As per the Public Health Service Policy and Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: “PHS awarding units may not make an award for an activity involving animals unless…..the awardee institution has provided verification of approval by the IACUC of those components of the application or proposal related to the care and use of animals.” This federal requirement is extended by Einstein policy to cover grant submissions to all funding sources in keeping with our OLAW Assurance and AAALAC accreditation.
Initial routing of a grant submission through the IACUC prior to submission does not constitute APPROVAL of the proposed study by the IACUC. Its purpose is to make the IACUC aware of applications being submitted that will need review and to allow identification of proposals that might require commitment of institutional resources that might not be available currently. For example, a proposal to work with a new animal species might require allocation of space and construction of specialized housing facilities that were not budgeted in the proposal.
When Preparing Training Grants
When preparing training grants, please contact the Principal Investigator (PI) or the department Administrator for information regarding approved animal use protocols. Once a year, the IAUC provides the PIs and their Administrators with this information.
In the event the PI or Administrator are unable to provide you with information you require for the training grant, the Animal Welfare Officer is able to generate a list of the PIs approved animal use protocols. However, the list does not include information regarding grants tied to the animal use protocols.
The IACUC will make every attempt, within reason, to assist you. In order to assist you, please be sure to request this information in a timely fashion. If you wait for the last minute to request this information the IACUC Administrator may be unable to provide you with the information before the deadline for submission of the training grant.
To Achieve Institutional Approval
Important Note: Remember that no animal project may start before an animal use protocol covering it receives IACUC approval. Review of animal use protocols and modifications and reconciliation with grant proposals takes time. Delays in submission of documents delay the review process. This may delay the release of funds and the initiation of projects.
Institutional Review requires comparison of the grant with the approved protocol to ensure that they are concordant. Acknowledging that only a portion of submitted applications may actually receive funding, the institution will perform this side-by-side analysis on applications that receive possible fundable scores.
- The animal research component of the grant proposal must be entirely described within an animal use protocol.
- The animal use protocol must be approved by the IACUC and the approval period must cover the funding period of the first year of the grant (at least).
- All personnel working with animals, all animal species/strains, animal numbers (experimental groups), and all procedures performed on animals described in the grant must be so described within the animal use protocol.
- Where there are differences (item 3 above), the investigator must reconcile these differences by obtaining approval for an animal use protocol modification.
To Obtain Approval for Animal Experimentation Performed at Other Institutions
- The collaborating
Institution must sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Einstein that
addresses their responsibility for the animal care and use, animal ownership,
and IACUC review and oversight.
Just In-Time Review Process
Immediately upon notification of a possible fundable score after scientific merit review, submit to the Animal Welfare Officer, Dr. Silvia Racedo:
- One complete copy of the grant that will be funded.
- The approved animal use protocol number for the studies described in this grant.
If the grant contains animal experiments not covered in the preexisting approved animal use protocol or approved modification, please submit a summary statement listing and explaining any new changes to the animal protocol needed to reconcile it with the grant proposal. The IACUC office will then contact you regarding instructions for updating your animal use protocol.
Writing Your Vertebrate Animal Section - NIH Grants"