THE REVIEW PROCESS

Before submitting a form to the ACS Vets for consultation please verify that all listed personnel have fulfilled all requirements and that laboratories have been inspected and approved for animal use. The form is ready for submission after:

• all listed personnel have completed the required training/exam and the 2006 EH&S Health Risk Assessment,
• a search for alternatives to live animal use and any potentially painful/distressful procedures has been documented in the form,
• the animal numbers requested for up to three years worth of work have been statistically justified in the form,
• all procedures and animal care have been completely described in detail, and
• a general description of what will be done to the live animals throughout the study has been provided in "lay" terms.

To keep investigators informed of each protocol's status as it progresses through the process, the IACUC office sends email to the PI and "other contact" listed on the request form at each stage of review.

The IACUC has determined that requests involving the use of cadavers or tissues only can be reviewed administratively. All other request forms are sent on one week of mandatory "Member Consideration," during which any member may request Full Committee Review of any protocol or addendum. No action may take place on any request during this period.
Investigators can expect to receive an email when the protocol or amendment is sent out for Member Consideration.
Following Member Consideration, protocols are assigned to members by the Chair for either Designated Review or Full Committee Review, as appropriate. The IACUC office sends an email to investigators at this time to let them know that the request has been assigned to reviewers.
Projects determined to require Full Committee Review (Category 3) studies, projects involving non-human primates, and any others as determined by the members during the MC period) are added to the next meeting's agenda and investigators are contacted via email with the scheduled meeting date and time. 

IACUC members assigned as reviewers for either process will communicate directly with the investigators to obtain an "approvable" form.  The approvable version must then be submitted to the IACUC office in electronic format for archiving.  A signed hard copy of the watermarked approvable form must be returned to the IACUC office before the official approval letter can be generated.

Points to remember:

• Electronic MS Word Documents are required for submission of all requests. Attach the file to email.
• An Animal Care Services Veterinarian must be consulted during development of any protocol involving procedures with the potential for pain, distress, or discomfort.
• To obtain a consultation with the ACS vets, send all new (or triennial) protocols, as well as addenda, to VConsult@grove.ufl.edu. Do not send these new submissions to the individual ACS vets, or to the IACUC office.
• ALL personnel anticipating any animal contact must first complete the Health Risk Assessment (revised 2006) for EH&S's Animal Contact Program.
• The form must verify completion of the minimum documented training currently required, for the PI and all personnel having animal contact, regardless of academic credentials or the type of study.
• All questions on the form must be answered as described in the instructions for each item. (Hint: don't delete the instructions until after you've answered the questions.)
• Forms are sent to members in weekly batches (usually on Friday mornings) for one week of mandatory "Member Consideration" during which no official action may be taken.
• Forms not logged in by the IACUC office staff as of noon on Thursday will be sent for consideration in the following week's batch.