Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

IACUC Review Process

The IACUC utilizes various methods for protocol review depending on the type of submission received. Submissions undergo pre-review by IACUC office staff prior to being sent to the IACUC to ensure all necessary details are in place for effective review. After pre-review, protocols are forwarded to IACUC members for the next stage of review. Final approval must be granted before the animal work is permitted to begin. See below for more details.

The Georgetown IACUC utilizes four methods of review:

  1. Full Committee Review (FCR)
  2. Designated Member Review (DMR)
  3. Veterinary Verification and Consultation (VVC)
  4. Administrative Review

Full Committee Review (FCR) takes place at a convened meeting of the IACUC with at least a quorum of the members present. The IACUC has the authority to approve, require modifications (to secure approval), withhold approval, or defer review until a future meeting (Tabled). The IACUC meets one time per month (usually the 3rd Tuesday of each month; IACUC Meeting Schedule), with the submission deadline for each meeting bring the last Tuesday of the month prior to the meeting. IACUC members are assigned protocols to review by the IACUC Chair and are designated as primary or secondary reviewers. A veterinarian is also assigned to review each review item.
All new and renewal protocols are reviewed via FCR. In addition any items reviewed by DMR may be referred for FCR by any committee member.

Designated Member Review (DMR) is conducted by a subset of the IACUC members and occurs outside a convened meeting. The DMR process can be used to review and approve amendments. In addition DMR may be used to approve new/renewal protocols after FCR with modifications are required to secure approval. Designated member review may be utilized only after all members have been provided the opportunity to call for full-committee review. If any member requests full committee review at any time, then that method must be used. If FCR is not requested, the IACUC Chairperson may appoint one or more appropriately qualified IACUC members to serve as the designated reviewer(s). Designated review may result in approval, a requirement for modifications (to secure approval), or referral to the full committee for review. Designated review may not result in withholding of approval. If any revisions are requested by the reviewers these will be provided to the PI in Cayuse. Once all revisions have been accepted, the item will be approved.

When an investigator submits an amendment, if it determined that the amendment meets the requirements for Veterinary Verification and Consultation (VVC); see IACUC Policy Veterinary Verification and Consultation, review may proceed by this method. If VVC is appropriate, the amendment will be sent to the attending veterinarian or a veterinarian designated by the AV. If any revisions are needed these will be provided to the PI in Cayuse. Once all revisions have been accepted, the amendment will be approved.

The regulations allow the some minor changes to be approved administratively by the IACUC office staff.