Creating A Secure Environment for Students and Researchers in Morocco

CRDF Global offers grants to improve the physical and procedural security of chemical laboratories and facilities around the world. These Chemical Security Improvement Grants (CSIG) contribute to the security of industrial and academic chemical facilities, including their employees and their communities, and aim to prevent the accidental or intentional misuse of weaponizable and hazardous chemicals. 
2017 CSIG recipients and local chemical security champions Dr. Khalid Sendide, Dr. Abdelkrim Ouardaoui, and Dr. Samir El Hajjaji recently co-authored a report in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Chemical Education outlining the security upgrades and digital chemical inventory management system implemented at Al-Akhawayn University’s chemical laboratories in Ifrane, Morocco using their CSIG funding.  
Universities and research laboratories around the world are common targets for chemical theft, making physical security and inventory management key priorities for academic leaders. This team of professors at Al-Akhawayn University sought to enhance the physical and procedural security of their laboratories by: 

Restricting access to sensitive areas 

Securing and inventorying chemicals 

Securing laboratory equipment 

Developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for students, instructors, and technicians 

Throughout their project, the team implemented new security measures including inventory management software, unique electronic labeling, lockable storage cabinets, fingerprint-protected access controls, and updated surveillance tools.
Read more in the Journal of Chemical Education