STATEMENT OF TASK

An ad hoc planning committee, under the auspices of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in collaboration with the Indian National Science Academy in New Delhi, India, will convene bioscience experts from Indian academia, industry, and government research laboratories and similar U.S. experts for a workshop to address a suite of issues under the heading of biosafety, biosecurity, and biorisk management. The workshop will feature invited presentations and discussions.

The committee will develop the agenda for the workshop, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. The workshop will include topics such as the following: responsible practices in pursuit of the benefits of life science research; matching precautions to risks; facility risk assessment; laboratory certification; mechanisms for reporting laboratory-associated infections; right sizing the regulatory environment; regional transport of samples and specimens; and special challenges and opportunities associated with biosafety level 3 (BSL3) and BSL4 laboratories that were identified in an international workshop held in 2011. This workshop is also intended to inform future discussions of broader topics related to next steps for promotion of biosafety and security in India.