Biological materials oversight in life sciences research in the United States is a challenging endeavor for institutions and the scientific, regulatory compliance, and federal communities. In order to assess biological materials oversight at Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) registered with the United States National Institutes of Health, Office of Biotechnology Activities (NIH-OBA), a survey was sent to institutions obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request in early 2013. This research article will highlight the findings from the survey and literature review of current industry requirements, and highlight best practices and trends from survey data for trends in research administration. The goals of this research were to understand the scope of biological materials regulatory oversight in the United States, review results from a cross-sectional survey of Institutional Biosafety Committees conducted in 2013, and discuss trends for research administration compliance and best practices.