2.1. Institute Leadership

2.1.1   Senior Officers

MIT's Senior Officers include the President, Provost, Chancellor, Executive Vice President, Vice Presidents, and Deans. This executive staff provides resources, including human resources, specialized skills, technology, and financial resources, essential to the implementation and control of the EHS-MS. (See Chart)

2.1.2 Councils and Committees

The organizational structure of the EHS-MS is designed to incorporate multi-disciplinary relationships to assure that EHS issues are addressed in a comprehensive and integrated fashion. These relationships are established through various committees whose functions are summarized below:

• Institute Council on Environment, Health and Safety
  and
• the Committees on:
  • Animal Care
  • Assessment of Biohazards
  • Radiation Exposure to Human Subjects
  • Radiation Protection
  • Reactor Safeguard
  • Toxic Chemicals
  • Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects

Institute Council on Environment, Health and Safety

The Institute Council on Environment, Health and Safety reports to the President and is responsible for coordinating policy development, the assessment of procedures of the Institute Committees concerned with specific areas of environment, health and safety, and overseeing the implementation and effectiveness of the EHS-MS. The Council serves as a forum in which shared concerns of these Committees are coordinated and where issues of individual Committees are resolved. The Council is also responsible for identifying new environment, health and safety issues that emerge as new activities are undertaken and new technologies evolve. In instances where such new activities do not fall within the purview of an existing committee, the Council may expand the area of concern of an existing committee or recommend the creation of a new committee.

The Council's membership includes:

• Vice President for Research and Associate Provost, Chair
• Managing Director for Environmental Programs and Risk Management/Senior Counsel
• Medical Director
• Director, Environmental, Health and Safety Programs
• Director, Environment, Health and Safety Office
• Chair, Committee on Animal Care
• Chair, Committee on Assessment of Biohazards
• Chair, Committee on Radiation Exposure to Human Subjects
• Chair, Committee on Radiation Protection
• Chair, Committee on Reactor Safeguard
• Chair, Committee on Toxic Chemicals
• Chair, Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects

Committee on Animal Care

MIT's Committee on Animal Care (CAC) reviews and approves all experiments involving animals to ensure that MIT researchers working with animals comply with federal, state, local and institutional regulations on animal care. To that end, the CAC inspects animals, animal facilities and laboratories, and reviews all research and teaching exercises that involve animals before approving experiments to be performed.

Committee on Assessment of Biohazards

The Committee on Assessment of Biohazards reviews and approves research involving potential health and safety problems associated with biological research.

Committee on Radiation Exposure to Human Subjects

The responsibilities of the Committee on Radiation Exposure to Human Subjects are to:

1. review and authorize applications involving ionizing radiation exposure to human research subjects;
2. review and approve the procedures that will ensure radiopharmaceutical quality of materials for human administration under item 1 above;
3. advise the Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects in regards to the radiation risk to research subjects;
4. conduct general surveillance of medical studies on the use of radiation on human research subjects; and
5. ensure compliance with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements.

Committee on Radiation Protection

The Committee on Radiation Protection is responsible for developing and monitoring the Institute's radiation protection program. The Committee is also responsible for assuring the Institute's compliance with radiation protection regulations promulgated by state, federal, and local agencies.

Committee on Reactor Safeguard

The Committee on Reactor Safeguard is responsible for matters of nuclear safety related to the MIT Research Reactor, including the safety of personnel on and off site. The Committee reviews and approves all new operating plans and policies, including significant modifications, and all new experiments involving significant changes in procedure prior to implementation. The Committee verifies that nuclear reactor operation is consistent with MIT policy, rules, approved operating procedures, and license provisions.

Committee on Toxic Chemicals

The Committee on Toxic Chemicals is responsible for reviewing current practices with regard to the effects of toxic chemicals, including carcinogens, on human subjects. The Committee is also responsible for developing policies necessary to control the risks and exposure to personnel working with such agents, and for ensuring compliance with rules and regulations.

Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects

The Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects (COUHES) reviews and approves all research involving human subjects that is performed under the auspices of MIT in accordance with Federal regulations and MIT policy. Types of research that must be reviewed by the Committee include investigation of new drugs and medical, radiological, engineering, physiological, behavioral, sociological, and nutritional studies.