Research, Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee, Yale University

Yale University
Institutional Animal Care
& Use Committee
New Haven CT
USA 06510

Frequently Asked Questions:

How far in advance do I have to submit my grant application to the IACUC?
How far in advance do I have to submit my Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review?
Where can I find the appropriate forms for proposal/protocol review?
I am not applying for PHS/NIH funding, why is my proposal subject to PHS/NIH policy?
Why do I need to include the funding proposal submission deadline date and anticipated award date?
Do I have to use the new Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review forms or can I continue to use the Add Title form?
Why do I have to submit the entire research proposal? Will just the vertebrate animals section suffice?
I am submitting a Competing Renewal and I am concerned the study section will take my “Pending” response to the vertebrate animals approval date as an indication that my current work has no IACUC approval or that I have not been working on this project.
I am submitting a proposal to a funding agency that does not permit submission without prior IACUC review and approval (March of Dimes, DoD etc.), what should I do?
I don't wish to associate my proposal with any of my current protocols. The scope of the research is sufficiently different that I would like to have a separate IACUC protocol for this proposal. What should I do?
Who will be reviewing my research proposal and what specifically will they be looking for?

Q: How far in advance do I have to submit my proposal application to the IACUC?

A: Proposals must be sent to the IACUC at time of submission as all research proposals will be submitted to funding agencies with IACUC approval dates marked pending. The IACUC will archive the proposals until the PI submits a Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review to the Sponsored Research Analyst, at which time the proposal/protocol comparison will be conducted .

Q: How far in advance do I have to submit my Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review?

A: Upon receipt of a fundable score, PIs will submit a Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review at which time the SRA will do the proposal/protocol comparison. A minimum of 30 days prior to anticipated award date will give PIs time to respond to any modification requests sent by the SRA that have been generated as the result of proposal/protocol comparison.

Q: Where can I find the appropriate forms for proposal/protocol review?

A: Forms are listed on the IACUC website, in the forms section.

Q: I am not applying for PHS/NIH funding, why is my proposal subject to PHS/NIH policy?

A: Policy standards required by PHS are applied to all live vertebrate animal research at Yale to maintain process/program consistency University wide. The NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) discourages multiple standards of review, approval or compliance measures for different funding sources.

Q: Why do I need to include the funding proposal submission deadline date and anticipated award date?

A: The funding proposal submission deadline date will indicate which iteration of the proposal is being reviewed and approved by the IACUC. If a request for review arrives 1 year after the anticipated award date. The IACUC Sponsored Research Analyst will check the grants and contracts database to determine if the proposal was resubmitted revised. If the proposal was resubmitted, the SRA will request a copy of the revised proposal for review and the old proposal will be removed from the archive.

Q: Do I have to use the new Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review forms or can I continue to use the Add Title form?

A: The current form Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review (rev. 1/05) is mandatory, effective Feb. 10, 2005.

Q: Why do I have to submit the entire research proposal? Will just the vertebrate animals section suffice?

A: Two reasons, (1) PHS policy states the IACUC must “provide verification that the IACUC has reviewed and approved those sections of the application that involve use of vertebrate animals, …” This includes preliminary data, specific aims, research design and methods as well as the vertebrate animals section. (2) Yale wants to reduce the regulatory/paperwork burden as much as possible, therefore, collating sections of the proposal to photocopy or e-mail for submission is time consuming and may lead to relevant portions of the proposal being excluded in the submission to the Sponsored Research Analyst .

Q: I am submitting a Competing Renewal and I am concerned the study section will take my “Pending” response to the vertebrate animal approval date as an indication that my current work has no IACUC approval or that I have not been working on this project.

A: If you are more comfortable submitting the proposal with IACUC Sponsored Research Analyst (SRA) review and approval completed please submit the proposal along with a Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review 30 days prior to proposal submission deadline date.

Q: I am submitting a proposal to a funding agency that does not permit submission without prior IACUC review and approval (March of Dimes, DoD etc.), what should I do?

A: If your proposal requires IACUC Sponsored Research Analyst (SRA) review and approval be completed prior to submission please submit the proposal along with a Request for Research Proposal/IACUC Protocol Review form to the IACUC SRA 30 days prior to proposal submission deadline date.

Q: I don't wish to associate my proposal with any of my current protocols. The scope of the research is sufficiently different that I would like to have a separate IACUC protocol for this proposal. What should I do?

A: If for any reason, you would prefer to generate a new protocol to cover the work outlined in your new proposal, submit the proposal along with the new protocol to the IACUC 60 days prior to the proposal submission deadline (for approval prior to proposal submission) or 60 days prior to likely award date.

Q: Who will be reviewing my research proposal and what specifically will they be looking for?

A: The IACUC Sponsored Research Analyst (SRA) will be doing the proposal to protocol comparisons. Specifically the review focuses on change in species or transgenic strains, new procedures, new class of biohazard or experimental agents, changes (increase) in pain and distress categories or survival times (endpoints), changes in anesthetic agents or post-op analgesia regimen, not currently approved in the associated protocol.