Animal Care and Use Program
The University of Akron is committed to working with animals subjects in an ethical manner. The University of Akron holds an Animal Welfare Assurance through the Office of Animal Welfare (D16-00501).
If your proposed project involves vertebrate animals (warm-blooded or cold-blooded), the proposal must be reviewed by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The University of Akron is required by federal law and regulation to review all projects involving animals and is required to assure the federal government that all facilities, procedures, personnel, etc. are in compliance with federal requirements. Protocols must be submitted at least 10 business days prior to the next scheduled IACUC meeting in order to be considered in that meeting.
| IACUC Meetings Fall 2024 |
Protocol Due Date |
| Spring 2024 are finished | Dates for fall 2024 are TBD |
FAQs
In order to get approval to work with live animals, you will need to complete the following:
- Complete and submit an add personnel form for the protocol(s) you will be working under (see the Forms link below)
- Complete the following training courses online:
- CITI Working with the [whatever species you will work with] (see instructions attached)
- CITI Investigators, Students, and Staff (also titled Working with the IACUC)
- Complete the Occupational Health & Safety Clearance: OHS Health Assessment form.
- Additionally, depending on your role on the project, you may need to complete additional trainings, such as:
- CITI Aseptic Surgery
- CITI Reducing Pain and Distress
- NOTE: If you will be working on the research in the UARV, there are additional requirements to access the UARV (including training). Contact the UARV Director for more information
- Finally, note that it is best practice is to revisit the medical evaluation with a health care provider whenever:
- You will be working with a new species not previously discussed with the medical professional
- Your health status has changed
- Every three years
The IACUC requires all researchers who intend to perform research with animals to prepare an application that describes the research. Submit the IACUC Application Form for any new research study. Approved projects are valid for one year. If the project is to continue beyond one year an Annual Review Form must be submitted to the IACUC. Any modifications to an approved study must be reviewed by the IACUC prior to implementation. Submit these requests using the IACUC Modification Form. All forms can be downloaded below. All forms should be submitted to iacuc@uakron.edu.
The IACUC considers protocols on a rolling basis. Any protocol requiring full committee review will generally be considered at the next scheduled meeting if it is received at least 10 business days prior to the scheduled meeting.
Steps for IACUC protocol submission and review of a protocol:
- Complete the required IACUC training (at a minimum the CITI Program "Working with the IACUC/Investigators, Staff, and Students" and the species-specific "Working with X in Research Settings"). Your protocol cannot be approved until all trainings are completed and medical clearance is granted by/for each personnel listed on the study.
- Additional trainings will be indicated based on the procedures in the protocol.
- For protocols involving animal surgery, the "Aseptic Surgery" CITI course must be completed.
- Contact the Office of Research Administration (ORA) with any additional administrative questions.
- Contact the IACUC Chair or IACUC Administrator with any protocol related questions or content questions.
- Submit the protocol by email to iacuc@uakron.edu.
- The Attending Veterinarian will do a pre-review and may require changes prior to sending for review.
- Designated member review (DMR) is the default review process. For protocols qualifying for DMR, the full IACUC receives the protocol and any voting member may call for full committee review (FCR).
- Protocols undergoing DMR are reviewed by two reviewers.
- Protocols using category E procedures must undergo FCR.
- Protocols utilizing USDA-covered species must undergo FCR.
- For FCR, the convened IACUC will review the protocol.
- It is typical of the Committee, regardless of whether the protocol undergoes DMR or FCR, to require modifications in order for approval to be granted.
- Do NOT initiate any animal activities (including ordering of animals) until you have received an approval letter, signed by the IACUC Chair and Attending Veterinarian, from the ORA.
Policies and procedures are located in an internal MS Teams folder/Sharepoint. You must use your University of Akron account to log in. Contact iacuc@uakron.edu if you have difficulty accessing.
APPLICATION FORMS
All application forms have been revised! Please use only those forms dated April 2014 or later. Older forms will not be accepted.
The necessary application forms are below:
IACUC Application -use for any new research study.
IACUC Modification -use to request any modifications to an approved study.
IACUC Additional Personnel -use to add additional personnel to an approved study.
IACUC Hazardous Substance -use, if needed, if using potentially hazardous materials.
IACUC Protocol Transfer Form -use if needed to transfer animals between protocols.
IACUC VVC Modification Request -use if modification request meets certain criteria, per the Policy-UA VVC Policy.
Other forms pursuant to the UARV requirements or other activities are available at this link. Contact iacuc@uakron.edu for access.
If you have an animal incident to report, you may do so at this link: Animal Incident Report Form