IACUC News
IACUC Update Volume 3, Issue 2, October 2009
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Regarding UT-Austin¹s Upcoming AAALAC Site Visit
Veterinary Consultations for Proposed Painful Procedures
A Note on Protocol Submissions and Protocol Deadlines
eProtocol Tips of the Month
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Regarding UT-Austin¹s Upcoming AAALAC Site Visit
The University of Texas at Austin¹s triennial accreditation site visit with AAALAC International (Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care) will take place November 18-20, 2009.
Though our animal care and use program remains "AAALAC ready" throughout the year, this is a good time to remind everyone to be mindful of all ARC and IACUC policies and procedures. Additional information about the site visit, and recommendations to help you prepare for the site visit, will follow from the ARC and IACUC.
Please do not hesitate to contact the ARC (512-471-0091) or IACUC
(512-475-8650) offices if you have any questions regarding UT-Austin¹s animal care and use program.
Veterinary Consultations for Proposed Painful Procedures
The federal Animal Welfare Act regulations require that investigators proposing procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals with consult with the Attending Veterinarian or his/her designee. Although an ARC veterinarian will always participate in the formal review of protocols, review and approval are much more efficient if the consultation occurs prior to protocol submission. In order to document these consultations, whenever a surgical procedure is being entered, the eProtocol software will ask you for the name of the veterinarian who performed a pre-review consult.
Here at UT-Austin, either Dr. Laura Lemke (the Clinical Veterinarian) or Dr.
Glen Otto (the Attending Veterinarian) may be contacted for a veterinary consultation, during which the Investigator should ask for advice on analgesics, anesthetics, surgical monitoring, and post-operative care.
A Note on Protocol Submissions and Protocol Deadlines
As previously announced in the May 2009 IACUC Update (Volume 2, Issue 9), protocol modifications and annual renewals are no longer reviewed at Full Committee Reviews UNLESS an IACUC member specifically requests to do so. Modifications and Annual Renewals are reviewed on a weekly basis.
The IACUC will be eliminating the dual protocol submission deadlines. Both eProtocols and paper protocols will have the same submission deadline, beginning 11/20/2009. Please refer to the IACUC website for specific deadline dates.
Reminder: Only complete protocols will be reviewed by the IACUC. Simply submitting a protocol by the deadline date does not mean that the protocol is ready for Committee review. If your protocol is returned for any reason, you must resubmit the revised protocol by the deadline date to be considered at that month¹s FCR.
eProtocol Tip of the Month
I have received review comments on my protocol. When do I have to respond by?
With eProtocol, much of the protocol review occurs PRIOR to the convened FCR. Two members of the IACUC are assigned as the Primary Reviewers for each protocol. Review comments (if any) will be provided within five business days. If the reviewers have comments, you will receive an email notification. Please review and respond to the review comments promptly. If you do not provide responses and revise your protocol, the Committee may TABLE your protocol at the FCR or they may NOT APPROVE your protocol.
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