In response to a recent Executive Order on Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research, federal agencies are now required to develop enhanced policies around Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC). As a result, USC Biosafety has initiated updates to ensure compliance and support Principal Investigators (PIs) in identifying GOF/DURC-related research.
A new, required two-part question has been added to the Regulatory Compliance section of the Cayuse SP proposal form. This question will only be included on newly created proposals as of today, 5/22/2025:
- Both parts of the question must be answered.
- If the second part is answered “Yes”, a pop-up notification will appear, guiding the PI to take appropriate next steps.
To support the USC research community, Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) has created a new Dual Use Research of Concern website. This resource will serve as a central hub for guidance and compliance, featuring the USC DURC Policy and Manual, a DURC/GOF grant submission flowchart, FAQs, training links, the Institutional Review Entity (IRE) Form, and other relevant tools and reference materials. The website will help ensure that researchers are well-informed and prepared to meet the new federal requirements. We strongly encourage all PIs to review this website.
DCG has also updated their Cayuse SP Pre-Award Training Materials webpage to include guidance on the above regulatory question.