Once an investigator receives IACUC approval of their Animal Protocol, continued review by the IACUC will be performed by several different means1, 2 :
- Semi-annual inspections of the following areas:
- Animal housing facilities and support space
- Satellite housing outside OAR facilities (defined as >12 hours for USDA regulated species and >24 hours for non-USDA regulated species*)
- Surgical spaces
- Core Facilities where vertebrate animals are used
*Non-USDA regulated examples include birds, mice (mus) and rats (rattus) bred for research, fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
- Site visit performed* to:
- Discuss updates to IACUC/OAR policies and guidelines
- Facilitate compliance with currently approved Animal Protocol
- Provide recommendations for amendments to an approved Animal Protocol
- Evaluate any non-surgical animal procedural spaces
* every 1-2 years depending on species utilized and nature of study
- Annual usage form for USDA-regulated species protocols:
- Seeks required feedback from the PI regarding federal fiscal year usage and USDA pain categorization.
What should I expect during a facility and surgical site inspection?
The PI and the lab designee (if known) will be notified twice a year (i.e. semi-annually) when their facility is scheduled for inspection. During inspections the IACUC members (or IACUC designee) will evaluate:
- appropriateness of space
- overall cleanliness
- appropriate disinfection/sanitation practices
- proper storage of agents, supplies, etc.
- proper recordkeeping (surgical and post-surgical monitoring, special husbandry logs, etc.), as appropriate
Following the inspection, the lab will receive notification of any concerns identified.
Checklists for preparing for inspections can be found here
- Surgical site checklist (non-USDA regulated species) - Semiannual Surgical Inspection Checklist.pdf
- Core Facility checklist - IACUC Semi-annual Core Facility Inspection Checklist.pdf
- IACUC Semi-annual Core Facility Inspection Checklist.pdf IACUC Semi-annual Satellite Housing Inspection Checklist.pdf
What should I expect during my site visit and protocol review?
The PI and the lab designee will be contacted to schedule a time to conduct the site visit and protocol review. During the site visit the IACUC designee will perform:
- Inspection of the non-surgical animal procedural spaces which will involve the same general criteria mentioned above
- Review of:
- Updates to IACUC and/or OAR policies and procedures
- Currently approved Animal Protocol procedures and personnel
- If there are any recommendations (e.g. amendments, best practices)
Following the site visit, the PI will be provided with a summary of the results of the visit.
Compliance questions, animal welfare concerns, or to self report a non-compliance please contact iacuc-pam@uiowa.edu.
- Public Health Service (PHS) Policy IV.B.1-8 (administered through Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, OLAW)
- Animal Welfare Regulations 9CFR. 2.31(c)(1)-(8) and 2.31(d)(5)(6) & (7) (administered through USDA-APHIS)