Animal Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Definitions
IACUC is the acronym for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The IACUC is a self-regulating entity that, according to U.S. federal law, must be established by institutions using vertebrate animals in research, instructional, training, outreach, and display projects. The IACUC is charged with ensuring that animals used in research, teaching, etc. are used and cared for in a humane manner. Members are appointed by the President’s Office. Recommendations for members are sought from outgoing members, the Vice President for Research (VPR), and the IACUC Chair.
APHIS is the acronym for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for protecting animal health, animal welfare, and plant health. APHIS administers the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
AWA is the acronym for the Animal Welfare Act. AWA is a federal law that regulates the sale, use, and handling of animals.
The Institutional Official (IO) is the individual who has the authority to sign the Institution’s Assurance, making a commitment on behalf of the University that the requirements of the PHS (Public Health Service) Policy will be met.
OLAW is the acronym for the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare. OLAW is the National Institutes of Health (NIH) office responsible for implementing the PHS Policy.
The PHS Policy is the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (external link). It is a document that implements the Health Research Extension Act of 1985, and governs activities involving animals conducted or supported by PHS agencies.
IACUC Protocol
The three year limit on animal protocols is explicitly stated in the federal regulations. Extensions cannot be given for any reason. You must submit a new protocol for review and approval.
If you are obtaining animals or tissue that were already dead (rat livers from another laboratory, steaks from the supermarket, etc.), then you do not need an IACUC protocol. However, there may be exceptions to this depending on the study; please contact the UMaine IACUC office for guidance.
You may email umric@maine.edu or contact the UMaine IACUC Office via phone or email.
Animal research cannot be conducted without an approved protocol. All research activity must cease until the new protocol is approved. Please contact umric@maine.edu immediately for assistance.
Yes, only Principal Investigators (PIs) that have an approved IACUC protocol may order and/or house animals on campus.
Yes, if the activity involves live vertebrate animals, IACUC approval is required.
Yes, if the course uses live vertebrates, you will need to submit an IACUC protocol and get approval before the activity begins.
A protocol can be amended to include changes if the changes are consistent with the original protocol scope and objectives.
Examples of amendment changes include:
- Adding additional animals
- Changes to drugs or anesthetics
- Modifications
- Additional procedures to the animals
If the proposed changes do not fit with the scope and/or objectives of the original protocol, a new IACUC protocol should be submitted.
Please email umric@maine.edu indicating that you would like to close your protocol; only the PI can close a protocol.
Protocol Review
Protocols are reviewed at IACUC meetings via the full committee review (FCR) process or the designated member review (DMR) process. It may require many weeks from initial protocol submission to final IACUC approval for an amendment or protocol, so please plan accordingly.
The reviewers are ensuring that the use of animals is justified, the procedures listed are clear, and that the protocol complies with federal regulations and institutional policies. Please consult the UMaine IACUC website for resources to help you prepare your protocol.
No, you are not required to attend. However, the committee encourages you to attend to discuss questions that may arise in their review of the protocol.
Depending on when the protocol is submitted, there may be an opportunity to review the protocol prior to a committee meeting. At a minimum, a protocol requires a week for committee review outside of a committee meeting, and in some cases the protocol may require full committee review. Please see the IACUC website for information about full committee review (FCR) vs. designated member review (DMR), and the IACUC committee meeting schedule.
Occasionally, responses to the committee’s original review prompts additional questions from the committee. The committee strives to promptly review protocols and resubmissions. Please consult the IACUC committee meeting schedule to plan adequate time for review and revision of your protocol.
The IACUC staff will follow-up within 3 to 7 business days. Please note that no work may begin until you have received approval from the IACUC.
Any person listed on the IACUC protocol is required to enroll in the Occupational Health & Safety Program (OHSP).
Facility Inspections
Per regulations, the IACUC is required to inspect any area where live animals are housed or used at least twice a year. This includes all buildings, rooms, enclosures, and vehicles.
Inspections are usually conducted in October and April. The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) and the IACUC will do their best to accommodate PIs and facility manager schedules within this timeframe. The PIs and lab representatives will be notified of the inspection at least one week before the anticipated visit.
Using a checklist, the Committee categorizes items as acceptable, minor deficiency, or a significant deficiency. Significant deficiencies are items that are or may be a threat to the health and safety of animals. The Committee then discusses the inspection reports and provides the investigators with a notification with a schedule for resolving the issues.
No, anyone who is knowledgeable of the animal care and use activities occurring in the facility/lab may accompany the inspection team.
Yes, the IACUC may review protocols, amendments, health records, training logs, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), sanitation logs, controlled substance logs, surgery logs, and/or husbandry logs. The IACUC will check monitoring records for evidence that records are consistent with the plans described in the protocol. In short, the IACUC may ask for any documents related to the use and care of the animals.
The following signage should be posted in the lab or Animal Facility:
- Emergency contact information
- The cage card(s) for the approved protocol(s)
- The animal concern poster
- Signage for any biological, chemical, etc. hazards
You can use the IACUC Inspection Checklist (Word) as a tool to help you be ready for inspection.
Common deficiencies in IACUC inspections include:
- Expired drugs and supplies
- Drugs and supplies not labeled
- Drug logs that are incomplete
- Improperly stored or improperly labeled feed and bedding
- Incomplete records for personnel training (such as surgery, animal handling, drug administration, etc.)
- Incomplete animal care records (missing daily care logs, incomplete surgery logs, etc.)
- Incomplete sanitation records
- IACUC protocols not available or posted for current studies
- Clutter and inadequate housekeeping
- Cage cards not displayed
Inspectors from the USDA visit any lab where USDA species are used. These inspections are unannounced.
Principal Investigator and Study Team Management
The principal investigator (PI) must be a University of Maine faculty member or staff member. Students and non-University personnel may be listed as co-PIs.
The personnel must take the required IACUC training. Once the training is complete, the PI should email umric@maine.edu requesting that the personnel be added to the protocol. The email should include what experience the personnel has working with the species and procedures on the protocol, as well as the role the person will play on the project.
The Principal Investigator (PI), and anyone that comes into direct contact with live animals for all research, testing, training, or teaching purposes should be listed on the protocol.
All procedure specific training must be kept by the laboratory/PI.
Your protocols must be closed or a new PI must be added and approved, and arrangements must be made for the transfer or disposition of animals left on protocols. 60 days prior to your departure, you should begin planning for the disposition of the animals. If you are transferring animals, please contact the Facility Manager where the animals are housed as well as the Attending Veterinarian to make the appropriate arrangements.
The change in PI should be submitted as an amendment. See the amendment form and instructions on the IACUC Forms, Instructions, & Samples page.
To remove personnel from a protocol, the Principal Investigator should send an email to umric@maine.edu requesting the person(s) be removed, along with the protocol number and title.
Funding
PHS and NIH Grants Policy (external link) require that the institution verify that the institution’s IACUC has reviewed and approved the animal work outlined in the proposal: “It is an institutional responsibility to ensure that the research described in the application is congruent with any corresponding protocols approved by the IACUC.” (§4.1.1.2, NIH Grants Policy Statement).
Therefore, a congruency review is required for all funding that uses live vertebrate animals to ensure that the work described in the proposal is congruent with an active, approved protocol.
Email umric@maine.edu as soon as possible with a copy of the Vertebrate Animal Section (VAS) or Methods section, the protocol number and protocol title the grant should be added to, and any deadlines. You will then receive further instructions depending on the outcome of the congruency review.
Most agencies require documentation of IACUC approval before awarding grants. You should check with the sponsor to determine the deadline for documenting IACUC approval. You should work with the Office of Research Compliance (ORC) to ensure that protocols are submitted with sufficient time for IACUC review and approval.
Materials Used in Animal Studies
The use of expired pharmaceuticals and supplies is not consistent with acceptable veterinary practice. Per federal regulations, euthanasia, anesthesia, and analgesia solutions cannot be used beyond their expiration date, even if a procedure is terminal.
Other expired materials should not be used unless the manufacturer can verify efficacy beyond the expiration date, or the investigator is able to document that its use will not negatively impact animal welfare or compromise the validity of the study, and the use is approved by the IACUC.
Please contact Risk and Safety Management at sem@maine.edu.
Pharmaceutical-grade chemicals and other substances, when available, must be used.