Trust, but Verify: A "Just Culture" Model for Oversight of Potentially High-Risk Life Sciences Research.

Abstract

Introduction: A "just culture" balances accountability for misconduct with transparency, collaboration, and proactive engagement to address the root causes of accidents and compliance issues. Fostering a just culture in the oversight of potentially high-risk life sciences research would allow the U.S. government to improve biosafety and biosecurity while promoting beneficial research.

Discussion: The authors explore four proposed elements of a just culture approach to oversight: (1) an enforcement continuum with options ranging from cooperative engagement to legal penalties, (2) non-punitive reporting of safety and security incidents, (3) technical assistance for researchers and institutions subject to oversight, and (4) outreach and two-way information sharing across the life sciences research enterprise.

Conclusion: Promoting a just culture would support effective risk management by combining bottom-up scientific responsibility with top-down oversight and accountability. Implementing this approach will be challenging and require extensive stakeholder engagement, but adoption in the aviation industry shows it can succeed.