Companies with Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBC) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) are required to find volunteers that live within Cambridge and are not affiliated with the company in any way to serve as community representatives on these committees. (In some cases residing in Cambridge is not a requirement but the person does need to demonstrate connection to the community.) The community representative's responsibility is to voice their views/concerns as a member of the community living in the area where these companies are performing their research.  It is a voluntary position because the regulations requiring community representation do not allow financial compensation. 

The IBC is required by the Cambridge Public Health Department, who regulates the use of rDNA, and requires facilities using rDNA technology to hold annual IBC meetings to review project registrations for all the rDNA work performed.  IBC community representatives cannot be affiliated with the biotech industry because it would create a conflict of interest. 

The IACUC is also required by the Cambridge Public Health Department any time a company uses any laboratory animals, including mice and rats.This committee’s main responsibility is ensuring the humane care and use of the laboratory animals, which involves reviewing research protocols and attending semi-annual meetings/facility inspections. 

The Chamber has been contacted regarding two companies looking for community representatives for their IACUCs. We are also often contacted regarding the need for community members to serve on members on IBCs. If you are interested in serving as a community representative please e-mail Terrence Smith, Director of Government Affairs at tsmith@cambridgechamber.org and he will pass your information on to companies looking for this service.