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Guidelines Governing Minors in VUMC Laboratories

For information about minors in University Central laboratories, please see the Office of the Provost's Interns and Observers in University Central Schools page.

For more information, also see Short-term and Summer Positions at VUMC Research Laboratories.

Purpose

The breadth of biomedical research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) creates an array of opportunities for individuals to participate in enriching educational experiences. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance to faculty members, researchers, managers, and supervisors of laboratories and programs regarding underage individuals (minors) in VUMC research laboratories or facilities where physical hazards exist; where hazardous chemical, biological, or radiological agents are used or stored; or where laboratory animals are present.

Definitions

  • "Minor" is defined as any individual under 18 years of age.
  • A "designated supervisor" is a Vanderbilt employee who is directly responsible for overseeing the activities and involvement of the minor at Vanderbilt. The designated supervisor does not necessarily need to have an advanced degree, but must be thoroughly familiar with the activities in which the minor will be involved, and the policies that govern the minor’s involvement.

Scope

  • These guidelines govern all VUMC laboratories and animal activity areas
  • For purposes of these guidelines, laboratories shall also include on and off campus study sites
  • These guidelines include all persons under 18 except:
    • Minors enrolled at Vanderbilt who are participating in laboratory activities as part of their normal coursework. Each designated supervisor will be responsible for providing these students with the appropriate safety training;
    • Minors who are employees of Vanderbilt;
    • Minors who are subjects in studies approved by the Vanderbilt IRB; and/or
    • Minors in non-research-related Vanderbilt University Medical Center activities.

Guidelines

The presence of minors in a biomedical research laboratory must have a defined educational purpose with the following restrictions:

  • All minors are prohibited from entering the following areas:
    • Any laboratory or animal area designated as BSL-3 or higher; or
    • Any laboratory or animal area where select agents or explosives are used or stored.
  • Minors are prohibited from having contact with the following materials:
    • Radioactive materials or radiation;
    • Acute toxins; and/or
    • Live laboratory animals (see details below).

Minors, with the restrictions listed above, are allowed to visit, observe, or conduct research in laboratories if the following requirements are met in full:

  • All applicable forms (see "Procedures" section) have been completed and submitted to the Center for Science Outreach;
  • The minor has completed safety training approved by the Vanderbilt Environmental Health and Safety Office;
    • Additionally, if there will be animals in the laboratory, the minor must complete training requirements determined by the IACUC; however, the minor cannot have physical contact with live laboratory animals.
  • The minor is directly supervised by the faculty member or designated supervisor at all times while in the laboratory; and
  • The laboratory is in full compliance with all applicable Vanderbilt safety programs and regulations.

Procedures

Laboratories seeking to arrange educational experiences for minors who are eligible based these guidelines should:

  1. Download and complete the following forms:
  2. Return the completed, signed forms by interdepartmental mail to Center for Science Outreach, 806 Light Hall
    • To expedite their processing, a scanned copy of the completed and signed forms may be sent via email to student.research@vanderbilt.edu, however, the original forms must also be delivered.
  3. Email the student's full name and email address to Stephen Hopkins in Vanderbilt Environmental Health and Safety to setup an online safety training module.
  4. If the student is to be paid, complete the appointment letter request form and return to Nadia Ehtesham, BRET Office, 340 Light Hall.
    • To expedite its processing, a scanned copy of the completed and signed form may be sent via email to Nadia Ehtesham, however, the original form must also be delivered.
  5. After forms have been submitted to and reviewed by the Center for Science Outreach and applicable safety training fulfilled, the minor is eligible to begin a laboratory experience.

Footnote Regarding Laboratory Animals

Minors are not to be involved in experimentation involving live non-human vertebrate animals. Live vertebrates are defined as any live, non-human vertebrate, mammalian embryo or fetus, bird or reptile eggs within three days (72 hours) of hatching, and all other vertebrates at hatching or birth. Excluded from the above rule:

  1. Projects involving animals in their natural environment that are non-invasive and nonintrusive studies (i.e. observational, behavioral) that do not affect an animal’s health or wellbeing by causing stress, discomfort or pain, that meet Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) standards at Vanderbilt University, and which conform to federal regulations protecting animal well-being and researcher safety (www.aalas.org; www.aphis.usda.gov).
  2. Projects being conducted
    1. at Vanderbilt University in a registered laboratory where animal experimentation is taking place; and
    2. the student works with non-living material (e.g., tissue, blood) that has been supplied to them by the Supervising Scientist; and
    3. the animal(s) involved is/are sacrificed for a purpose other than the research being done by the student.