spanish and French versions were also updated). Additionally, a new toolbox was added to reflect the current threat caused by Antibiotic/Antimicrobial resistant microbes. Members of the EIDC published the article titled “Considerations for Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Applying the ISO 35001:2019 Standard and High-Reliability Organizations Principles” in ABSA’s Applied Biosafety journal. This manuscript showcases how the biorisk management standard published by ISO in 2019 and principles followed by High-Reliability organization may be applied by laboratories handling COVID-19-related samples to ensure a safer workplace.

Lastly, the EIDC worked with the ABSA Office on drafting the safety plans for the upcoming PPB and BBTC in-person training sessions, and ABSA International’s Annual Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ongoing projects include drafting a support statement for ABSA International to join the AIHA Consensus on Addressing the Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Recommendations for Preventing Occupational Exposures and drafting a comment in response to the Request for Information (RFI) from Non-Federal Stakeholders: Advancing the Medical Reserve Corps with the American Rescue Plan HHS-ASPR-2021-0013 posted on May 20, 2021, in the Federal Register.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - January 2021

Chairs: Angela Birnbaum and Eric Jeppesen

The Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) hosted two webinars in July and August covering panel topics. The committee hosted the Select Agent Users Workshop in two separate components, one focusing on a “Regulatory Section” and the other Focusing on a “User Section” held on November 18 and December 2, consecutively.

The BSAT CAC continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserv for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at Education@absa.org, with “SA Forum” in the subject line.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - January 2021

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) released the resource for the community titled COVID-19 and Your Community—How to plan an event during a pandemic in early September 2020.

EIDC frequently reviews the web traffic to the Toolbox and surveys the potential readership to determine areas for improvement and enhancement. Action items includes working hand-in-hand with the webmaster and the ABSA Office to ensure that links are always current, and information is relevant and updated in a timely fashion. Also, in December 2020 members of the ABSA distribution lists received a COVID-19 Toolbox user experience survey. The EIDC will use the feedback provided by users to refresh and enhance the Toolbox.

The EIDC is indebted to its first Chair, Paul Tranchell, who stepped down at the end of December 2020. Paul led the newly formed Emerging Infectious Diseases Consortium between 2015 and 2019. Similarly, the EIDC thanks the support and encouragement provided by Jim Welch as the ABSA Council Liaison. Mr. Welch stepped down in November 2020 in accordance with the ABSA International Bylaws. Margie Juergensmeyer will be the ABSA Council Liaison for the 2020-2021 year. Welcome Margie!

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) - January 2021

Chairs: David Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The World Health Organization (WHO) requested that ABSA International provide feedback on Annex 2 titled “Biorisk management standard for poliovirus-essential facilities holding wild poliovirus materials” and Annex 3 titled “Annex 3 Biorisk management standard for poliovirus-essential facilities holding only OPV/Sabin poliovirus materials (no WPV)” of the Global Action Plan to minimize poliovirus facility-associated risk after type-specific eradication of wild polioviruses and sequential cessation of oral polio vaccine use GAP III. The ABSA Council assigned this task to the Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) in early September. The collated technical and editorial feedback on the 16 elements included in each annex was sent back to the ABSA Council for review and final submission to the WHO.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released the 6th edition of the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) in November of 2020. The TRR is in the process of generating executive summaries for each section of the BMBL 6th Edition, which will be made available to the membership after peer-review.

The TRR members continue to monitor the Federal Register looking for any relevant request for comments, changes in regulation, etc., that are being released by federal regulatory agencies.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - September 2020

Leads: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Diseases Consortium (EIDC) updated the existing webpages for Ebola Virus and Zika Virus. The Emerging Infectious Diseases Toolboxes can be accessed from the ABSA International home page. A new Toolbox is now available to provide updates on the rising threat of the G4 EA Avian-Like Influenza Virus (https://absa.org/influenza/).

A new resource for the community will be released in the coming days which includes considerations for when individuals or organizations are planning events, so stay tuned.

Members of the committee continue to collate the weekly updates for the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 toolbox to ensure that it provides the most current information to various stakeholders.

Administratively, the EIDC generated its Policy and Procedures and the ABSA International Council approved its transition from a Consortium to a Committee under the Regulatory and Technical Affairs Team.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee - September 2020

Chairs: David Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) committee continues to monitor the Federal Register for meetings and publications affecting the Biosafety community. The TRR leadership team is actively planning for the teams' review and response to the anticipated publication of the 6th edition of the BMBL.

BSAT Community Advocate Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Angela Birnbaum and Eric Jeppesen

The BSAT Community Advocate Committee (CAC) hosted webinars covering the topics of Personnel Suitability on July 22, 2020 and Virtual Inspections--The 5W's on August 20, 2020. The committee is also working on the coordination and agenda for the upcoming Select Agent Users Workshop. Dates and agenda will be finalized and circulated.

The BSAT CAC continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserv for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at education@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee hopes that this finds you and your membership/organization safe and healthy during this trying time. Each year, ABSA International sponsors Biosafety and Biosecurity Month to raise awareness about the importance of Biosafety and Biosecurity. To recognize the role biosafety and biosecurity professionals play in responding to emerging risks in our laboratories, institutions, and communities, the theme for 2020's Biosafety and Biosecurity Month is "The Role of Biosafety and Biosecurity in Mitigating Emerging Risk." The PR/M Committee is working to provide materials and resources for this year's theme. We are creating items optimized for remote usage, and these items will be available on the event webpage at https://absa.org/biosafety-biosecurity-month. We are also collaborating with a number of peer committees and task forces in support of various efforts to serve our community and to assist with the 2020 ABSA International Virtual Conference. We hope through collaboration to turn the unique challenges of 2020 into opportunities.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - June 2020

Leads: Esmeralda Meyer, Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium continues to collate the weekly website updates for the ABSA International SARS-CoV2/COVID-19 toolbox https://absa.org/covid19toolbox/. Since mid-March, the committee has generated 14 documents in the areas of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 disinfection, personal protective equipment, laboratory/research, and shipping. Finalized documents are forwarded to the ABSA Office for formatting and coordinating the upload. The committee is thankful for the contributions of Julie Savage and Brenda Rivera-Alcozer who directly support this endeavor. In addition, the EIDC has revised and updated the document Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples to reflect updated guidelines and availability of new studies with relevant data.

Lastly, the EIDC relies on its members and other experts to review and ensure the accuracy of the documents. The following subject matter experts have been asked to review draft documents: Dr. Nicole Duffy and Gary Borkowski reviewed and commented on the Example risk assessment for using SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory animals, and Dr. Paul Meechan and Shoolah Escott reviewed and commented on the SARS-CoV-2 Sample Type Risk Assessment. Thanks to Richard Le (FSU) for sharing his EHS Laboratory Checklist for Restarting Research Activities and Dr. Diane Fleming for providing her insight on COVID-19 prevention. Recommendations and comments are discussed and resolved by the Committee prior to finalizing the documents.

Below is the list of EIDC-generated documents currently posted in the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Toolbox.

• Disinfection:
  • COVID-19 FAQs for Disinfection (PDF)
• Personal Protective Equipment:
  • COVID-19 FAQs PPE Use (PDF)
  • Differences between cloth face covering, mucosal protection and respiratory protection (PDF)
• Laboratory/Research
  • Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples (PDF)
  • [Spanish] Consideraciones para la Investigación con SARS-CoV-2 (PDF)
  • [French] Considerations for Handling Potential SARS CoV 2 Samples (PDF)
  • SARS-CoV-2 Sample Type Risk Assessment (PDF)
  • Example - Risk Assessment for Work with SARS-CoV-2 in Laboratory Animals (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Continuing at work (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Working from Home (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for employees in the workplace (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Employers Preparing for Workers to Return to the Workplace (PDF)
• Environmental Health & Safety Checklist for Restarting Research Activities (MS Word)
• Packaging and Shipping SARS-CoV-2 Packaging and Shipping Information (PDF)

To support the international biosafety professional, EIDC has worked with the ABSA Office and the International Engagement Committee to make selected documents available in other languages. The infographic Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples was translated to Spanish by Luis Ochoa Carrera. The same document was translated to French by Anne-Sophie Brocard, Sylvie Blondelle, and Nabila Seridi. Both documents are available in the SARS-CoV-2/ COVID-19 toolbox webpage.

Lastly, members of the EIDC and the ABSA Office promote the weekly updates and documents through multiple ABSA Listserve posts and social media including LinkedIn and Twitter. Additional communication strategies include an opening slide promoting the Toolbox during ABSA webinars.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - February 2020

Chair: David Pawlowski
Co-chair: Esmeralda Meyer

The Technical and Regulatory Review (TRR) committee has had a busy quarter to end 2019. Members of the committee reviewed and responded to 3 Federal actions or publications. First, the National Labor Relations Board was seeking comments to a proposed rule regarding the non-employee status of university and college students working in connection with their studies. This rule change could have implications to OSHA rules applicability for many ABSA members. Second, we responded to the EPA draft strategy entitled, "Antimicrobial Performance Evaluation Program (APEP): a Draft Risk-Based Strategy to Ensure the Effectiveness of Hospital-Level disinfectants." Finally, the TRR commented on draft rule DHHS 42 CFR 71, Control of Communicable Diseases: Importation of Human Remains.

The TRR committee would also like to thank Yolanda Stringer for her invaluable service as the Chair of the committee, her 3-year term ended in November. During her time as Chair, Yolanda worked tirelessly and with great success to organize and respond to the myriad of reviews taken on by the TRR committee. Yolanda's committee leadership will be missed, thankfully she is continuing as a contributing member. Attempting to fill Yolanda's shoes, David Pawlowski has been identified as the TRR committee chair. Dave served as Yolanda's Co-Chair during her tenure and is very grateful for her tutelage. Dave is also very grateful to Esmeralda Meyer who has agreed to serve as Co-chair of the TRR committee. Finally, the TRR committee has accepted 3 new members: Nick Chaplinski, Kristie Yeakle, and Michael Chute. Welcome to the team!

Emerging Infectious Disease Task Force - February 2020

Lead: AJ Troiano

The task force left off in Q3 2019 in a "stand-by" mode. The originally purpose of the committee in the backdrop of the Ebola Outbreak Response of 2014-2015 was to help build Alliance Partners with ABSA for increased communication and alignment of resources when faced with emerging threats. The members worked hard to identify other professional organizations who shared common interests in biosafety, biosecurity, infection control, public health, and emerging pathogens.

While there was some initial success, as time went on, Ebola moved out of the spotlight and our collective conscience shifted to other areas. The task force continued to build alliance partners and prepare for the next emerging outbreak that could hit the United States. We looked to identify subject matter experts within alliance partners as well as ABSA who could prepared canned talks to pursue at conferences/course offerings/etc. So many working parts go into outbreak response, from front line hospitals and public health laboratories, first responders, research laboratories, to biosafety professionals, we strived to create a platform that linked all of us together.

Now with Coronavirus in the spotlight, we are working to reinvigorate the Task Force and refocus our efforts. Stay tuned!

Legislative Affairs Committee - February 2020

Chair: Brian O'Shea
Co-chair: Karon Floyd

The Legislative Affairs Committee recently reviewed H.R. 4373 (ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2019) and provided feedback and advice to ABSA Council as to potential areas of opportunity and influence for ABSA International. A letter on behalf of ABSA International and the Legislative Affairs Committee was sent to Representative Johnson (Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology) offering ABSA International's support of the initiative. The bill currently resides with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The Legislative Affairs Committee will continue to monitor the progress of this bill through the Senate, as well as other congressional actions that may affect biological research.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - February 2020

Chair: Angela Birnbaum
Co-chair: Eric Jeppesen

The Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) hosted the Annual SRA Users Workshop in Birmingham Alabama on November 21, 2019. The workshop had attendance from ROs, AROS, SRA cleared persons and scientists. Topics at the meeting included an open discussion with directors Dr. Sam Edwin from the Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT) and Dr. Jack Taniewski from Agricultural Select Agent Services (Ag-SAS). What was scheduled for an hour session lasted all morning with many ideas from the regulated community for improvement and enhancing the working relationship with the Federal Select Agent Program. In addition, a presentation on inspection preparation "Aiming for Zero: Avoiding Common Select Agent Findings," presented by Amy Vogler and Shelley Jones of Northern Arizona University. The workshop was ended with group session involving drill exercises and incident response. The workshop was attended by 54 people.

The Committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online Listserve for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at education@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Yolanda Arriaga Stringer and David Pawlowski

TRR conferred discussing two public meetings (pertaining to the National Biodefense Strategy and the National Association for Biomedical Research) for future potential contributions and the New York State Regulated Medical Waste Regulation, which it subsequently reviewed as it pertains to BSL-3 and Select Agent waste removal and treatment. The TRR submitted comments to the World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 4th Edition, in joint participation with the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA). Most recently, the TRR submitted a review to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for Proposed Rule "Approval of Laboratories to Conduct Official Testing; Consolidation of Regulations." The TRR continues to monitor, review, and comment on documents on behalf of ABSA International. Please don't hesitate to identify and notify us of potential opportunities.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - September 2019

Lead: AJ Troiano

The Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force changed leadership as of 2018 with AJ Troiano, PhD, RBP, Scientist II-Life Sciences at Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. taking over for Paul Tranchell. As such, we sought to first reinvigorate our Vision and Strategy:

Vision: Collaborate with appropriate professional organizations in order to create sustainable strategies and expertise for responding to emerging infectious diseases.

Strategy: Identify strengths and roles of each organization as it relates to biological public and occupational health surrounding emerging infectious diseases. Share information to enhance the professional quality and interaction of organizational members.

As of 2018, we had nine action steps in our charter. Throughout the course of last year, we managed to reduce this to six to streamline our efforts:

1. Identify strengths of ABSA in emerging issues as well as areas where we can learn from other organizations.
2. Consortium Members work with current ABSA Liaison designees, ABSA staff, and others to connect with an Alliance Partner's organizational leadership (elevate ABSA within organization).
3. Develop a comprehensive list of presentations that we would like to make available to other organizations. The Consortium will focus on 1- to 1.5-hour presentations. The presentations will be registered with the Credentialing Committee to provide CM points for developers, presenters, and attendees. These can be presented at dinner meetings or as a presentation during one of their symposiums.
4. Identify training opportunities and resources that can be made available to public health institutions and frontline staff in the wake of emerging infectious diseases (example, NETEC)
5. Identify funding sources to support the Speakers Bureau.
6.   Publicize the courses to our Alliance Partners. When one of their groups would like a topic of interest, they contact ABSA to arrange for a presentation.

Currently, we have a core group of alliance partners that have been identified to work with. In order to spread awareness of the EIDC, we began creating promotional material (Marian Downing, lead) in the form of a poster and/or brochures. However, in the wake of the growing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the task force has focused its efforts recently on how to address this public health emergency, applying our collective knowledge of the 2014 epidemic. We will continue to work with our alliance partners and ABSA leadership to address this growing threat, as well as exploring the option of moving this task force to an official ABSA committee to increase our membership and reach a wider audience of professionals.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Angela Birnbaum and Eric Jeppesen

The BSAT CAC offered another webinar for the Select Agent community. The webinar was held on August 13, 2019 and was titled "SELECT AGENT SMORGASBORD: TRAININGS, INSPECTIONS, AND SHUTDOWNS...OH MY!" Based on survey participant feedback for this upcoming webinar, we are excited to offer more information on training development, select agent inspection experiences from a Responsible Official (RO), a principal investigator and a laboratory staff member. We will also provide information on an RO's experience with facility decommissioning. In addition to the ongoing webinars, we will be developing the agenda for the Select Agent User Workshop to occur on Thursday, November 21, 2019 in Birmingham, Alabama.

The committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserve for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the Select Agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at education@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The PR/M Committee is hard at work preparing materials and logos for the October 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. The theme is "Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity." The logos and posters for promotional materials are now available and additional promotional materials are in progress. Visit the webpage for the 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month at: . We hope to make handouts, videos, and more as part of this event to provide to the biosafety and biosecurity community. Check the Biosafety and Biosecurity Month page regularly for updates!

Legislative Committee - April 2019

Chair: Brian J. O’Shea

The Legislative Committee has not met this quarter, but continues to monitor legislative discussions from Capitol Hill for any potential impacts to biological research sciences as well as discussions from the Federal Select Agent Program and the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Angela Birnbaum and Eric Jeppesen

In January of 2019, Colleen Driskill stepped down from her position of Co-chair of the Biological Select Agent and Toxin Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC). She served as Co-chair since the initiation of the Select Agent Task Force, which became the BSAT CAC in at the end of 2017. Her contributions were numerous, and we thank her for her efforts during her tenure. Eric Jeppesen, of MRIGlobal, has agreed to step in as Co-chair along with existing Co-chair, Angie Birnbaum. Eric brings the committee many years of experience in developing and implementing select agent programs, and the BSAT CAC is looking forward to his contribution.

The BSAT CAC spent the last couple of months preparing for the select agent community webinar entitled “Training Curriculum Development: Select Agent Entity Experiences” which was held on March 21, 2019. This compliance area is a hot topic among the select agent regulated community, and this webinar will offer various approaches that may be used to develop strategies that meet the requirements of select agent regulations.

The BSAT CAC has requested that committee members brainstorm ideas for the RO Mentorship initiative that would pair new ROs with those with more experience. This is an exciting endeavor that will further the knowledge base of ROs and a plan will be developed from the members for the members. Any ABSA member is welcome to forward ideas for mentoring to the BSAT CAC.

The committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online Listserve for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community.

Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at info@absa.org with “SA Gram” in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The 2018 Biosafety Month was a recognized success for ABSA International. As the face of ABSA is ever evolving to further highlight the importance of biosecurity, “Biosafety Month” will now be known as “Biosafety and Biosecurity Month.” The ABSA Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee is excited to announce the October 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month theme will be: “Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity.” The focus will be centered around outreach, education and training, school visits, supporting the STEM disciplines in teaching and learning, and how biosafety and biosecurity professionals are more than just compliance people. By increasing visibility, we increase the likelihood that individuals may pursue biosafety as a profession and promote transparency (as applicable and practical) about research involving biological materials to the public. This also supports efforts by ABSA to establish and promote biosafety and biosecurity in universities and colleges. Throughout October 2019, spotlights will focus on these ideas, highlight ABSA members that are already doing these things, and showcase ABSA’s involvement in increasing the visibility of biosafety and biosecurity. These efforts will extend into November, where the components of increasing visibility will apex at our annual conference. The PR/M Committee hopes you are as enthusiastic as we are for what 2019 holds for “Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity!”

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Yolanda Arriaga Stringer and David Pawlowski

The Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) Co-Chairs provided a comment to the ABSA Council on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) Request for Information on Integration Institutes for Cross-Cutting Biology and points of potential participation for ABSA International. Early participation by ABSA International in the NSF program development process could lead to new and exciting opportunities for biosafety professionals. Currently the TRR is providing a second opinion on an NIH OSP interpretation of the NIH Guidelines to a research question in consult to a university BSO and IBC. In a follow-up to a prior review, further elaboration of the TRR review of the ASM Sentinel Level Clinical Guidelines: Biosafety is being provided to the ABSA Council.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - December 2018

Co-chairs: Yolanda Arriaga Stringer and David Pawlowski

The Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) enjoyed time at the ABSA International conference with a productive lunch meeting and much activity related to current reviews. The review for the NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) Proposed Changes to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) prompted an ABSA e-mail blast to recruit comments from the ABSA membership to join with those from the TRR committee. In a rare move, and in response to member requests, the TRR draft comments submitted to ABSA Council were released to the ABSA International membership. The TRR also provided a response to the ABSA Council for the National Biodefense Steering Committee (NBSC) National Biodefense Strategy 2018 expressing interest in ABSA International partnering with the NBSC to reach the biosafety and biosecurity goals expressed. This time period culminated with a review of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Sentinel Level Clinical Guidelines for Suspected Agents of Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases: Biosafety (Oct 2018) to compare and contrast with current biosafety guidance.

Legislative Committee - December 2018

Chair: Brian J. O'Shea

The Legislative Committee has continued to monitor legislative discussions from Capitol Hill for any potential impacts to biological research sciences as well as discussions from the Federal Select Agent Program and the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense.

The committee has also been discussing with the Public Relations Committee the possibility of producing a pamphlet highlighting how ABSA can be used as a resource of subject matter experts to discuss safety related research issues in the future.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - December 2018

Co-chairs: Colleen Driskill and Angela Birnbaum

The Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) spent the late summer and fall preparing an agenda for the Annual Select Agent (SRA) Approved User Workshop, which took place following the ABSA International Conference on October 19, 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina.

The full-day workshop was attended by 68 people made up of Responsible Officials (ROs)/Alternate Responsible Officials (AROs), SRA Users from entities including academic institutions, corporate institutions, public health laboratories, and government (federal, state and local) laboratories. The agenda included a Q&A session with CDC/APHIS Directors, Information about Training, Public Health Lab Select Agent Experiences, IT Security Updates, Shipping Select Agents, Facility Verification, and a discussion on RO/ARO Mentoring-opportunities.

The BSAT CAC Co-chairs prepared a presentation about the committee for the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), Special Interest Group meeting during ABSA. Approximately 40 representatives attended the meeting. Discussions centered on how Public Health Labs could be more included in the activities of the committee. Some of the suggestions being pursued are: communicating information about the SA Online Forum to the APHL listserv and incorporating other members from the APHL community onto the BSAT CAC Committee that represent "stand-alone" public health labs vs. clinical labs in a large hospital or research facility.

The committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserv for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the SA Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by e-mailing the ABSA International office at education@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - December 2018

Chair: Joshua E. Turse

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee would like to thank everyone for making Biosafety Month 2018 a success this year. This event was only possible through your contributions and participation. We are already looking forward to Biosafety Month 2019! Additionally, the PR/M Committee is discussing opportunities for future campaigns centered on biosecurity and making the biosafety professional more visible in the research community. We are excited to see what 2019 brings.

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Yolanda Arriaga Stringer and David Pawlowski

TRR works thoroughly and often quickly to submit reviews on behalf of ABSA International. The TRR reviews this year have included submissions to the: Federal Select Agent Program on inactivation of select agents and effluent decontamination systems; USDA APHIS regarding permit for release of genetically engineered virus; NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for a 5-Year Strategic Plan 2.0; and early in this review year to the World Health Organization for PPE relative to Ebola and Hemorrhagic Fever outbreaks. The TRR also followed-up on 2017 NIH Guidelines discussions by meeting with NIH Office of Science Policy members in preparation for future comment. The TRR monitors the Federal Register notices for comment opportunities and is considering several currently. Referrals are welcome from the ABSA membership for potential input on behalf of ABSA International.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - September 2018

Co-chairs: A. J. Troiano and Susan Weekly

Due to increased job responsibilities, Paul Tranchell is no longer able to provide the time and effort needed to adequately lead this consortium. Paul appreciates the opportunity to lead this important and interesting team. A. J. Troiano, Staff Scientist II-Life Sciences at Environmental Health & Engineering, has agreed to take over the leadership role. Paul Tranchell will remain on the team, building a collaboration with the AIHA. The following progress has been made by the team.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)-Esmeralda L. Meyer continues to make excellent progress in collaboration with this organization. They are progressing toward joint articles in their respective journals this fall. They have also obtained approval for a presentation at the ABSA International conference this October.

American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM)-David M. White is working on determining whether ABSA can provide content for websites and webinars that the College is considering.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)-Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe continue to make good progress in collaborations with the APHL.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine-Betsy Gilman Duane is working with Ed Stygar hoping to connect with their new Executive Director.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - September 2018

Co-chairs: Colleen Driskill and Angela Birnbaum

The BSAT CAC added six new members in the spring and has been diligently working to fulfill their goal of providing a forum for the sharing of best practices among the select agent community.

The committee presented a webinar in March focusing on "Recent Select Agent Inspection Experiences." This was the most highly attended webinar to date with over 200 Security Risk Assessment (SRA) approved participants enrolled. The most recent webinar occurred on August 6 and was entitled "Entity Experiences Preparing for Select Agent Inspections." This webinar was also very well attended.

The BSAT CAC is planning the next SRA Approved Users Workshop that will take place Thursday after the ABSA International Conference (October 19, 2018). The preliminary agenda for the full-day program will include a question and answer period with regulators from the CDC Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT) and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspectional Services (APHIS), and many other presentations and discussions related to aspects of working with select agents and toxins. This event will also allow time for networking and problem solving for individuals from various entities.

The committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserv for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the forum by emailing the ABSA International office at info@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Joshua Turse, Eric Rouse, and Lolly Gardiner

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee continues to concentrate on 2018 Biosafety Month, a period of time when individuals and organizations are encouraged to focus on and reinforce their attention to biosafety and biosecurity standards. 2018 Biosafety Month will be held in October this year. The theme for this year-"Promoting a Culture of Biosafety and Responsibility"-was announced in July with the social networking hashtag #getyourcultureon. Shortly after, the official logo and marketing graphics materials were released for use by biosafety and biosecurity stakeholders. Updates and additional supporting materials will continue to be provided by ABSA International, through both email outreach and posted to the Biosafety Month website, leading up to the 61st Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. A special feature will also appear in Applied Biosafety. We hope you will join us in Charleston where the presentation "Biosafety Month 2018: ABSA International Responses to Members' Needs" will provide an inside look on how ABSA has approached management of this valuable initiative for our community. Visit .

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - May 2018

Lead: Paul Tranchell

The Consortium is progressing towards initial collaborations with other professional organization. Members are contacting their primary partnering organizations and developing relationships. There is a need for considering a new leader for the consortium. If there is no one from the group that can step-up, we will be asking ABSA leadership for assistance in identifying a fresh face. The following specific progress has been made.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)--Esmeralda L. Meyer
Esmeralda has successfully connected with AAALAC and is coordinating a joint journal publication. Papers have been submitted and publication is anticipated the Fall timeframe. She has also proposed a panel discussion at the ABSA International Conference.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)-- Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe
Marian continues to make excellent progress with the APHL. She is working with the APHL Partners Forum. Efforts include developing a list serve. Also, Marian worked with APHL and ASM to provide a 1-hour webinar that was well attended and well received. She submitted a Letter to the Editors of the ABSA Journal Applied Biosafety promoting volunteering at Public Health Labs, which was published in Volume 23, Number 1, 2018. Marian submitted a proposal for a presentation at the APHL conference. While her presentation was not accepted, a poster presentation was and the poster has been developed by ABSA International. This may be of use in other outreach efforts as well.

American Society of Microbiology (ASM)--Don Callihan
Don has been trying to make inroads with ASM. He is currently pursuing opportunities to partner regarding applying for funding of projects and training. Don is also working with the Global Health Initiative to highlight ABSA's international reach and extend the initiative beyond the US. ABSA can work through national organizations to support a more international process.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine--Betsy Gilman Duane
Betsy indicated that there was strong interest in collaboration; however, the organization's Executive Director changed and interest slowed. Now that the new Executive Director has been in place for a while, Betsy and Ed Stygar are attempting to reconnect and reenergize the collaborations.

American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians--Dave White
Dave has found interest in connecting with the group, but there no substantive actions have been developed. He suggested using the poster developed by Marian as an outreach. The use of the poster was discussed as a more general tool for outreach to other organizations. It was suggested that the poster be made available on ABSA International's website for widespread use. We also discussed cross advertising ABSA webinars. ABSA can forward notices to organizations, but also develop a standardized e-mail that team members can distribute to contacts that are made in other organizations.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - December 2017

Lead: Paul Tranchell

The Consortium is progressing towards initial collaborations with other professional organization. Members are contacting their primary partnering organizations and developing relationships. The quality of the initial contacts varies and team members are making progress. The following specific progress has been made.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)--Esmeralda L. Meyer
Esmeralda has successfully connected with AAALAC and is coordinating a joint journal publication on animal safety. The materials will be published in ABSA International's Applied Biosafety as well as the ILAR journal. A call for authors has gone out and they are anticipating publishing the journals in 2018.

American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)--Paul Tranchell
Paul attended the Environmental Biosafety Committee meeting at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition. There was strong agreement with the concept of collaboration and a plan to submit presentations for two roundtables at the 2018 AIHCe. Unfortunately, they were unable to complete the process within the 2018 submission. Paul will continue to follow-up for a future date.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)--Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe
Marian continues to make excellent progress with the APHL. Marian attended an APHL Partners Meeting in September. ABSA International sponsored a Special Interest Group Meeting in Albuquerque at the ABSA Conference. Deb Sharpe, Bill Homovec, and Marian spoke briefly on what ABSA International can offer public health and clinical labs (training, credentials, accreditation, affiliate meetings for CE, listserv, etc.). There were 20 or so attendees there.

Select Agent Task Force - February 2017

Legislative Affairs Committee - February 2017

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee - February 2017

Public Relations Committee - February 2017

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - February 2017

Public Relations Committee - October 2016

Chair: Rebecca Moritz and Joshua Turse

The Public Relations Committee worked with SME's Kelly Tyrell, University of Wisconsin Madison, and Jim Newman, KGB Texas Communications, to develop the course titled Media and Public Relations for Biosafety Professionals. This course was offered during the ABSA Conference.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Eric Steelman and Yolanda Arriaga

The Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) frequently reviews technical and regulatory documents and determines which documents need a deeper review and comment by the committee. In some cases, a technical review is determined to not be warranted based on further analysis or if other ABSA groups are involved.

The TRR did not submit specific comments during the last round of requests for input, but encouraged ABSA members to submit comments for issues they felt important.

Recently, the EPA requested comments in their efforts to ensure proper recordkeeping and training of personnel in institutions working with agents of dual-use concern. The TRR contacted the EPA and were given permission to view the checklist and other criteria that will be used to for the audit. The information that was provided can be found on the Federal Register website, as well as what is provided on the Federal Docket website. We did not submit comments as the forms and questions were found on common assessment forms.

The TRR has reviewed a proposal from the NIH regarding human stem cell research. The modification will impact sections IV and V of the NIH Guidelines. https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/08/05/2016-18601/request-for-public-comment-on-the-proposed-changes-to-the-nih-guidelines-for-human-stem-cell.

Legislative Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Debra Sharpe and Meghan Seltzer

The Legislative Committee's (LC) primary focus has been to streamline and oversee ABSA International's new legislative monitoring program, provided through the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Government Affairs Office. Since the last update, the committee has reviewed 130 state legislative bills. To date, 4 state bills have been identified as having a potential impact on biosafety programs and were referred to local affiliates for further review and action.

The LC has also been working to identify ways to engage our local legislative representatives and invite them into our organizations to introduce them to what we do. The LC is also working to identify new mechanisms to engage and educate federal policymakers. The goal of both initiatives is to forge relationships, awareness, and improve the chances that they will reach out to ABSA International members when relevant policy issues or incidents arise.

The committee welcomes 2 new members (Torsten Hopp from University of Louisville and Brian J. O'Shea from Battelle).

Exhibitors Committee - January 2024

Chair: William Peters

The 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference was held from October 13-18, 2023, in Omaha, Nebraska. We had 52 companies exhibiting and 8 sponsors—4 Bronze, 2 Silver, 1 Gold, and 1 Platinum. Onsite exhibit booths were open during the 3-day conference for participants to access and interact with booth personnel.

We look forward to the 67th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference from November 1-6, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions about exhibiting/sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

2024 Local Arrangements Committee—Phoenix - January 2024

Chair: Sepideh Hockley

The 2024 Local Arrangements Committee for Phoenix has picked up where it left off with plans originally intended for the 2020 Phoenix conference. The conference will be held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa and is within walking distance of Desert Ridge Mall bars, restaurants, and shopping. The banquet will be at the beautiful Desert Foothills and promises a truly western experience surrounded by Saguaro cactus, outdoor firepits, and a variety of fun activities! We are working on selecting the presenter gifts and attendee gifts with an Arizona flair. We will have more information for you in the coming months.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - January 2024

Co-Chairs: Geoff Phillips and Ray Scheetz

PCC has completed the review of the Preconference Committee comments regarding the 2023 Omaha professional development courses. Logistic considerations for 2024 will include streamlining the course sign-in process, location of instructor tables, and the membership notification regarding the proper electronic devices and plugs used at the conference.

The PCC continues to have dedicated volunteers completing the course reviews and facilitating all the professional development courses at the ABSA conference.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - January 2024

Chair: AJ Troiano
Co-Chairs: Colleen Kovacsics and Susan Vleck

The Scientific Program Committee welcomed new members to the committee as we reflected on the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Omaha, Nebraska last October. Working diligently through the conference survey feedback, the responses were overwhelmingly positive with some poignant recommendations for improvement moving into the 67th Annual Conference this year. Notably, we are making significant process improvements to the abstract submission website in collaboration with OASIS to ensure expectations are clear, the submission portal is more user friendly, and the review process is as transparent as possible for the ABSA community. In addition to this, the SPC is looking into how to streamline the various conference applications used for streaming and Q&A, providing more up-front instruction on how the technology works and ensuring a smoother conference experience for both in-person and virtual attendees. Lastly, we are exploring bringing back dual track presentations if abstract submission numbers allow it. The SPC is soliciting keynotes for the 2024 conference and welcomes all suggestions for potential topics and/or speakers from our biosafety community. Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2023 conference and provided feedback for the SPC, we are already looking forward to November!

Exhibitors Committee - September 2023

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be held October 15-17, 2023, at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. ABSA International encourages your company to participate by exhibiting their products and services and/or sponsoring an event. We have 47 exhibitors and 8 sponsors—4 Bronze, 2 Silver, 1 Gold and 1 Platinum. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you would like further information, please e-mail Karen Savage at karen@absaoffice.org.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2023

Chairs: AJ Troiano and Colleen Kovacsics

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) is pleased to share that the agenda for the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference in Omaha, Nebraska is now on the conference website! While this is normally completed by the beginning of the summer, this year we were challenged with nearly triple the abstract submissions from the previous conference cycle. In addition, the quality of the abstract submissions was exceptional. As such, the SPC worked diligently to review abstracts in the most objective and transparent manner possible, which required the entire committee’s participation as so many submissions fell above the typical acceptance threshold. In essence, we as a committee were forced to “raise the bar” for this cycle as we had enough qualified abstracts to fit four days’ worth of platform talks for a 3-day conference. While delighted to see ABSA community come back strong this year, the SPC will work with ABSA stakeholders to address this challenge going forward and welcome feedback from the community on how to evolve the SPC and better serve our biosafety and biosecurity community. We look forward to seeing everyone in Omaha in October!

2023 Omaha Local Arrangements Committee - September 2023

Chair: Matt Anderson

The Local Arrangements Committee for Omaha 2023 has been finalizing arrangements for the Conference and we cannot wait to welcome you to Omaha and share all that the city and surrounding area has to offer! The conference hotels and conventions center are located in the up and coming North Downtown neighborhood and there are many bars and restaurants within walking distance of the convention center. The Tuesday night reception will be held at the historic Durham Museum in downtown Omaha, and we have some fun activities planned for the night including a photobooth, scavenger hunt with prizes, and a DJ for those that like to dance or just listen to music. We have also selected a local vendor for the attendee gifts and have worked with a local woodcrafter to create a truly unique gift for our speakers and presenters! We have partnered with the Omaha Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to set up a website with links to everything the city has to offer, from restaurants, bars, to attractions and entertainment. There are even special offers available just for conference attendees with the special links on the page including discounts at local breweries! https://www.visitomaha.com/absa/

A couple of attractions to not miss while you are in town are:

1. The #1 zoo in the U.S., the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, boasts the world’s largest indoor desert, largest indoor rainforest in America, and 28-acre African Grasslands Exhibit.
2. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge spans the Missouri river near the convention center and allows you to stand in both Nebraska and Iowa at the same time!

3.  The Kiewit Luminarium (https://kiewitluminarium.org/) The Luminarium is an 82,000 sq. ft. science center that is filled with interactive exhibits and just opened in April 2023.

Exhibitors Committee - June 2023

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be held October 15-17, 2023, at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. ABSA International encourages your company to participate by exhibiting their products and services and/or sponsoring an event. We have twenty-two exhibitors and six sponsors—Advarra (Platinum); Miltenyi Biotec (Gold); BioSAFE Engineering (Silver); Labconco Corporation (Silver), NuAire (Bronze), Sitero (Bronze) as of the time of this writing. If you would like further information, please e-mail Karen Savage at karen@absaoffice.org.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - June 2023

Chairs: AJ Troiano, Daniel Eisenman, and Colleen Kovacsics

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) over the last several months has been well under way planning for the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference come October in Omaha, Nebraska. Working with the support of the Local Arrangements Committee, the SPC pooled together a list of nearly a dozen potential keynote speakers, with a mixture of pedigrees, biosafety, and biosecurity focus areas, across both the public and private sectors. Moreover, we are exploring some new ideas for panel discussions and potentially adding additional keynote speakers across the program. It is always a challenge year after year to ensure we perform our due diligence as a committee to both solicit keynote speakers as well as select topic areas that are stimulating, current, and provide a fresh direction from previous conferences to keep the community engaged. While it is still early, we are very excited to see the keynote selection at this point and look forward to bringing a worthwhile scientific program to the annual conference. As the abstract submission process has closed and the SPC members complete the review process for both platform and poster presentations, the SPC is thrilled to share that the ABSA community came back strong this year and provided us with over double the submissions from last year. While this does make the SPC’s review process more challenging, it helps us ensure we provide the highest caliber talks and scientific agenda for the community we serve.

We are looking forward to finalizing the agenda over the next 2 months and are eager to see another worthwhile ABSA Conference come Fall 2023!

2023 Omaha Local Arrangements Committee - June 2023

Chair: Matt Anderson

The Local Arrangements Committee for Omaha 2023 has been working hard for the past year to make the ABSA Conference in Omaha a great experience! The Tuesday night banquet will be held at the historic Durham Museum in downtown Omaha, and we have some fun activities planned for the night including a photobooth, scavenger hunt with prizes, and a DJ for those that like to dance or just listen to music. We have also selected a local vendor for the attendee gifts and have worked with a local woodcrafter to create a truly unique gift for our speakers and presenters! We cannot wait to see you in Omaha in October and experience all the Omaha metro area has to offer.

The Durham Museum is Omaha’s home to history! Housed in Omaha’s former Union Station, it is the region’s premier hands-on history museum and a National Historic Landmark. Climb aboard passenger trains from the 1940’s and 50’s and enjoy an array of permanent exhibits including 1940’s storefronts, HO Model trains and numerous artifacts showing the history of the region. Opened in 1931, Union Station was built by Union Pacific Railroad as the showpiece to the city of its headquarters. Considered one of Omaha’s most unique treasures, the station is one of the best examples of art deco architecture in the country. The Durham Museum is located just one block south of Omaha’s Historic Old Market at 801 South 10th Street.

Exhibitors Committee - January 2023

Chair: William Peters

The 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference was held from October 14-19, 2022, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We had 52 companies exhibiting and six sponsors—2 Bronze, 3 Silver, and 1 Platinum. Onsite exhibit booths were welcomed back and open during the 3-day conference for participants to access and interact booth personnel.

We look forward to the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference from October 13-18 in Omaha, Nebraska. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions about exhibiting/sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - January 2023

Chairs: AJ Troiano, Daniel Eisenman and Colleen Kovacsics

With the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference in the books, the SPC thoroughly evaluated the conference feedback both through the conference application (Slido) as well as the ABSA survey. It is through these comments, concerns, and general evaluations that the SPC works to continuously improve the conference agenda both in content and format. Overall, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with high marks received on both keynote addresses and the caliber of platform talks. That said, we know there are improvements to be made to roundtable discussions, moderating, and engagement of our international members. We simply cannot allow the pandemic to exclude our international community with the advances in technology that can bring us all together at the click of a button.

As we move forward into 2023, we have begun brainstorming keynote speakers for next year and are looking at functional improvements to the platforms in its hybrid format. Since this was the first time using Slido, there was a steep learning curve and a lot to sort out in a short amount of time. Even with those challenges, we saw a marked increase in engagement from the audience from both in-person and virtual attendees and had the capability to answer more questions in a shorter amount of time. Reducing the roundtables from 90 minutes to 60 minutes as well as providing speaker biographies and moderator training across all platform talks is actively being considered for 2023 as well. If members ever have additional feedback, they are welcome to reach out to SPC chairs and share their ideas!

Those of you that expressed interest in joining SPC, we will be evaluating our membership in early 2023 and reaching out to individuals to join. Thank you everyone for another successful conference and let us keep the momentum going for the 66th!

Exhibitors Committee - September 2022

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be open on Sunday, October 16 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 18 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, WI. There are currently 43 exhibiting companies and 6 sponsors—2 Bronze, 3 Silver, and 1 Platinum. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you would further information, please e-mail Karen Savage (Karen@absaoffice.org) at the ABSA International office.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - September 2022

Chair: Kalpana Rengarajan
Co-Chairs: Danielle Daniely, Geoffrey Phillips, and Ray Scheetz

The PCC will be offering 15 courses in-person at the Annual Conference and five virtual courses with one of the courses occurring in February of 2023. Virtual course offerings start in September. If the membership has any questions or suggestions regarding PCC, please contact Kari or Colleen at education@absa.org or the Chair/Co-Chairs. Looking forward to seeing you all at the conference in Milwaukee, WI.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2022

Chairs: AJ Troiano, Cristine Lawson, and Daniel Eisenman

The SPC has worked diligently the past few months reviewing poster and platform abstracts for the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference and finalizing the program. This conference cycle, we saw abstract submissions decrease to less than 50% of pre-pandemic years, creating one of our greatest challenges to date. In addition to our keynote and platform speakers, based on the positive feedback from the panel discussions last year the SPC is including three different interactive roundtable discussions centered on various areas of biosafety and biosecurity. While this year the conference will be a hybrid format, the SPC is committed to ensuring a collaborative, engaging, and diverse Agenda.

Additionally, we encourage all conference attendees to fill out ABSA’s conference survey as this helps the SPC continuously improve the Scientific Program. Following the conference, those individuals who have expressed interest in joining will be reviewed by the committee chairs. We look forward to seeing everyone in-person in Milwaukee, WI (and will be sure to say hello to those colleagues attending remotely) in October.

Exhibitors Committee - June 2022

Chair: William Peters

The 2nd Biosecurity Hybrid Symposium was held from May 3-6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Exhibits were in-person for the first time since November 2019. We had six exhibitors and one sponsor.

Exhibits at the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be open on Sunday, October 16 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 18 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of the end of May, we have 26 companies exhibiting and 5 sponsors—4 Silver and 1 Platinum. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you would further information, please e-mail Karen Savage at the ABSA International office (karen@absaoffice.org).

Local Arrangements Committee - June 2022

Chair: Danielle Rintala

The Local Arrangements Committee is eager to welcome everyone to Milwaukee, Wisconsin this October for the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference. Milwaukee is a beautiful city with lots to see and do, teeming with restaurants, local shops, and breweries serving up Wisconsin's finest food and drink. Milwaukee is located on the southern Lake Michigan shoreline. Known as the “gathering place by the waters,” the “good earth” (or good land), or simply the “gathering place,” Indigenous groups such as the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, Odawa (Ottawa), Fox, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sauk, and Oneida have all called Milwaukee their home at some point in the last three centuries. The Potawatomi pronounced it Mahn-ah-wauk, meaning council ground. Amongst our Milwaukee metro, we celebrate a diverse population rich in culture and history. Milwaukee is a great Midwest city. We are excited to announce that the Conference Banquet Dinner will be held at the historic Milwaukee Public Museum. So, pack light, because you will want to leave room for souvenirs!

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - June 2022

Chairs: AJ Troiano, Cristine Lawson, and Daniel Eisenman

The 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference is scheduled from October 14-19 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over the last several months, the SPC has thoroughly reviewed the feedback from the previous conference and held several meetings discussing potential subject matter areas for the scientific program. The SPC has worked diligently to solicit platform and poster abstracts for the May 3, 2022, deadline, as well as review potential keynote speakers from a pool of candidates generated by both the SPC and from last year’s conference survey suggestions. This year has presented significant challenges navigating the third year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and moving the conference from an online to hybrid format. Special emphasis has been placed on representing our international biosafety community and those who are participating remotely, ensuring onsite participation and speakers, as well as ensuring diversity among speakers and topics. We look forward to finalizing the conference agenda with dynamic, stimulating, and diversified topics that will encourage strong participation in this hybrid format.

Exhibitors Advisory Committee - January 2022

Chair: William Peters

The 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference was held from October 25-27, 2021. Virtual exhibit booths were open and accessible anytime during the 3-day conference for participants to access and interact. We had twenty-three virtual exhibitors and 10 sponsors (1 Platinum, 7 Silver, and 2 Bronze). For those who attended the 2021 virtual conference, please recall it is available on demand—with exhibit booths available to view—until September 2022 at https://www.labroots.com/ms/virtual-event/64th-annual-biosafety-biosecurity-conference.

We look forward to the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference from October 14-19, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions or concerns about exhibiting/sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage at the ABSA International Office (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - January 2022

Chairs: Claudia Gentry-Weeks, AJ Troiano, and Cristine Lawson

The 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference was held virtually from October 25-27. There were 17 oral presentations with 4 invited speakers and 3 roundtable sessions, 23 poster presentations, 2 networking sessions and virtual exhibitions. The presentations were designed to encourage participation in the conference and focused on discussions between presenters and participants. We were fortunate to have internationally renowned speakers that discussed various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including SARS-CoV-2 virus variants, vaccines, containment, and persistence. The program was balanced with informative, stimulating discussions on inactivation and decontamination, biorisk program management, high-containment, gene therapy and genetically modified microorganisms, regulations and emerging topics, behavior and biosafety, and agricultural biosafety topics. The Poliovirus Containment Roundtable provided an update on the Global Action Plan III, while the Biosafety Culture and Business Continuity Roundtables provided insights on building/maintaining a positive environment and addressed the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The conference program reflected the dedication and resilience of the biosafety community and their ability and willingness to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with innovative approaches.

Exhibitors Committee - October 2021

Chair: William Peters

The 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference will be from October 25-27, 2021. Virtual exhibits at the conference will be open and accessible anytime through the conference for participants to access and interact with your virtual booth icons that are linked to pictures, brochures, and videos along with a live chat function, if desired. We encourage you to participate in the virtual event by exhibiting your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions or concerns about exhibiting, please contact Karen Savage at the ABSA International office (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - October 2021

Chairs: Claudia Gentry-Weeks, AJ Troiano, Cristine Lawson, and Jessica McCormick-Ell

The Scientific Program Committee has invited speakers and selected both platform, poster, and roundtable presentations for the upcoming 2021 Virtual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. The program has been finalized and can be found on the conference website at absaconference.org. We look forward to an engaging and enlightening virtual conference.

Exhibitors Committee - July 2021

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference will be open on Sunday, October 24 from 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, October 25 and Tuesday, October 26 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. To date, we have 33 companies exhibiting in 35 booths along with 1 Platinum Sponsor, 3 Silver Sponsors, and 1 Bronze Sponsor. These exhibitors will be accessible for participants to view their products and hear about their services. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions about exhibit opportunities, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) at the ABSA Office.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - July 2021

Chairs: Claudia Gentry-Weeks, AJ Troiano, Cristine Lawson, and Jessica McCormick-Ell

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) has completed reviewing submitted abstracts and has recruited the keynote speakers for the upcoming 2021 Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Seventy-seven abstracts were received for consideration. Notifications to speakers were sent out towards end of June. We look forward to stimulating talks and discussion at the ABSA Conference in Raleigh in October.

Exhibitors Committee - January 2021

Chair: William Peters

The 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference was held November 4-6, 2020. There were 22 virtual exhibitors accessible throughout the conference for participants to gain exhibitor information. There were 3 Silver sponsors and 1 Bronze sponsor. Conference participants’ response to the virtual exhibits was excellent and it was a learning experience for all. We encourage you to participate in future exhibit opportunities or sponsorships, such as the USDA ARS Symposium in February and/or the 1st Biosecurity Virtual Symposium in April, to showcase your company’s products and services. If you have any questions about future exhibit opportunities, please contact the ABSA International office.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - January 2021

Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) hopes all attendees enjoyed the virtual conference. It was a new platform, but we heard that attendees enjoyed the engaging question and answer sessions and the networking rooms at the end of the day. Our thanks to all of you for attending and making this a successful virtual conference. Planning for 2021 will be getting underway soon and we will be reviewing the survey comments as part of this effort. More to come as we finalize speakers and plans. Hope to see you in person in Raleigh in 2021.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - January 2021

Chair: Scott Alderman

The LAC has been busy planning for the 2021 ABSA Conference in Raleigh, NC. The banquet will be held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences which is a short walk from the convention center. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in person for a great conference.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - September 2020

Chair: Shelley Jones

The Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) is disappointed that we will not be welcoming you to the Phoenix for the 2020 Conference; the good news is we are way ahead of schedule for planning the 2024 Conference. Our focus for preparing for this year's conference has shifted and the only remaining task is selecting a speaker gift that can be shipped to our distinguished speakers. We are looking forward to seeing everybody at ABSA's Virtual Conference!

Exhibitors Committee - September 2020

Chair: William Peters

The 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference will be from November 4-6, 2020. Virtual exhibits at the conference will be open and accessible anytime through the conference for participants to access and interact with your virtual booth icons that are linked to pictures, brochures, and videos along with a live chat function, if desired. We encourage you to participate in this new virtual event by exhibiting your company's products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions or concerns about exhibiting, please contact Karen Savage at the ABSA International office (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2020

Chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) has finalized the abstracts that are accepted for platform and poster presentations. We are pivoting and working with the office staff to ensure the use of the virtual platform will provide a great conference experience. The invited speakers have confirmed their availability for virtual presentations. The SPC will be meeting to discuss logistics and additional planning for the virtual conference. The platform will allow for questions and answer sessions and will be available for viewing as recordings if you cannot attend the "live" session. We look forward to the remainder of our planning and for a successful and informative conference.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - June 2020

Chair: Shelley Jones

The Local Arrangements Committee and ABSA Office have been finalizing details for the banquet at Desert Foothills on Wednesday, November 4, 2020. We have also been continuing to explore ideas for speaker and attendee gifts.

Exhibitors Committee - June 2020

Chair: William Peters

The 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona will begin Sunday, November 1, 2020 to Thursday, November 5, 2020. Exhibits at the conference will be open on Monday, November 2 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Tuesday, November 3 and Wednesday, November 4 from 9:00-4:00 pm. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company's products and services and/or sponsoring an event. ABSA International will make special exceptions for exhibitors if there are challenges for them to exhibit at the conference due to COVID-19. If you have any questions or concerns about exhibiting, please contact the ABSA Office for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - June 2020

Chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell
Claudia Gentry-Weeks, AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee is currently reviewing submitted abstracts for the upcoming 2020 Conference in Phoenix, AZ. This year 93 submissions were received for consideration. Notifications to speakers will go out in mid-June. Additionally, Council has approved the keynote speakers for conference. We look forward to seeing everyone in Phoenix in November.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - February 2020

Chair: Shelley Jones

The Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) is excited to welcome you to Phoenix, Arizona, October 31 - November 5, 2020 for the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. Our venue is the fabulous JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort. The LAC and ABSA Office have identified Desert Foothills as an impressive high desert, interactive setting for our banquet, which will be on Wednesday, November 4, 2020. The committee has also been brainstorming ideas for the speaker and attendee gifts, sent local speaker suggestions to the Scientific Program Committee to highlight cutting-edge research happening in Arizona, and identifying local vendor partners to join in the exhibit hall. Considering the beautiful location, amazing venue, superb Scientific Program, educational professional development courses, and the vendors showcasing the latest in biosafety tools and technology-you won't want to miss this year's conference!

Exhibitors Committee - February 2020

Chair: William Peters

The 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona is beginning one day later than usual-Saturday, October 31 to Thursday, November 5, 2020. Exhibits at the conference will be open on Monday, November 2 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Tuesday, November 3 and Wednesday, November 4 from 9:00-4:00 pm. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company's products and services and/or sponsoring an event.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - February 2020

Chair: Jessica McCormick-Ell
Co-chairs: Claudia Gentry-Weeks and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) is well underway at planning the 2020 conference. Thank you to all of you who attended and helped to make the 2019 conference a success! The SPC has reviewed the conference survey and is currently discussing keynote speakers and sending names to Council for approval. We are also discussing several new ideas to incorporate into conference this year. Many thanks to all who provided helpful feedback in the survey, and to the SPC members and ABSA International office staff for all they do to make the conferences run smoothly every year.

The Call for Platform/Papers Submission site is open.  The deadline is April 1, 2020. abstractsonline.com

Exhibitors Committee - September 2019

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 62nd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference will be open on Sunday, November 17 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, November 18 and Tuesday, November 19 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama. We have 48 companies exhibiting in 50 booths along with 10 sponsors-4 Silver and 6 Bronze. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company's products and services and/or sponsoring an event.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Heather Blair and Antony Schwartz

The co-chairs have assigned at least one facilitator to each Professional Development Course. The facilitator(s) will be reviewing the course materials to ensure the material is consistent with the ABSA International professional development standards and level indicated for the course.  To view the list and descriptions of courses being offered at the ABSA Conference please visit https://absaconference.org/program/ 

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The SPC has finalized the scientific program agenda for the 2019 ABSA Conference in Birmingham, AL. We look forward to all of the presentations and networking with colleagues. We will begin reviewing and selecting keynote speakers for the 2020 ABSA Conference in the early fall. If you have suggestions for keynote speakers for the next conference, please send your suggestions in email to the co-chairs. We thank all the members of the SPC for their time and commitment in reviewing abstracts to ensure a robust program for all attendees. Looking forward to seeing you in Birmingham!

Exhibitors Committee - April 2019

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 62nd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference will be open on Sunday, November 17 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, November 18 and Tuesday, November 19 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee is in full swing planning for the 2019 Conference in Birmingham. The SPC will begin reviewing abstract submissions in April, and we are hoping to have many submissions for consideration. This year we have more room for poster presentations, and can allow our poster presenters to hang their posters on Sunday. The SPC hopes this will provide more time and opportunity to view the posters and work from our colleagues. Keynote speaker suggestions have been submitted to Council for consideration and we look forward to finalizing those speakers.

Exhibitors Committee - December 2018

The Exhibit Hall will be open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Monday and Tuesday. The Opening Reception will be in the Exhibit Hall from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - December 2018

Co-chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee has started to prepare for the 2019 conference. We are reviewing the survey results and discussing proposed keynote speakers. Our monthly conference calls will be starting in December to plan the next conference program. We welcome additional suggestions for keynote speakers, which should be sent to Jessica McCormick-Ell, Chair of SPC at jessica.mccormickell@rutgers.edu. The submissions site will be opening in January and we encourage ABSA International members to submit abstract proposals for platform and poster presentations.

Local Arrangement Committee (LAC) - September 2018

Co-chairs: Sylvie Blondell and Shelley Jones

The USS Yorktown aircraft carrier has been selected as the banquet venue and the LAC is reaching-out to potential local bands for entertainment. The LAC is actively investigating ideas for the conference speakers' and attendees' gifts. Shuttle service has been secured between the Charleston Convention Center and downtown Charleston on Friday, Saturday, and Monday evenings for attendees who wish to discover Charleston's nightlife. Hotel and shuttle information are posted on the conference website at https://absaconference.org/travel.

A visitor's guide to Charleston has been generated and posted on the conference website at https://absaconference.org/travel/. The banquet entertainment and the speaker and attendee gifts for the 2018 conference have been selected and sent to the ABSA International office for finalization.

Exhibitors Committee - September 2018

Chair: Brandon Rosendahl

Due to the hotels providing free breakfasts, which will impact attendee presence in the Exhibit Hall prior to lectures, the exhibition hours will differ this year from previous conferences. The Exhibit Hall will be open from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm on Monday and Tuesday. This year's Opening Reception will be in the Exhibit Hall from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, which is extended by 30 minutes due to the later start times on Monday and Tuesday.

Scientific Program Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Betsy Matos, Jessica McCormick-Ell, and Claudia Gentry-Weeks

The Scientific Program Committee is looking forward to the 19 platform sessions addressing many aspects of biological safety and biosecurity. Our four keynote speakers will address global issues in our discipline as well as basic science challenges. We have more than 10 countries represented in our platform and poster presentations. We look forward to the exchange of ideas and experiences.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - May 2018

Co-chairs: Betsy Matos, Jessica McCormick-Ell, and Claudia Gentry-Weeks

The Scientific Program Committee has selected the 4 keynote speakers: Dr. Fischer (Topic: Public health issues and challenges), Dr. Palmer (Topic: Implication of biosecurity on biotechnology), Dr. Turner (Topic: Host-microbe interactions and phage therapy), and Dr. Venkateswaran (Topic: Microbial observatory). Over 100 abstracts have been received, which are being reviewed by the committee. Decisions regarding selected abstracts for platform or poster presentations have been made. Based on the number of abstracts received for each of this year proposed topic areas (e.g., emergency responses, public health, synthetic biology, behavior/enhancing compliance, etc.) the committee will generate the meeting agenda.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - May 2018

Exhibitors Committee - May 2018

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - December 2017

Co-chairs: Betsy Matos, Jessica McCormick-Ell, and Claudia Gentry-Weeks

The SPC reviewed the conference survey and discussed such during a conference call this month. SPC is accepting suggestions for the four Keynote Speakers for 2018 ABSA International Conference.

Submissions of abstracts for platform and poster presentations will begin in January 2018 until March 2018.

ABSA 2017 Conference Presentations and Recordings Now Available!

ABSA International would like to thank all of our volunteers, members, and colleagues for another successful conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For those of you who could not make it to the conference, the presentations and recordings are available at https://absaconference.org/program/. The presentations are free, but there is a fee for the recordings. Please e-mail info@absa.org if you have any questions or need assistance.

ABSA International's NEW Promotional Video

Thanks to the Public Relations Committee, ABSA has just finished production of a new promotional video. The video can be found at http://www.absa.org and on ABSA International's YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/xAQPZxMvqRY. Feel free to share the video, use it in presentations, or link to it from your websites.

Scientific Program Committee - February 2017

Local Arrangements Committee - February 2017

Exhibitors Committee - February 2017

Exhibitors Advisory Committee - October 2016

Chair: Brandon Rosendahl

ABSA International would like to thank all of the sponsors and exhibiting companies participating at the the annual conference in Grapevine! We appreciate your support! Go to the following link for a list of sponsors and exhibitors http://absaconference.org/sponsorexhibitor-info/.

Local Arrangements Committee - October 2016

Chair: Patrick Conley

The 2016 Conference Local Arrangement Committee arranged the banquet at the Glass Cactus Night Club. Attendees enjoyed Texas BBQ, line dancing, and casino games in addition to the great sunset views over Lake Grapevine.

Scientific Program Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Darlene Ward and Betsy Matos

This was a crucial time for the Scientific Program Committee (SPC) and we hope you were able to join us at the 59th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. The hard work by the SPC created a great program! New this year-the posters were categorized by scientific and informational criteria to make viewing and judging more streamlined. Many of the presentations are posted on the ABSA website at
and are available to conference attendees. If you were unable to attend or if there was a presentation you would like to see again, several of the presentations are available for purchase through DCP Providers at

BRM Connect Task Force - January 2024

Lead: Maya Nair
Vice Lead: Noman Siddiqi

BRM Connect taskforce met in September, October, and November. Due to the holidays, the December meeting is cancelled.

The members had robust discussions about how a project-based mentoring program could be successfully implemented given the diversity of ABSA members from various locations, institutions, sectors and with different kinds of expertise.

Based on these discussions, a draft implementation plan has been developed with specific functions within each component and submitted to ABSA Council in October 2023. The BRM Connect Task Force is currently working on various functions of the implementation plan. The forms and process are either being newly developed or adapted from the 2020 BRM Connect pilot program. The overall start and stop dates are currently being discussed to ensure alignment with the annual ABSA conference, abstract submission deadlines, and other logistics.

Public Health Outreach Shared Interest Group - January 2024

Lead: Shoolah Escott
Co-Lead: Crystal Fortune

Shoolah Escott, current Public Health Outreach Shared Interest Group (SIG) Co-Lead, has agreed to take over as the Lead and Crystal Fortune has agreed to become the Co-Lead. Shoolah presented the SIG’s poster titled “Public Health Laboratory Construction & Renovation Helpful Tips” at the Northeast Association for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Annual Meeting in September and it was also posted at the ABSA Registration desk during the ABSA Conference. The poster generated a lot of interest. The SIG is still compiling a list of construction and renovation references and resources, including ABSA and APHL sources and public resources. As a follow-up on lab construction, the SIG is co-sponsoring two webinars with APHL. The first is scheduled for January 18, and will cover construction concerns for labs considering renovations. The second will be held in February and discuss special construction concerns such as green issues, mobile labs, ADA, accessibility, and ergonomic considerations. As part of our SIG’s continuing collaboration with the safety committee of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), Channing Sheets (SIG member), Nikki Marlenee (SIG member), and Rob Heckert (Biosafety Consultant), did a presentation on Laboratory References, PPE for BSL-3/ABSL-3, and Carcass Disposal Issues at the AAVLD national meeting. A re-recording of the presentations is planned for this winter and will be proposed to the TT/R committee for posting on the ABSA website. The SIG met in-person at the Omaha meeting on October 16. There were eight attendees in-person and four attendees via Zoom. The SIG and APHL have created a one-page flyer to encourage PH and clinical/diagnostic laboratorians to volunteer as community members of an IBC. The flyer was posted on December 18. The SIG has submitted a proposal for a breakout session at the APHL Annual Meeting on how to use the ABSA LAI Database to prevent future laboratory infections.

BRM Connect Task Force - September 2023

Lead: Maya Nair
Vice Lead: Noman Siddiqi

BRM Connect TF’s model was approved by the Council and in May 2023 the Council appointed BRM Connect TF to develop an implementation plan for the project-based Mentoring. Task Force members were all agreed to continue serve in the same capacity.

BRM Connect TF meeting is in June 2023. The committee completed two meetings (June-July). Members had great discussions and the main components for the execution plan have been laid out (mentor pool, mentee pool, overall mentoring process flow, a dedicated committee to run the sustainable mentoring program).

The major steps involving in BRM Connect mentoring are the following:

Mentor pool selection
Mentor orientation
Mentor, mentee orientation
Project selection
Review the progress
Final presentation leads to publication

Public Health Outreach Shared Interest Group - September 2023

Lead: Marian Downing
Co-Lead: Shoolah Escott

Lisa Wallace (West Virginia Office of Laboratory Services) presented the Public Health Outreach Shared Interest Group’s (SIG) poster titled “Public Health Laboratory Construction & Renovation Helpful Tips” at the APHL Annual Meeting in May. She also did the speed dating session. Both the poster and the speed dating session generated interest. The SIG is still in the process of compiling a list of construction and building renovation references and resources, including ABSA and APHL sources as well as public resources. As a follow-up on lab construction, the SIG is planning to co-sponsor two webinars with APHL. The first will be this fall and will cover construction concerns for labs considering renovations. The second will be held later and discuss special construction concerns such as green issues, mobile labs, the ADA regulations, and noise compliance.

This past June, the SIG and APHL co-sponsored a webinar titled “Biosafety Stories from the Field,” there were over 400 attendees. One of the speakers was Channing Sheets, a member of the SIG. Finally, the SIG is continuing its collaboration with the safety committee of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. They have agreed to include two of our members, Susan Harper, and Nikki Marlenee, on their committee; Nikki and Susan have been invited to attend their next safety committee meeting on October 14, 2023, at the AAVLD Conference. New SIG member Crystal Fortune has received the APHL Thomas E. Maxson Education, Training and Workforce Development Award for outstanding contributions to public health laboratory continuing education and workforce development. The SIG has submitted P&Ps to the Bylaws Committee for review.

Public Health Outreach Shared Interest Group - June 2023

Lead: Marian Downing
Co-Lead: Shoolah Escott

The Public Health Outreach Shared Interest Group (SIG) added the following new members in February: Crystal Fortune (MT PH), Nikki Marlenee (CO State), Susan Harper (NIH), David Hill (NY Wadsworth Center). The recording of the three presentations from the one-hour webinar for the Safety Committee of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians on October 8 was submitted to and accepted by the Training Tools and Resources (TT/R) Committee for posting on the ABSA Training Tools and Resources site. It was posted in February and is titled “Biorisk Management Topics in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Necropsy Suite".

In addition, the SIG submitted a poster abstract titled “Public Health Laboratory Construction & Renovation Helpful Tips” for the upcoming APHL Annual Meeting. It was accepted as a poster and for the speed dating session. Lisa Wallace will present the poster and do the speed dating session. The SIG is also compiling a list of construction and building renovation references and resources, including ABSA and APHL sources as well as public resources. The list is a result of the work on the poster and is planned to be submitted to the TT/R Committee as a resource for the laboratories planning future facility upgrades. 

Public Health Outreach Special Interest Group - January 2023

Lead: Marian Downing
Co-Lead: Shoolah Escott

The Public Health Outreach Special Interest Group provided a 1-hour webinar for the Safety Committee of AAVLD (American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians) on October 8. There were 33 attendees; this presentation was in conjunction with APHL. The presenters were ABSA members Nicole Marlenee, Stephanie Kutz, and Mylissia Smith, entitled “Biorisk Management Topics in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Necropsy Suite.” In addition, the SIG compiled a list of biosafety and biosecurity references for the AAVLD Safety Committee, including ABSA and APHL sources as well as public resources. The SIG is also working on a reference guide for construction and building renovations, since many PH laboratories have received funding for facility upgrades subsequent to the Covid pandemic.

BRM Connect Task Force - January 2023

Lead: Maya Nair

BRM Connect Task Force committee met virtually from June through November. In October, the committee met in-person in conjunction with the ABSA annual conference.

Through monthly discussions, the task force has determined that a mentorship program akin to the BRM Connect pilot program is feasible with appropriate guidance and on-going support from ABSA’s governance structure. To that effect, the task force proposed a conceptual model for an ABSA-wide BRM Connect Program that it believes will create and sustain successful mentoring relationships. The report was reviewed and revised based on the suggestions from the in-person meeting in conjunction with the ABSA Conference. All talk force members reviewed the revisions. The final report was approved by the task force committee and submitted to the ABSA President for consideration.

Education & Curriculum Task Force - January 2023

Co-Leads: Brandy Nelson and Betsy Weirich

The Education and Curriculum Task Force Co-leads (Nelson and Weirich) sent letters to the current membership to determine their level of interest in continuing with the Task Force. Responses indicated that there may be a need for additional members or time commitments from existing members for the ECTF to conduct productive activities moving forward. The ECTF was not able to meet in person at the Milwaukee ABSA International conference in October. Determining the feasibility of establishing collaborations with other ABSA committees and task forces and external organizations (e.g., ASM and APHL) that have also initiated development of biosafety curricula is a current focus of the ECTF.

Public Health Outreach (PHO) Shared Interest Group (SIG) - September 2022

Leads: Marian Downing and Shoolah Escott

Topics have been chosen and speakers are identified for a 1-hour webinar to be presented by the SIG at the AAVLD (American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians) Safety Committee Meeting on October 8 as part of their annual meeting in Minneapolis. A biosafety resource list has been prepared from ABSA/APHL and other sources to accompany the presentation. Michael Marsico (APHL) presented a joint ABSA/APHL poster in May at the APHL meeting: ISO 35001:2019–Is Biorisk Management Important to Your Organization? The APHL-ABSA proposal to Council for a joint effort at mentoring was submitted but is on hold pending the reorganization of the Member Resources Committee, which has absorbed the Mentoring function. There is currently at least one ABSA/Public Health mentoring relationship ongoing. The PHO SIG has started to develop a laboratory design resource. Both this resource and the AAVLD reference list will be submitted to the TT/R Committee for review and posting. PHO SIG is also working with APHL to develop an IBC 1-pager to help increase interest and participation from public health and clinical laboratorians. SIG Co-Chair Shoolah Escott is presenting as part of a team in a preconference course, at the CDC/Eagleson International Symposium on Biosafety in August, entitled: Turning on a Dime, Can Your Biosafety Plan Handle an Emerging Pathogen?

Finally, the PHO SIG is still looking for ways to reach out to the public health and clinical laboratories regarding biorisk management programs.

NextGen SIG - June 2022

Chairs: Christina Tafoya and Luis Alberto Ochoa Carrera

After a hiatus and changes in leadership, new chairs were finalized March 2022. The group is chaired by Christine Tafoya and Louis Alberto Ochoa-Carrera. The group is recruiting members and will be establishing goals and action plans once membership is stabilized.

Public Health Outreach (PHO) Shared Interest Group (SIG) - June 2022

Leads: Marian Downing and Shoolah Escott

In the spirit of the One Health approach, ABSA/APHL is in active discussions with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) Safety Committee about presenting a biorisk management webinar during their meeting at the October AAVLD conference. An APHL-ABSA mentoring proposal for PH and clinical laboratory biosafety officers was sent to Council and is currently on-hold during reorganization of the mentoring process, although one PH and ABSA member mentoring arrangement is ongoing. A poster on the ISO 35001:2019 Biorisk Management standard and its importance to the public health and clinical laboratory is being presented by Michael Marsico (APHL and SIG member) at the 2022 APHL Annual Meeting in May. The SIG and APHL are finalizing a one-page document about IBC community membership to encourage PH and clinical BSOs to volunteer as community members for local IBCs. The SIG continues to look for ways to reach out to public health, clinical laboratories and other professional organizations via presentations and webinars with goals of training, mentoring new biosafety professionals or assisting in developing robust biorisk management programs.

Education and Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) - June 2022

Leads: Brandy Nelson and Chad Austin

The membership of the Education and Curriculum Task Force was joined by Betsy Weirich as Co-Lead. ECTF Co-Leads (Weirich and Nelson) have met regularly since the beginning of 2022 to examine the work of the ECTF to date, align task force goals with other ABSA committees and initiatives, and refine the focus of the task force moving forward. We plan to schedule a meeting of the full ECTF membership in the coming months, and at the ABSA International Conference.

Public Health Outreach (PHO) Shared Interest Group (SIG) - January 2022

Leads: Marian Downing and Shoolah Escott

There was a free joint ABSA/APHL Biosafety Month webinar on November 1, 2021, entitled “Biorisk Management Perspective: Then and Now” which featured Michael Stevenson, Danielle Rintala, and Marian Downing. Discussions are underway with other organizations, such as AAVLD (American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians) regarding outreach in biorisk management. A mentoring pilot for PH and clinical laboratory biosafety officers is being discussed. There is also interest in promoting PH and clinical BSOs as community members for local IBCs. Marian presented a virtual poster at the Ex4OSH 2021 conference in December, entitled “Academic Programs: The Need for Robust Biorisk Management Training.” The SIG has submitted a proposal for the 2022 APHL meeting on the topic of ISO 35001:2019. The TF is still looking for ways to reach out to public health and clinical laboratories via presentations and webinars, mentoring new biosafety professionals, or assisting in developing robust biorisk management programs.

Education and Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) - January 2022

Leads: Brandy Nelson and Chad Austin

Members of the Education and Curriculum Task Force have met regularly over the last quarter. ECTF members presented a discussion forum for ABSA members in September 2021. This forum was well attended by ABSA International members and generated excellent feedback. Member input received during this discussion forum will be used to guide the future direction of the task force.

Public Health Outreach (PHO) Shared Interest Group (SIG) - October 2021

Leads: Marian Downing and Shoolah Escott

The Public Health Outreach (PHO) Special Interest Group put out a call for new members—3 additional members representing PH and clinical interests were chosen. Thanks to all who applied. The SIG is still looking for ways to reach out to Public Health and clinical laboratories via presentations and webinars, mentoring new biosafety professionals, or assisting in developing robust biorisk management programs. There are ways for ABSA members to serve as Ambassadors (and earn Credentialing Maintenance points) by volunteering to mentor, do lab inspections at PH/clinical labs, help review/revise lab SOPs, help with training, etc. Members of the PHO SIG met with stakeholders and reviewed the APHL Comments submitted to OSHA on the Occupational Exposure to COVID-19; Emergency Temporary Standard (submitted August 19, 2021). The draft APHL Clinical Laboratory Biological Exposure Evaluation and Symptom Monitoring Tool were also reviewed. Meetings were held with APHL and ABSA Public Relations members to discuss potential joint ABSA/APHL activities for October National Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. 

Public Relations/Marketing Committee (PR/M) - October 2021

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

October is Biosafety and Biosecurity Month and runs concurrent with the 64th Annual Conference. The theme for 2021 is “Innovation in Biosafety and Biosecurity.” Spotlight articles highlighting how much Biosafety and Biosecurity has evolved over time from the perspective of some of our highly experienced Biosafety and Biosecurity Professionals of the ABSA Community, graphics, and more will be made available on the Biosafety and Biosecurity Month website at absa.org/biosafety-biosecurity-month.

We hope you find these tools valuable in spotlighting Biosafety and Biosecurity at your institution!

Education & Curriculum Task Force - October 2021

Lead: Brandy Nelson

Members of the Education and Curriculum Task Force have met regularly over the last quarter. ECTF members have been working to organize and present a discussion forum with ABSA members. Member input received during this discussion forum will be used to guide the future direction of the task force.

Public Health Outreach (PHO) SIG - July 2021

Leads: Marian Downing and Shoolah Escott

The Public Health Outreach (PHO) Task Force presented a poster at the 2021 APHL virtual meeting, entitled “Biorisk Management Quick Tips and Tools.” ABSA members will participate in a webinar, hosted by APHL, that is planned for July 2021 on the topic of implementation of the ISO 35001:2019 Biorisk Management Standard. The Task Force is still looking for ways to reach out to public health and clinical laboratories via presentations and webinars, mentoring new biosafety professionals, or assisting in developing robust biorisk management programs.

Education Curriculum Task Force - January 2021

Leads: Brandy Nelson and Chad Austin

The Education Curriculum Task Force is looking forward to a new year full of new opportunities and has ambitions to continue their previous work as soon as feasible.

ABSA Ambassadors - January 2021

Chair: Marian Downing

Opportunities for ABSA Ambassadors have been limited again this quarter, as many speaker meetings have been cancelled/postponed. Betsy Gilman Duane and Marian Downing presented a webinar for the Massachusetts Non-Profit Network on October 20 entitled “Covid-19 Safety for Non-Profits,” sponsored by S4NP (Safety for Non-Profits). Barb Owen and Kalpana Rengarajan have represented ABSA for several years on the ISO TC-212 technical committee. After releasing the ISO: 35001 Standard in 11/2019, they are now involved with the Working Group which is addressing the Technical Specification for Biosafety Competency as well as the 35001 Implementation Guidance document.

Public Health Outreach (PHO) Task Force - January 2021

Leads: Marian Downing and Shoolah Escott

The Public Health Outreach (PHO) Task Force presented a poster at the 2020 APHL virtual meeting, titled “Next Stop Biosafety! Engaging all Levels.”

ABSA and APHL presented a joint webinar for October Biosafety/Biosecurity Month: “Navigating and Mitigating Laboratory Risks during COVID-19.” Eric Rouse presented as part of the panel.



The Task Force proposed a joint webinar with APHL to discuss the new ISO 35001:2019 standard “Biorisk management for laboratories and other related organizations.” This webinar is currently under discussion.

The Task Force has volunteered to present on various topics to several regional clinical microbiology groups—they had expressed interest in COVID-19 best practices, disinfection in the laboratory with an emphasis on COVID, risk assessment, how to prepare for an emerging pathogen, etc.

While the initial goal of the Task Force was to increase awareness of ABSA’s learning opportunities for public health and clinical laboratories, the current pandemic has hampered efforts to interact with local clinical laboratory groups and other relevant organizations. ABSA International members are urged to reach out to their local and state public health laboratories or clinical laboratories to see if there is any way they can offer help during this difficult time—most laboratories are swamped with COVID-19 samples and are working to train numerous newly hired employees.

Expanding ABSA’s Influence Task Force (EAI) - January 2021

Leads: Chad Austin and Lolly Gardiner

Members of the Expanding ABSA’s Influence Task Force (EAI) received some helpful feedback on their poster at the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference describing the results of the community needs survey. The Task Force is looking forward to developing a new page on the ABSA website to help biosafety professionals with risk assessments for viral vectors and educational materials on the same topic.

Biosecurity Credentialing Task Force - January 2021

Leads: LouAnn Burnett and Patrick Condreay

The Biosecurity Credential Task Force continues to craft a framework for a Biosecurity credential and hopes to submit a proposal to Council early in 2021.

Biosafety Career Entry and Professional Development Task Force - September 2020

Leads: Meghan Seltzer, Rebecca Moritz, and Sherry Bohn

The Biosafety Career Entry and Professional Development Task Force is working on sharing its findings and recommendations with the relevant committees. In the coming year, members of the Task Force are working on two primary initiatives: developing recommendations to improve credentialing resources on the website and developing resources/content for ABSA International membership on leadership and management principles.

Expanding ABSA’s Influence Task Force - September 2020

Leads: Chad Austin and Lolly Gardiner

Expanding ABSA's Influence Task Force is preparing a poster for presentation at the upcoming 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference that will summarize the results of the community needs survey. We are also pursuing the previously mentioned updates to the ABSA International website to add tools for risk assessment of viral vectors.

Public Health Outreach (PHO) Task Force - September 2020

Leads: Marian Downing and Shoolah Escott

The PHO Task Force submitted an abstract for the 2020 APHL meeting, titled "Next Stop Biosafety! Engaging all Levels." The poster was accepted and will now be part of the virtual APHL 2020 meeting, which will run September 22 - October 15. Shoolah Escott will record a 2-minute presentation which will accompany the virtual poster.

Marian Downing presented a summary of ABSA International's Covid-19 efforts to the APHL Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee and was accepted as a new committee member. Potential joint ABSA and APHL webinars are under discussion.

While the initial goal of the task force was to increase awareness of ABSA's learning opportunities for public health and clinical laboratories, the current pandemic has hampered efforts to interact with local clinical laboratory groups and other relevant organizations. ABSA International members are urged to reach out to their local and state public health laboratories to see if there is any way they can offer help during this difficult time-most laboratories are swamped with COVID-19 samples and are working to train numerous newly hired employees.

Biosecurity Credentialing Task Force - September 2020

Leads: LouAnn Burnett and Patrick Condreay

The Task Force is working to determine the scope and framework of a biosecurity credential based on the RBP credential model.

Education and Curriculum Task Force - September 2020

Leads: Brandy Nelson and Chad Austin

Members of the Education and Curriculum Task Force have been unable to meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They will meet soon to discuss the Task Force activities and next steps.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - June 2020

Leads: Esmeralda Meyer, Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium continues to collate the weekly website updates for the ABSA International SARS-CoV2/COVID-19 toolbox https://absa.org/covid19toolbox/. Since mid-March, the committee has generated 14 documents in the areas of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 disinfection, personal protective equipment, laboratory/research, and shipping. Finalized documents are forwarded to the ABSA Office for formatting and coordinating the upload. The committee is thankful for the contributions of Julie Savage and Brenda Rivera-Alcozer who directly support this endeavor. In addition, the EIDC has revised and updated the document Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples to reflect updated guidelines and availability of new studies with relevant data.

Lastly, the EIDC relies on its members and other experts to review and ensure the accuracy of the documents. The following subject matter experts have been asked to review draft documents: Dr. Nicole Duffy and Gary Borkowski reviewed and commented on the Example risk assessment for using SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory animals, and Dr. Paul Meechan and Shoolah Escott reviewed and commented on the SARS-CoV-2 Sample Type Risk Assessment. Thanks to Richard Le (FSU) for sharing his EHS Laboratory Checklist for Restarting Research Activities and Dr. Diane Fleming for providing her insight on COVID-19 prevention. Recommendations and comments are discussed and resolved by the Committee prior to finalizing the documents.

Below is the list of EIDC-generated documents currently posted in the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Toolbox.

• Disinfection:
  • COVID-19 FAQs for Disinfection (PDF)
• Personal Protective Equipment:
  • COVID-19 FAQs PPE Use (PDF)
  • Differences between cloth face covering, mucosal protection and respiratory protection (PDF)
• Laboratory/Research
  • Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples (PDF)
  • [Spanish] Consideraciones para la Investigación con SARS-CoV-2 (PDF)
  • [French] Considerations for Handling Potential SARS CoV 2 Samples (PDF)
  • SARS-CoV-2 Sample Type Risk Assessment (PDF)
  • Example - Risk Assessment for Work with SARS-CoV-2 in Laboratory Animals (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Continuing at work (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Working from Home (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for employees in the workplace (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Employers Preparing for Workers to Return to the Workplace (PDF)
• Environmental Health & Safety Checklist for Restarting Research Activities (MS Word)
• Packaging and Shipping SARS-CoV-2 Packaging and Shipping Information (PDF)

To support the international biosafety professional, EIDC has worked with the ABSA Office and the International Engagement Committee to make selected documents available in other languages. The infographic Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples was translated to Spanish by Luis Ochoa Carrera. The same document was translated to French by Anne-Sophie Brocard, Sylvie Blondelle, and Nabila Seridi. Both documents are available in the SARS-CoV-2/ COVID-19 toolbox webpage.

Lastly, members of the EIDC and the ABSA Office promote the weekly updates and documents through multiple ABSA Listserve posts and social media including LinkedIn and Twitter. Additional communication strategies include an opening slide promoting the Toolbox during ABSA webinars.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - June 2020

Chairs: Eric Cook, Anne-Sophie Brocard

The International Engagement Committee has been very busy reaching out to various ABSA International members to help with translating the materials in the Covid-19 Toolbox. They have also been gathering links and information from other sites and making it available to the international community. In addition, they are working to analyze the data on a survey that was sent out several months ago, which got responses from 19 countries. They also are working with the Mentoring Committee on a "buddy program" to help match international conference attendees with members who speak the same language, to help with networking and to make people feel more comfortable and welcome in the community.

Expanding ABSA’s Influence (EAI) Task Force - June 2020

Leads: Chad Austin, Lolly Gardiner

The Expanding ABSA's Influence Task Force thanks the ABSA community for responding to the Viral Vectors needs survey and wants to provide a quick update on their progress in developing tools to address the community's needs. The EAI TF has analyzed the survey results and identified simple, practical tools that would address the needs of much of the community. They have been working with the ABSA Office, ABSA Council, and website engineering team to obtain necessary approvals and determine how best to develop and deploy these tools. We hope to have more news in the coming months about these tools so keep an eye out!

Public Health Outreach (PHO) Task Force - June 2020

Leads: Marian Downing, Shoolah Escott

The Public Health Outreach Task Force was created to increase ABSA International's efforts in the development of Biosafety and Biosecurity programs in Public Health and clinical laboratories. Over the last several years, ABSA and Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) have cooperated on Special Interest Group meetings, joint webinars, the APHL Partner's Forum, by presenting posters, precon courses, and roundtables at reciprocal meetings, etc.

The Task Force submitted an abstract for the 2020 APHL meeting in June, titled "Next Stop Biosafety!Engaging all Levels." The poster was accepted but the meeting was cancelled. The Task Force had planned to submit the poster to APHL's ID Lab Con 2020 in August in Atlanta, but this was also cancelled.

The Emerging Infectious Diseases Consortium has produced several papers that are relevant to PH labs, one covering shipping and another referencing laboratory PPE, procedures, and risk assessments. Members of the PHO Task Force have reviewed these papers before they were posted to the ABSA Covid Toolbox. Members of the PHO Task Force have also suggested items to be posted to the Toolbox. These papers have been posted to the PH list serve as well as copied to APHL.

Biosecurity Credentialing Task Force - June 2020

Chairs: LouAnn Burnett, Patrick Condreay

The Biosecurity Credentialing Task Force held its kick-off meeting in March. In the next quarter, the Task Force will be reviewing ABSA and other security industry credentialing processes, determining the scope and framework for the credential, and beginning to develop notional criteria to populate the framework. A finalized framework and criteria are expected to be ready for pilot testing by the end of the year.

Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) - February 2020

Lead: Brandy Nelson
Vice-lead: Chad Austin

The Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) continues to develop ideas and initiatives in support of ECTF goals. ECTF goals center on development of a strategy and resources for academic institutions (and their biosafety professionals) to encourage and implement biosafety education at undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels, development of training and education strategies and implementation methods for teaching labs to help prevent outbreaks, and exploration of resources, information, and biosafety training materials that could facilitate a front door to the profession or a means to expand the knowledge base of the safety generalist into the field of biosafety. Current ECTF initiatives include development of a workshop to be presented at a future ABSA conference, review of available curricular resources for a core list of learning objectives, and review of institutional policies for implementation of new coursework.

Expanding ABSA’s Influence Task Force - February 2020

Lead: Chad Austin
Vice-lead: Lolly Gardiner

In mid-2019, ABSA International's Council authorized the creation of a task force to evaluate and address the needs of the biosafety community regarding viral vector risk assessment. The task force's first challenge-determining whether there is even a demand for such information. Thanks to the 333 respondents to questionnaire the task force sent in November, we have our answer-a resounding yes! The questionnaire results are still being analyzed to determine what will be of greatest benefit to the community, but the need is very clear. Stay tuned over the next few months as the task force determines its next steps.

Public Health Outreach Task Force - February 2020

Lead: Marian Downing
Vice-lead: Shoolah Escott

The Public Health Outreach Task Force was created to increase ABSA International's efforts in the development of Biosafety and Biosecurity programs in Public Health and clinical laboratories. Over the last several years, ABSA and APHL (Association of Public Health Laboratories) have cooperated on Special Interest Group meetings, joint webinars, the APHL Partner's Forum, by presenting posters, professional development courses and roundtables at reciprocal meetings, etc.

One urgent goal of the 9-member task force is to find ways to assist PH laboratory outreach for the biosafety and biosecurity needs of clinical laboratories. The Ebola grant funding has ended, resulting in many PH BSOs leaving or being diverted to other responsibilities due to lack of funding. Clinical laboratories are typically understaffed and, due to the lack of legal or certification requirements, tend to regard Biosafety and Biosecurity as secondary.

The task force has started to identify ways that we can help alleviate the lack of time and funding:

* Identify and advertise training, especially free options, available through ABSA, NETEC, Canadian Public Health, APHL
* Help with training for clinical laboratories via outreach to ABSA Affiliates, regional clinical microbiology groups, etc.
* Identify important PH news items, such as the requirement for compliance with the Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard in CA, and post on the ABSA Listserve and ABSA PH Listserve

The task force has submitted an abstract at 2020 APHL meeting in June, titled "Next Stop Biosafety! Engaging all Levels." It will review ABSA-provided educational opportunities, free or low-cost training links, educational/networking opportunities through ABSA regional affiliates, among others.

Biosafety Career Entry and Professional Development Task Force - February 2020

Lead: Meghan Seltzer
Vice-leads: Sherry Bohn and Rebecca Moritz

The Biosafety Career Entry and Professional Development Task Force was formed to identify and create resources to: promote biosafety as a career; have a clear roadmap of ways to enter the profession and earn a credential; maintain credentials in a cost-effective manner; and develop key leadership and management skills needed as individuals progress in their career. The task force met between the 2018 and 2019 ABSA conferences to discuss these themes and develop recommendations to submit to ABSA Council.

The Task Force developed an extensive list of recommendations related to each area of its charge. Some examples include: engaging with the local community in areas where ABSA hosts its conferences; updating information related to credentialing on ABSA's website; and developing professional development courses/workshops focusing on management and leadership skills.

The report was presented to ABSA Council at the 2019 ABSA conference. The Task Force is currently working on a proposal for ABSA Council to expand upon the initial report and implement some of the recommendations.

Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Brandy Nelson and Chad Austin

The ECTF has continued to meet regularly during the second quarter of 2019 to develop ideas and initiatives in support of ECTF goals. ECTF goals center on development of a strategy and resources for academic institutions (and their biosafety professionals) to encourage and implement biosafety education at undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels, development of training and education strategies and implementation methods for teaching labs to help prevent outbreaks, and exploration of resources, information, and biosafety training materials that could facilitate a front door to the profession or a means to expand the knowledge base of the safety generalist into the field of biosafety. Current ECTF initiatives include development of a workshop for the 2019 ABSA conference, review of available curricular resources for a core list of learning objectives, and review of institutional policies for implementation of new coursework.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - September 2019

Lead: AJ Troiano

The Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force changed leadership as of 2018 with AJ Troiano, PhD, RBP, Scientist II-Life Sciences at Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. taking over for Paul Tranchell. As such, we sought to first reinvigorate our Vision and Strategy:

Vision: Collaborate with appropriate professional organizations in order to create sustainable strategies and expertise for responding to emerging infectious diseases.

Strategy: Identify strengths and roles of each organization as it relates to biological public and occupational health surrounding emerging infectious diseases. Share information to enhance the professional quality and interaction of organizational members.

As of 2018, we had nine action steps in our charter. Throughout the course of last year, we managed to reduce this to six to streamline our efforts:

1. Identify strengths of ABSA in emerging issues as well as areas where we can learn from other organizations.
2. Consortium Members work with current ABSA Liaison designees, ABSA staff, and others to connect with an Alliance Partner's organizational leadership (elevate ABSA within organization).
3. Develop a comprehensive list of presentations that we would like to make available to other organizations. The Consortium will focus on 1- to 1.5-hour presentations. The presentations will be registered with the Credentialing Committee to provide CM points for developers, presenters, and attendees. These can be presented at dinner meetings or as a presentation during one of their symposiums.
4. Identify training opportunities and resources that can be made available to public health institutions and frontline staff in the wake of emerging infectious diseases (example, NETEC)
5. Identify funding sources to support the Speakers Bureau.
6.   Publicize the courses to our Alliance Partners. When one of their groups would like a topic of interest, they contact ABSA to arrange for a presentation.

Currently, we have a core group of alliance partners that have been identified to work with. In order to spread awareness of the EIDC, we began creating promotional material (Marian Downing, lead) in the form of a poster and/or brochures. However, in the wake of the growing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the task force has focused its efforts recently on how to address this public health emergency, applying our collective knowledge of the 2014 epidemic. We will continue to work with our alliance partners and ABSA leadership to address this growing threat, as well as exploring the option of moving this task force to an official ABSA committee to increase our membership and reach a wider audience of professionals.

Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Brandy Nelson and Chad Austin

The Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) has continued to meet regularly during the first quarter of 2019 to develop ideas and initiatives in support of ECTF goals. ECTF goals center on development of a strategy and resources for academic institutions (and their biosafety professionals) to encourage and implement biosafety education at undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels, development of training and education strategies and implementation methods for teaching labs to help prevent outbreaks, and exploration of resources, information, and biosafety training materials that could facilitate a front door to the profession or a means to expand the knowledge base of the safety generalist into the field of biosafety. Chad Austin, University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, has taken on the role of ECTF Co-chair. Current ECTF initiatives include development of a workshop for the 2019 ABSA conference, review of available curricular resources for a core list of learning objectives, and review of institutional policies for implementation of new coursework.

Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 - April 2019

Leads: Barbara Owen and David Gillum

The Biosecurity Task Force completed and submitted a proposal to ABSA regarding the initiation and launching of a biosecurity credential. The proposal outlined (1) how the credential would be defined, (2) criteria needed to evaluate and award the credential, (3) Resources needed to support he credentialing process, and (4) the proposed marketing strategy required to launch the credential. The target audience for a biosecurity credential includes the following: Biosafety and biosecurity professionals, defense contractors, emergency responders, government employees, law enforcement personnel, security personnel, policymakers, regulators, researchers, veterinarians, animal technicians, agricultural personnel, production staff, compliance staff, computational researchers, emergency managers, facility managers, human resources staff, students, public health personnel, IT, and other interested parties. This proposal is the culmination of Biosecurity Taskforce 1.0’s and 2.0’s work and represents approximately 3 years of volunteer work involving over 45 individuals. Both taskforces were comprised of representatives from academia, government and private sector organizations. Working with this cross functional team allowed the taskforce to gain objective alignment and the critical support needed to establish a biosecurity credential. Additionally, the team learned there are significant opportunities to expand ABSAs reach to organizations outside our traditional biosafety network via this biosecurity credential. The taskforce awaits ABSA Council’s review and comments regarding the proposal.

NextGen Shared Interest Group - April 2019

Leads: Caitlyn Hauke and Theresa Marth

The NextGen Shared Interest Group would like to host another event at this year’s ABSA International conference and is currently seeking your suggestions! Please email Caitlyn Hauke (caitlyn.a.hauke@dartmouth.edu) or Theresa Marth (Theresa.Marth@ARS.USDA.GOV) with your ideas for the conference meet up and other future events or activities you would like to see from the NextGen Group. One goal is to have recently certified CBSP-credentialed individuals share their experience with the credentialing process in a webinar format. We are partnering up with the Biosafety Career Entry and Professional Development Task Force for some exciting future endeavors.

The ABSA NextGen Shared Interest Group has established a listserv targeting newer biosafety professionals with less than 5-years of experience in the field. The focus of the group is on getting started with a career in biosafety and preparing for ABSA credentials. Those wishing to join the Listserve may do so by emailing Michelle Gehrke at michelle@absaoffice.org.

Are you interested in brainstorming, planning, and/or executing opportunities for the Next Gen Shared Interest Group? The Next Gen Group is currently looking to expand its leadership team. If you are interested in being an additional Group leader alongside Caitlyn and Theresa, please contact them at Caitlyn.A.Hauke@dartmouth.edu or Theresa.Marth@ARS.USDA.GOV for more information.

Biosafety Career Entry and Professional Development Task Force - April 2019

Leads: Meghan Seltzer and Rebecca Moritz

The Biosafety Career Entry and Professional Development Task Force was formed and held its first meeting. The goals of the task force are to identify and create resources to promote biosafety as a career, have a clear roadmap of ways to enter the profession and earn a credential, maintain credentials in a cost-effective manner, and develop key leadership and management skills needed as individual’s progress in their career. To accomplish its mission, four subcommittees have been formed to address the four key goals of the task force.

Expanding ABSA’s Influence Task Force - April 2019

Leads: Chad Austin and Lolly Gardiner

Wanted! Persons to join the Expanding ABSA's Influence Task Force for a special Council request to develop a template risk assessment form for viral vectors. Experience with molecular virology and risk assessment preferred but not required. Please contact brenda@absaoffice.org to sign up.

Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) - December 2018

Co-chairs: Brandy Nelson and Paul Meechan

The Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) has continued to meet regularly including at the most recent ABSA International conference. A presentation on the work of the ECTF was given on October 16, 2018 at the ABSA International conference in Charleston, South Carolina. Presentations assist in furthering the goal of the ECTF to promote academic biosafety and have resulted in suggestions from the biosafety community on future directions for this initiative. New members have joined the group and new initiatives are being planned.

NextGen Shared Interest Group - December 2018

Co-chairs: Theresa Marth and Caitlyn Hauke

The NextGen Shared Interest Group met at the ABSA International conference in October for a career panel luncheon. Biosafety professionals from government, industry, academia, and consulting shared insights and tips for success in a career in biosafety with members new to the field. There was also a discussion on credentialing and the CBSP examination process.

The NextGen Shared Interest Group is currently seeking suggestions for next year's ABSA International conference meet up. Please e-mail Caitlyn Hauke (caitlyn.a.hauke@dartmouth.edu) or Theresa Marth (Theresa.Marth@ARS.USDA.GOV) with your ideas for the conference meet up and other future events or activities you would like to see from the NextGen Group.

Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 - December 2018

Leads: David Gillum and Barbara Owen

The Biosecurity Task Force and respective subcommittees held multiple teleconferences to establish the path forward and framework for offering a Biosecurity Credential through ABSA International, determine the resources needed to support credentialing (new training, classes, publications, etc.), and define the marketing strategy to launch this new biosecurity credential. To date, key accomplishments since our August update include: 1) documentation of biosecurity related terms and definitions to establish a common vocabulary across the profession/program; and 2) gap assessment of biosecurity related ABSA courses and resources currently available, which was later used to help define the framework for supporting the credentialing process. Key questions have been asked of each of the four subcommittees; these questions are being utilized to develop a proposal for ABSA Council review/approval, which will define the framework for creating, launching, maintaining, and marketing a biosecurity credential. Components for the proposal will define the marketing strategy prior to launching and after establishing the credential, establish criteria needed to evaluate and award a credential, and identify resources needed to evaluate and support a credential and marketing strategy.

Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) - September 2018

Co-chairs: Brandy Nelson and Paul Meechan

ECTF has been meeting regularly during the first half of 2018. Presentations on the activities of the ECTF and academic biosafety have been given at the Southeastern Biosafety Association meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee in May and at the Midwest Area Biosafety Symposium in Manhattan, Kansas in August. A presentation on the work of the ECTF will be given on October 16, 2018 at the ABSA International Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. These presentations assist in furthering the goal of the ECTF to promote academic biosafety and have resulted in suggestions from the biosafety community on future directions for this initiative.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - September 2018

Co-chairs: A. J. Troiano and Susan Weekly

Due to increased job responsibilities, Paul Tranchell is no longer able to provide the time and effort needed to adequately lead this consortium. Paul appreciates the opportunity to lead this important and interesting team. A. J. Troiano, Staff Scientist II-Life Sciences at Environmental Health & Engineering, has agreed to take over the leadership role. Paul Tranchell will remain on the team, building a collaboration with the AIHA. The following progress has been made by the team.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)-Esmeralda L. Meyer continues to make excellent progress in collaboration with this organization. They are progressing toward joint articles in their respective journals this fall. They have also obtained approval for a presentation at the ABSA International conference this October.

American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM)-David M. White is working on determining whether ABSA can provide content for websites and webinars that the College is considering.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)-Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe continue to make good progress in collaborations with the APHL.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine-Betsy Gilman Duane is working with Ed Stygar hoping to connect with their new Executive Director.

Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 - September 2018

Leads: David Gillum and Barbara Owen

The Biosecurity Task Force and respective subcommittees held multiple teleconferences to establish the path forward and framework for offering a biosecurity credential through ABSA International. The task force is looking into resources needed (new training, publications, etc.) and defining the marketing strategy to launch this new biosecurity credential. To date, key accomplishments include: 1) the creation of a Venn diagram poster that compares the biosafety and biosecurity disciplines; and 2) establishing a biosecurity matrix that defines biosecurity program management expectations, roles, and accountabilities. the Venn Diagram Biosecurity Poster clearly defines both biosafety and biosecurity and differentiates each discipline by outlining the considerations for hazard/risk analysis, process analysis, and risk management strategy. The biosecurity matrix identifies core biosecurity program elements as well as roles and accountabilities for each program element. This matrix will be the foundation for establishing the framework and marketing strategy for a biosecurity credential.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - May 2018

Lead: Paul Tranchell

The Consortium is progressing towards initial collaborations with other professional organization. Members are contacting their primary partnering organizations and developing relationships. There is a need for considering a new leader for the consortium. If there is no one from the group that can step-up, we will be asking ABSA leadership for assistance in identifying a fresh face. The following specific progress has been made.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)--Esmeralda L. Meyer
Esmeralda has successfully connected with AAALAC and is coordinating a joint journal publication. Papers have been submitted and publication is anticipated the Fall timeframe. She has also proposed a panel discussion at the ABSA International Conference.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)-- Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe
Marian continues to make excellent progress with the APHL. She is working with the APHL Partners Forum. Efforts include developing a list serve. Also, Marian worked with APHL and ASM to provide a 1-hour webinar that was well attended and well received. She submitted a Letter to the Editors of the ABSA Journal Applied Biosafety promoting volunteering at Public Health Labs, which was published in Volume 23, Number 1, 2018. Marian submitted a proposal for a presentation at the APHL conference. While her presentation was not accepted, a poster presentation was and the poster has been developed by ABSA International. This may be of use in other outreach efforts as well.

American Society of Microbiology (ASM)--Don Callihan
Don has been trying to make inroads with ASM. He is currently pursuing opportunities to partner regarding applying for funding of projects and training. Don is also working with the Global Health Initiative to highlight ABSA's international reach and extend the initiative beyond the US. ABSA can work through national organizations to support a more international process.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine--Betsy Gilman Duane
Betsy indicated that there was strong interest in collaboration; however, the organization's Executive Director changed and interest slowed. Now that the new Executive Director has been in place for a while, Betsy and Ed Stygar are attempting to reconnect and reenergize the collaborations.

American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians--Dave White
Dave has found interest in connecting with the group, but there no substantive actions have been developed. He suggested using the poster developed by Marian as an outreach. The use of the poster was discussed as a more general tool for outreach to other organizations. It was suggested that the poster be made available on ABSA International's website for widespread use. We also discussed cross advertising ABSA webinars. ABSA can forward notices to organizations, but also develop a standardized e-mail that team members can distribute to contacts that are made in other organizations.

Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) - May 2018

Lead: Brandy Nelson

The Education & Curriculum Task Force (ECTF) has been meeting regularly during the first quarter of 2018. ECTF goals center on development of a strategy and resources for academic institutions (and their biosafety professionals) to encourage and implement biosafety education at undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels; development of training and education strategies and implementation methods for teaching labs to help prevent outbreaks; and exploration of resources, information, and biosafety training materials that could facilitate a front door to the profession or a means to expand the knowledge base of the safety generalist into the field of biosafety. Subcommittees of the ECTF have been formed and are focusing on specific action items related to the general goals. The Academic Biosafety Subcommittee developed a survey for ABSA International members to collect data on the current state of biosafety education in the curriculum of academic institutions. The survey was distributed in March 2018. An abstract has been submitted for the 2018 ABSA International Conference to present the survey findings and discuss the work of the ECTF. The ECTF has been in contact with a number of regional ABSA International affiliates and is planning to provide webinars for these groups.

NextGen Shared Interest Group - May 2018

Leads: Caitlyn Hauke and Theresa Marth

The NextGen Shared Interest Group has established a listserve targeting newer biosafety professionals with less than 5 years of experience in the field. The group's focus is getting started with a career in biosafety and preparing for ABSA International credentials. Those wishing to join the listserve, e-mail Michelle Gehrke at michelle@absaoffice.org.

The NextGen Group would like to host a career panel at this year's ABSA International conference. The panel would feature a handful of professionals from different biosafety occupations/backgrounds and focus on the types of biosafety-related jobs available, career pathways, and advice for succeeding in the biosafety profession. The panel would also include a recently CBSP-credentialed individual to share their experience about the credentialing process.

Historical Committee - May 2018

Chair: John Balog

The committee met with USDA National Agricultural Library as the repository of the ABSA Biosafety Archive on April 19 with participants Bob Hawley, Ed Stygar, and John Balog. Agenda items included: deposit publications, manuals, booklets, and miscellaneous documents donated by the estate of Byron Tepper, and potentially other donations; Issues related to financials-what services are provided and the related costs, and curation-what services are provided. We do not anticipate any changes to our relationship with the Ag Library.

Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 - May 2018

Leads: Barbara Owen and David Gillum

The ABSA International Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 has created 4 subcommittees to assist in determining the feasibility, scope, and resources needed for creating a biosecurity credential. These subcommittees include: 1) Defining the Biosecurity Credential, Subcommittee Leads-Jessica McCormick-Ell and Ben Perman; 2) Criteria Needed to Evaluate and Award a Biosecurity Credential, Subcommittee Leads-Ryan Burnette and Benjamin Brodsky; 3) Evaluate the Resources Needed to Support the Credentialing Process, Subcommittee Leads-Meghan Seltzer and Erick Guandique; and 4) Evaluate the Marketing Strategy Required to Launch the Biosecurity Credential, Subcommittee Leads-Rebecca Moritz and Daniel Apple. The subcommittees have been very active, holding multiple teleconference calls to discuss their particular focus area. While there are still discussions regarding what the credential would look like and what the best way to assess biosecurity knowledge would be, there has been significant interest in the formation of a formal biosecurity credential offered by ABSA International.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - December 2017

Lead: Paul Tranchell

The Consortium is progressing towards initial collaborations with other professional organization. Members are contacting their primary partnering organizations and developing relationships. The quality of the initial contacts varies and team members are making progress. The following specific progress has been made.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)--Esmeralda L. Meyer
Esmeralda has successfully connected with AAALAC and is coordinating a joint journal publication on animal safety. The materials will be published in ABSA International's Applied Biosafety as well as the ILAR journal. A call for authors has gone out and they are anticipating publishing the journals in 2018.

American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)--Paul Tranchell
Paul attended the Environmental Biosafety Committee meeting at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition. There was strong agreement with the concept of collaboration and a plan to submit presentations for two roundtables at the 2018 AIHCe. Unfortunately, they were unable to complete the process within the 2018 submission. Paul will continue to follow-up for a future date.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)--Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe
Marian continues to make excellent progress with the APHL. Marian attended an APHL Partners Meeting in September. ABSA International sponsored a Special Interest Group Meeting in Albuquerque at the ABSA Conference. Deb Sharpe, Bill Homovec, and Marian spoke briefly on what ABSA International can offer public health and clinical labs (training, credentials, accreditation, affiliate meetings for CE, listserv, etc.). There were 20 or so attendees there.

Historical Committee - December 2017

Chair: John Balog

There were two historical briefs presented at the 60th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. The first was an overview of the early meetings. The second was a brief summary of the evolution of the profession.

Biosecurity Credential Task Force - December 2017

Leads: Barbara Owen and David Gillum

In the second quarter of 2017, an ABSA International membership survey was created to assess members biosecurity needs. Survey data confirmed members are interested in biosecurity becoming an area of focus across ABSA International's program areas. The survey also supported instituting a biosecurity credential. As a result of the survey findings, ABSA Council has now appointed a second Biosecurity Task Force (2.0) to create a proposed framework for establishing a biosecurity credential. Team objectives are: 1) establish the path forward and framework for offering a Biosecurity Credential through ABSA International; 2) determine the resources needed to support credentialing (new training, classes, publications, etc.); and 3) define the marketing strategy to launch this new biosecurity credential. Target date for completion of deliverables and approval by ABSA Council is September 2018. To date, a cross-section of ABSA members knowledgeable in biosecurity as well as personnel from biosecurity related organizations including the FBI have been appointed as task force members. The team anticipates a kick-off meeting in December.

Select Agent Task Force - February 2017

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - February 2017

Global Health Security Agenda Consortium (GHSAC)-Professional Associations Working Group - October 2016

Chair: Donald Callihan

The Global Health Security Agenda Consortium met on July 6, 2016 at the U.S. Department of State Marshall Center. Don Callihan, Working Group Liaison representing ABSA International attended, along with Ed Stygar, ABSA International Executive Director. ABSA International is the coordinating organization for the Professional Membership Associations Working Group (PAWG).

The mandate of the Professional Associations Working Group is to strengthen global health security by engaging and networking with our professional organization counterparts working in GHSA partner countries and support their efforts as they prepare to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats in their country and region. Participating professional associations will seek to engage our members in opportunities to share their knowledge, skills, and abilities with professional peers across the international community.

Common Values/Goals

• Promote capacity building for professions engaged in implementing Action Packages in GHSA member countries
• Coordinate programs and activities among professional associations in support of GHSA Action Package implementation

Jim Welch, Executive Director of the Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation and Chair of the GHSAC Steering Committee, announced that the GHSAC website is nearing launch.

For more information on GHSA and GHSA Action Packages, visit the GHSA website at https://ghsagenda.org/.