IACUC News
IACUC Update Volume 5, Issue 9, May 2012
Conflict of Interest Policy Change
The federal regulations regarding research-related conflicts of interest have been revised by the Public Health Service (PHS) and must be implemented at The University of Texas at Austin by August 24, 2012, necessitating revisions to the UT Austin policy.
In order to comply with the new policy, all individuals who are involved in the design, conduct, or reporting of research, which includes principal investigators, co-investigators, research staff and students with those duties, will be required to complete training and submit a financial interest disclosure in order for the institution to comply with the new regulations and associated institutional policies.
For investigators conducting research with animals, completion of the training and submission of the financial interest disclosure must be completed by all applicable personnel prior to submission for IACUC review and approval. Additional information will be provided as the UT Austin policy revision is approved and the implementation date draws near.
For more information on the NIH policy, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/coi/.
Rationale for Numbers and Species
Investigators must show that they are using the smallest number of animals compatible with their scientific goals, and that the species they have chosen is the most appropriate for the study.
Since the numbers necessary are in part defined by the experimental/statistical design, a justification of the basis of this design should be included in the protocol. It is the obligation of the investigator to use the fewest number of animals possible to obtain valid results; the justification should thoroughly explain how this has been accomplished.
New VAS Factsheet to Assist Applicants
Preparing the Vertebrate Animal Section (VAS) – is a new factsheet developed by OLAW to assist applicants in completing the VAS of grant applications, contract proposals, and cooperative agreements for submission to the NIH. The factsheet contains an overview of the requirements for each of the five points of the VAS.
The VAS factsheet can be found on the OLAW homepage under Fast Facts or downloaded at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/VASfactsheet_v12.pdf (PDF).
Additional Help for Writing the VAS
To assist investigators who house animals in the Animal Resources Center, template language and guidance has been created for you to use as you write your NIH grant proposal Vertebrate Animal Section. This document is available on the “Documents, Materials, and Forms” page of the IACUC website.
Upcoming Meeting Dates
The next IACUC Full Committee Review (FCR) is June 11, 2012.
The deadline to submit a new protocol or third-year resubmission is May 18, 2012.
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