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Protocol Submission

Protocol submission

The IACUC meets monthly, on Thursday at 3 p.m., throughout the year. Upcoming meeting dates and submission deadlines are listed below. Meeting location will be provided about 1 week prior to the meeting. 

Protocols must be submitted by the submission deadlines listed below.  Protocols that are more complicated or that need a lot of work may take longer to review and are not guaranteed to be reviewed at the meeting noted. Investigators are strongly encouraged to submit as soon as they can to allow sufficient time for veterinary and primary review prior to the meeting. 

To assure review at a specific meeting, submit the protocol well in advance of the meeting date (e.g., 3 weeks).

Meeting Date Submission Deadline
February 22, 2024 February 1, 2024
March 28, 2024 March 7, 2024
April 25, 2024 April 4, 2024
May 23, 2024 May 2, 2024
June 27, 2024 June 6, 2024

The next fiscal year meeting dates and submission deadlines will be planned and posted by the end of April.


Why is important to submit the protocol well in advance of a meeting?

Protocols that are received in poor condition or have a substantial delay in PI submission of a revision that addresses reviewer comments may lead to a one-month delay in full committee review.  

What must be submitted to the IACUC?

All protocols must be typed and submitted as a Word document on the current protocol form to IACUC@asu.edu. Outdated forms cannot be accepted. The type of project will determine the protocol form that is needed.  Select the form needed from the forms page. 

Be sure to: 

  • sign the Assurance page (IACUC Protocol item VII)
  • include a current curriculum vitae or biosketch for the principal investigator
  • provide the ASU funding proposal or award number, or a copy of the proposal or award
What help is available for preparing the submission?

The IACUC has provided a sample protocol within the application materials to show the level of detail that is needed. The university veterinarians provide assistance with procedure development. For assistance, contact us.

What happens when a protocol is submitted?

Upon submission, the protocol will receive a veterinary pre-review. Investigators will receive comments from the veterinarian. It is critical to promptly return a revised version of the protocol that addresses all of the comments to the veterinarian. Make all revisions on the copy received from the veterinarian and leave the veterinarian’s comments in place for tracking purposes. Since the veterinarian may require multiple revisions prior to sending the protocol to the IACUC office, prompt responses are necessary. When all comments are sufficiently addressed, the veterinarian will then forward the protocol to the IACUC office.  The IACUC office must receive the vet-reviewed version of the protocol no less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting date. 

What happens once veterinary review is complete?

Once the veterinary pre-review is complete, the protocol will be assigned to a committee member who will serve as primary reviewer. The PI may or may not be contacted by the primary reviewer before the meeting. As with the veterinary review, timely responses to the primary reviewer’s comments are necessary. 

Is there anything else that must be done prior to protocol approval

All protocol participants must receive proper training and clearance by the Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP) before they can be approved on a protocol. There are three levels of training, described on the Training Information page.  Level I and II training, as well as clearance by the OHSP, must be taken prior to protocol approval and will be verified by the IACUC office during the review process. Level III training can be done after the protocol has been approved. DACT provides Level III training to participants at no cost.  For additional information, call 480-965-6152.

Yes, the principal investigator (or an approved representative thoroughly familiar with the protocol submission) is required to attend the IACUC meeting to participate in the protocol review process. If the PI is located on a campus other than Tempe, remote attendance can be arranged. 

What if the research project also utilizes human subjects or biohazards?

Utilizing human subjects or biohazards in conjunction with animal research may also require review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). The reviews are performed concurrently with the IACUC review.                                 

How will the PI know when the IACUC will meet to review their protocol?

Upon finalization of the meeting agenda, the IACUC Office will send a calendar request to all investigators that are on the agenda with meeting details and agenda order.

What happens after the protocol is approved?

Once the IACUC has approved the protocol, the IACUC coordinator will process the approval and send it to the PI within three (3) business days. The PI will also be granted access to the electronic protocol file. Inspections are required semi-annually.

Once a protocol is approved, are procedures monitored?

ASU has developed a post-approval monitoring program to verify proper handling and technique in all animal procedures. Surgical procedures performed by a lab are observed on an annual basis. Every lab member that performs the surgery will be observed. If surgeries are not performed annually, then an observation is required when the surgery is next performed. All non-surgical procedures that involve a greater skill, such as tail vein injection or retro-orbital injection, are also observed on a yearly basis or when it is next performed. The post-approval monitoring team will reach out to the lab when an observation is required. While observations will typically be annual, the IACUC or veterinary team may, at their discretion, decide to have animal procedures monitored by the veterinary team at any time. If you have any questions, please email dactrss@asu.edu

How long are protocols approved for?

Protocols are approved for three (3) years. Annual reviews are required. The IACUC coordinator will send out annual review reminders and forms 90 days prior to the anniversary date of the protocol. If the project will last longer than three years, a complete renewal protocol must be submitted and approved prior to the expiration date of the current protocol.

Now that my protocol is approved how do I gain access to the animal facilities?

Each person approved on the protocol must submit a Vivarium Access Request Form to DACT.  Each animal user must also meet with the lead technologist or supervisor of the vivarium where their animals will be housed for orientation and facility-specific training.  Once completed, the vivarium access is granted within 24 hours.  Your SunCard is used to grant access. Contact information for the vivarium supervisors may be found by logging in with your ASURITE ID and password.

May I bring friends or professional colleagues into the vivarium to see the animals and facilities?

Friends may not be brought into the vivarium; we restrict the number of people entering to protect the animals and the research being conducted.  However, professional colleagues may be brought into the vivarium for scientific reasons.  Professional visitors must always be escorted.  Except when supervised in class or during an outreach event, no one can handle or perform any procedures on an animal unless they are listed as personnel on the IACUC protocol covering that animal.    

What do I need to do if my SunCard stops working?

Any time your card does not work in the vivarium, call DACT at 480-965‐6152 (do not call the SunCard office). Two common reasons why your SunCard may have stopped working are:

  • You obtained a new SunCard ‐ Each SunCard is uniquely encoded and must be reprogrammed into the DACT vivarium access system. For access through ISAAC‐protected doors (ones with the black square that you put your card up to), all DACT needs is the number on the back of your new SunCard. For doors that use the Onity system (the ones where you must dip your card into a slot on the reader), the card may need to be encoded. Card encoding is done at the DACT main office in ISTB1 suite 122.

  • You have been at ASU for more than 5 years – after 5 years, your card will automatically “time out.” Please contact the DACT main office (480-965‐6152) to have your card reactivated.

What if there are changes to the protocol after it is approved?

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Public Health Services (PHS) Policy require that the IACUC review and approve proposed significant changes in ongoing activities involving animals. To ensure compliance with this policy, the IACUC requires investigators to request approval for any proposed changes to an approved animal use protocol by submitting a written Request for Changes form to IACUC@asu.edu.

How are protocol changes reviewed and approved?

IACUC may grant approval of proposed changes to previously approved animal activities using the following review methods based on the significance of the change: administrative with or without veterinary consultation and verification (VCV), designated review (DR) or full committee review (FCR). 

How is “significant change” determined?

Criteria for evaluating significance of proposed changes are outlined in the IACUC Policies and Procedures Manual. Changes may not be initiated until approved by the IACUC.

What do I do if someone leaves my lab and is no longer working with animals?

The PI or their designee should email IACUC@asu.edu notifying them of the change.  The IACUC coordinator will notify DACT so the person’s access can be terminated and the protocol record updated.

How do I close my protocol?

Protocols may be closed by submitting a Final Review form to IACUC@asu.edu.