FAQs

An IACUC Proposal must be submitted by any investigator to use live vertebrate animals in any activity regardless of the source of funding or format of the project submission. Please click this link IACUC Policy: Principal Investigator Eligibility and Responsibilities for specifics on who is allowed to be a PI at Georgetown.

If any or all of the animal work is to be done at another institution, then proof that the proposal has been reviewed and approved by that institution’s animal care and use committee also must be provided. In addition an Memorandum of Understanding may be required to be set up between the two IACUC’s.

Pre-submittal consultation with the DCM veterinary staff is available and should be sought if proposed procedures may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animal. Contact the Division of Comparative Medicine 

Please contact the IACUC staff (guacuc@georgetown.edu) to discuss your particular protocol and situation to determine if an amendment is needed.

If you are every unsure, its always best to ask the IACUC Office for clarification, this helps to reduce the potential for noncompliance.

Due to system limitations, each protocol can only have one amendment submitted at a time.

It is recommended to submit personnel only amendments instead of grouping personnel with other significant changes. If both are submitted during the same amendment, the amendment can not be split and the personnel cannot be approved until all changes are approved. Personnel only amendments can be processed administratively as long as all training items are complete.

Please contact the IACUC office for advice on submitting amendments. In addition PRIOR to submitting an amendment (except personnel) it is recommended that you contact the IACUC office to pre check the amendment to ensure all sections are appropriately edited and all required information is captured.

No work may be completed until the amendment is approved.

Please contact EH&S regarding the use of any of these items. It is recommended to obtain IBC (Biosafety), RSC (Radiation), or Chemical SOP approval prior to submitting a protocol or amendment with hazardous (biological OR chemical) or radioactive agents. The IACUC protocol/amendment CANNOT be approved without approval letters/ signed SOPs from these committees as applicable.

IACUC approval is required for housing animals outside the DCM for longer than 12 hours but less than 24 hours. This information must be included in the “Outside Housing” section of the protocol and justification must be provided

In addition, housing animals outside the DCM for longer than 24 hours also requires IACUC approval and strong justification. When animals are housed outside the animal facility for longer than 24 hours (12 hours for USDA species), the regulations then consider this location a “Satellite facility”. Satellite facilities must following the same housing standards as the DCM (light/dark cycle, temp/humidity, etc.). See IACUC Policy Housing Animals Outside of the DCM Faciltiy.

All personnel working with animals must be listed on the protocol. Please note that in order to be approved on an animal protocol all training steps must be completed and a amendment must be submitted an approved. See IACUC Training Page

A protocol can be amended to include changes only if the changes are consistent with the original protocol objectives. If justification cannot be provided as to how the proposed changes fit in with the original protocol, a new protocol should be submitted.

Pls should consider the size of their protocol when submitting an amendment. While amendments must relate to the aims and objectives the IACUC may also not allow amendments that are only tangentially related. This is because over time protocols can become very large and complex. Reviewing very dense and complex protocols takes a considerable amount of time and these large protocols can be quite difficult to understand.

Log into Cayuse/Esirius

1. Click the Protocol Actions tab, here you will find a list of all of your approved protocols
2. Right click to highlight the protocol that you need copied (It will highlight blue)
3. Under Protocol Actions, click “protocol versions preview”
4. Click the most current approved version to open the protocol it will be on the top of the list (the protocol will open in a separate window)
5. Right click on the protocol and select print
6. In the Print Dialog box, select the destination as save as PDF or print to print a physical copy 

No, the IACUC only allows one species per protocol except in special circumstances. Please contact the IACUC office if you believe you have a special circumstance. Note: Cayuse will allow you to add more than 1 species, however if you have not obtained approval the protocol will be returned to you to split each species into separate protocols

For items reviewed FCR (new/renewal protocols), the PI has 2 weeks to respond to the reviewer comments.

For items reviewed DMR or VVC, the PI has 1 week to respond to the reviewer comments

For all items, it is requested that PI reach out to the IACUC office after addressing the reviewer comments and BEFORE they resubmit so that office can confirm all comments have been appropriately addressed. This helps reduce additional reviewer comments.

Any questions regarding the status of an IACUC protocol (whether pending or approved) should be directed to the IACUC office (guacuc@georgetown.edu) 

Please contact the IACUC office by email (guacuc@georgetown.edu) or you can call 7-1355