Dual Use Research of Concern

Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) is life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel, or national security.


The U.S. government has developed a policy establishing regular review of government-funded or -conducted research with 15 high-consequence pathogens and toxins in order to identify potential dual use research of concern (DURC) and mitigate risks where appropriate. While very little research at UC Berkeley qualifies for DURC review, we must comply with the government policy. At UC Berkeley, potential DURC research is reviewed by the Committee for Laboratory and Environmental Biosafety (CLEB), which fulfills the role of the campus’s Institutional Review Entity. CLEB must review all research that uses one of the 15 agents with potential DURC implications.


For a list of these agents and toxins please consult Section 6.2.1 of the U. S. Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern. For additional information review the policy in its entirety.


If your research does use one of the 15 agents listed in the policy, it must be included in your Biological Use Authorization (BUA) and reviewed separately for DURC. For DURC review, please use application form to describe the research and submit it to the Institutional Contact for Dual Use Research (ICDUR), Biosafety Officer (BSO): bso@berkeley.edu


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