Protocol Submission Responsibilities
All animal use procedures, regardless of the funding source, must be reviewed and approved by the IACUC before they are initiated. These include animal use modifications, pilot projects, teaching, and testing procedures.
Deadline for Protocol Submission
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) meets on the second Friday of every month. The completed Protocol form or annual renewal form must be received electronically by the IACUC Office (Mail Code 9107) no later than 5:00pm on the 25th of the month in order to be considered at the next month's IACUC meeting. If the 25th falls on a holiday or a weekend, the deadline will be 5:00pm the business day before the holiday or weekend.
New Protocol Submission
Your completed Protocol form must be submitted electronically using the eSirius web-based protocol management system. Please make one copy of your protocol form including all attachments such as your flowchart, safety plans, and hazardous chemical SOPs. Submit this copy of your protocol form and a signature page to the IACUC office at mail code 9107. The signature page can be printed through eSirius. It must be signed by the Principal Investigator, the Principal Investigator’s Department Chair, and any Co-Investigators listed on the protocol form. The protocol form must include descriptions of the animal use procedures for the full duration of the proposed project (i.e. grant duration). The full duration of the project will be reviewed; however, animal use will be approved for one year at a time. Please see the instructions below for annual reviews.
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Protocols for Alternate or Supplemental Funding Sources
If the principal investigator is submitting identical studies to multiple funding agencies, the investigator should list each funding source and grant title in the protocol form. A copy of the specific aims and vertebrate animal usage section of each grant must be uploaded into eSirius. If the protocol has already been approved by the IACUC, additional funding sources may be added by amendment. On the Principal Investigators homepage in eSirius, select “Submit an Amendment for an Existing Protocol.” This will launch the investigator into the Amendment Page. Select the funding page you need to amend and upload a copy of the specific aims and vertebrate animal usage section of the grant.
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Continuations/Annual Protocol Reviews
The IACUC approves animal use procedures for one year at a time regardless of the funding duration. The investigator should keep track of the approval and expiration dates for their protocols. To assist the investigators with this task, the IACUC office will remind the Principal Investigator to fill out their annual renewal form online approximately three months prior to a protocol’s annual date of expiration. The annual renewal form must be completed by the investigator and submitted electronically to the IACUC for review if they wish to continue the work as originally described in the full form application. If there are major changes in the protocol, the investigator may ask to continue the protocol with modifications. If this option is selected on the annual renewal form, the PI will be prompted to select the protocol pages that need to be amended. Federal regulations require that animal use protocols undergo an "in-depth" review once every three years. Approximately three months prior to the expiration of the third year, the IACUC office will remind the Principal Investigator that they must submit a completed Animal Protocol online. A copy of the most recent progress report to the funding agency must also be provided. The progress report may be uploaded onto the protocol form.
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Protocol Modifications or Addenda
Major modifications to approved protocols must be submitted online using the eSirius web-based protocol system. Please call the IACUC Office for information regarding minor modifications. Animal use procedures must not be conducted until they have been approved by the IACUC.
The investigator should be aware that the information regarding the use of animal subjects provided in associated grant applications should be accurately described in the Protocol form for the full duration of the funding period.
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Five-Day Review
In situations where there is a legitimate need, the IACUC will review protocols, annual renewals, and major amendments, in between monthly meetings. This type of review is called a Five-Day Review. A request for a Five-Day Review must be approved in advance by the IACUC Chair or Vice-Chair. If the Five-Day Review is approved, the principal investigator must submit an IDR form for $100.00 to the IACUC office. This $100.00 fee cannot be charged to a federal award account. The protocol will be sent to all IACUC members. The members have five working days to review the protocol and approve the five-day review method. If any IACUC member calls for a full-committee review during the five day period, the protocol will be held over for review at the next convened IACUC meeting. The $100.00 fee is non-refundable. For more information, please contact the IACUC office at 5-6423
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