Getting Started with the IACUC
Prior to submitting a request to the IACUC, it is important to know what should be submitted for IACUC review and what happens to the submission.
It is strongly recommended that Investigators schedule a veterinary verification and consultation meeting with Veterinary Services prior to submitting an application to the IACUC. To schedule this meeting with Veterinary Services, send a request to iacuc.orrc@howard.edu. No animal research, teaching, or testing activities should be conducted without IACUC approval.
What Activities Require IACUC Approval?
Activities conducted at Howard University that involve the care or use of animals for research, teaching, or testing purposes require IACUC review and approval. Unobstructive field studies are exempt from this requirement but should still be reported to the IACUC.
What is a Field Study?
As explained in the Animal Wellness Act (AWA), a field study is “conducted on free-living wild animals in their natural habitat. However, this term excludes any study that involves an invasive procedure, harms, or materially alters the behavior of an animal under study.”
IACUC Study Review Process
Pre-Submission
The PI or a designated member of the study team completes a submission form in the iRIS electronic compliance platform for Initial or Triennial (De Novo) Protocol Review, Study Continuation, Study Modification/Amendment, Study Reporting, or Study Closeout . The form must be reviewed and approved by the IACUC before the requested protocol activity can commence.
ORRC Pre-Review
The ORRC receives the submission and reviews it for completeness and initial adherence to federal, state, and local regulations. If any information is missing from the submission, the PI and any authorized study personnel will be notified and asked to make corrections. If the submission is complete, it will be assigned to a review process and to an IACUC member(s) for review. If the submission requires review by the full Committee, the ORRC schedules the submission for review at the next available convened IACUC meeting as indicated by the IACUC submission and deadline schedule.
IACUC Review
The submission is reviewed by at least one IACUC member or in some cases, by a member of the ORRC. This review process can take up to 6 weeks depending on the type of review, complexity of the study, and availability of reviewers.
- Exempt Reviews may take up to 2 weeks
- DMR Reviews may take up to 4 weeks
- Full Board reviews may take up to 6 weeks
Post Review
Once the regulatory compliance review is complete, an outcome letter will be sent to the study PI and authorized study personnel indicating that the submission was approved/accepted, disapproved/unaccepted, requires revisions, may be approved pending the administrative review of given conditions, or the review has been tabled for a given reason. Depending on the outcome, further information may be requested prior to the full approval of the submission.
On Monday, July 7, 2025, the FDA hosted a hybrid workshop on reducing animal testing. The agenda focused on implementing novel methodologies and other strategies to reduce the use of animal testing. Featured speakers from the FDA, NIH and representatives from international regulatory bodies discussed successes, challenges and ideas for implementation. For more information on this workshop, visit the FDA website.
Articles related to this workshop can be found at:
iRIS Access
The iRIS platform (also known as iMedRIS) is used to create and manage studies that require regulatory compliance review. All studies that require IACUC approval must be submitted for review in iRIS. Howard University personnel and students who require iRIS access may request an iRIS account by completing the iRIS User Access Request Form. Contact the ORRC for assistance with providing iRIS access to non-HU study personnel. Visit the iRIS page for more information.
eCompliance - iRIS