UNE Institutional Biosafety Committee
- biohazardous materials
- genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
- infectious organisms
- materials requiring quarantine containment.
The committee's primary roles include assessing the biosafety risks of proposed research, approving certain low-risk projects, and providing expert advice to researchers. The IBC also inspects physical containment (PC) facilities on campus and provides training and access for these facilities, as required by staff and research students.
Members of the UNE IBC
Current members of the IBC are listed in the table below.
| Member | Position on the IBC |
|---|---|
| Associate Professor Nicholas Andronicos | Chair, PC2 Inspector, Biosafety Officer |
| Dr Daniel Ebert | Scientific and technical expert; Technical Manager Science & Technology |
| Mr Roland Helfer | Work Health and Safety Representative, Safety Advisor, Hazardous Substances |
| Kath Little | Estate and Built Environment Representative |
| Dr Amy Burns | Scientific and technical expert |
| Dr Sarbast Qassim | Scientific and technical expert |
| Dr Alip Kumar | Scientific and technical expert |
| Dr Sapphire McMullan-Fisher | Scientific and technical expert |
| Dr Andrew Brooks | Scientific and technical expert |
| Dr Brendan Sharpe | Independent Representative |
| Donnika Williams | Committee Officer (non-voting) |
2026 IBC Meeting Dates
Scheduled IBC meetings for 2026 are listed in the table below. Applications to conduct work with GMOs or other biohazardous materials will be assessed during these meetings. Submissions must be sent to ibc@une.edu by midday on the specific closing date, and late submissions will result in the assessment being postponed to the next meeting date.
| IBC Submission Closing Date | IBC Meeting Date |
|---|---|
| Midday February 16 | March |
| Midday May 11 | June |
| Midday August 10 | September |
| Midday November 9 | December |
To contact the UNE IBC for guidance on working with GMO’s, infectious organisms or other biohazardous mateials, email ibc@une.edu.au. For more information about how to identify projects which require IBC approval, and to access the relevant forms, see the information on Determining a Dealing in Relation to GMO's.
