IACUC Protocol Reports

Incident Reporting

All incidents that deviate from accepted and appropriate standards of animal care and use.

Submission Checklist

• A completed IACUC Animal Incident Report form. Responses should be clear and concise to improve readability. Complete all fields. Fields that are not applicable to the study or report should indicate so.

• Supplemental documentation that may further clarify or explain the incident or the actions taken.

• Update the iRIS Animal Resource Center (ARC) module to reflect the status of all animals.

Post-Approval Monitoring

According to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, “Continuing IACUC oversight of animal activities is required by federal laws, regulations, and policies. A variety of mechanisms can be used to facilitate ongoing protocol assessment and regulatory compliance. Post approval monitoring (PAM) is considered here in the broadest sense, consisting of all types of protocol monitoring after the IACUC’s initial protocol approval (page 33, The Guide).” A major goal of the PAM program is to increase communication between investigators, the IACUC, animal program staff and to foster an educational partnership among these groups to ensure animal welfare in a collegial manner.

The IACUC formally reviews the animal care and use program during the bi-annual semiannual inspection; with inspection of animal facilities and animal use laboratories. At such times, the inspector team, consisting of a minimum of two voting IACUC members, will also compare procedures conducted in the laboratory with those delineated in the approved study protocol.

Beyond the semiannual inspection, the animal care and use program is continuously monitored at all other times using PAM. PAM includes veterinary and animal care staff observation of animals and of selected procedures; and affirmation of adherence to animal facility policies and procedures intended to promote animal well-being to the greatest extent achievable for individual research projects implemented under research conditions.

The IACUC implements PAM using continuing protocol review; biannual facility and animal use space inspections; and veterinary and IACUC observation of animals and of selected procedures. The IACUC and veterinary and animal care staff also conduct PAM with the goal of assuring that research is being conducted according to what is written and approved by the IACUC in a system of standard operating procedures that promote animal welfare and wellbeing. Additional scrutiny is also undertaken if allegations of misuse, neglect, or inappropriate protocol applications are reported to Veterinary Services or the IACUC.