Protocol–Proposal Congruency
The principal funding source for live vertebrate animal research at Yale University is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), primarily through the Public Health Service and its National Institutes of Health (NIH). HHS/NIH funding accounts for the majority of all award dollars granted at Yale. In order to receive funds for live vertebrate animal research the university is required to follow PHS and NIH policy. The policy standards required by PHS are applied to all live vertebrate animal research at Yale to maintain process/program consistency university wide. Excerpts from both the HHS and NIH Grants Policy Statements are noted below.
HHS Grants Policy Statement (01/07)
“The PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the PHS Policy) requires applicants proposing to use vertebrate animals in HHS-supported activities to file a written Animal Welfare Assurance with OLAW. An awarding office will not make an award for research involving live vertebrate animals unless the applicant organization and all performance sites are operating in accordance with an approved Animal Welfare Assurance and provide verification that the IACUC has reviewed and approved those sections of the application that involve use of vertebrate animals, in accordance with the requirements of the PHS policy. If an application is selected for award and the verification of IACUC review has not been submitted, the awarding office will contact the organization with instructions for negotiating an assurance or submitting the IACUC verification.”
NIH Grants Policy Statement (12/03)
“NIH will not make an award for research involving live vertebrate animals unless the applicant organization and all performance sites are operating in accordance with an approved Animal Welfare Assurance and provide verification that the IACUC has reviewed and approved those sections of the application that involve use of vertebrate animals, in accordance with the requirements of the Policy.”
“Verification of the IACUC review may be filed at any time before award unless required earlier by the institutional committee. Therefore, following peer review and notification of priority score/percentile, applicant organizations with approved Assurances should proceed with IACUC review for those applications that have not yet received IACUC approval and that appear to be in a fundable range. Regardless of when the review occurs, the IACUC should ensure that the research described in the application is consistent with any corresponding protocols reviewed and approved by the IACUC. If an application is selected for award and the verification of IACUC review has not been submitted, the awarding office will contact the organization with instructions for negotiating an assurance or submitting the IACUC verification.”
Last Updated: October 22, 2009 (jp).
