IACUC Policy and Procedures

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is appointed by the Provost of the university to ensure compliance with Federal regulations (Department of Agriculture 9 CFR parts 1 and 2; Public Health Service 99-158) concerning care and use of vertebrate animals in research and teaching activities. Any type of activity involving live vertebrate animals must be approved by the IACUC Committee prior to acquisition of animals or initiation of any research or laboratory exercise. Projects which may involve such activities include but are not limited to grant proposals, laboratory class exercises, thesis/dissertation research, and independent laboratory research.

Questions can be directed to the W&M Research Compliance at researchcompliance@wm.edu.

Animal Welfare concerns should be reported to reportconcern@wm.edu. All reports are confidential.
There is no restriction on who may report a concern. Despite the reporting method, per The Guide, 8th edition (p.23-24), the "Responsibility for review and investigation of these concerns rests with the IO (Institutional Official) and the IACUC."

Protocol Review Process

For every project involving vertebrate animals, the principal investigator(s) is required to use the SPARCS product, "Animal Oversight."

Period of Approval

Projects and protocols are approved for the anticipated duration of the activity, up to a maximum period of three years, with a requirement for annual review. If you would like to continue research with the protocol past the three-year renewal period, a De Novo Review will be submitted to extend the protocol's approval dates. Each renewal submission must include a current search for alternative methods.

Once protocols are approved, please post the Emergency Contact Form on the lab's door.

Continuing (Annual) Reviews

Should projects extend longer than one year from the date of initial approval, materials must be submitted to the IACUC for annual review through the SPARC IACUC system up to 4 weeks before the review/expiration date to allow processing time.

Requests for Protocol Modification (Amendments)

Changes to a protocol must be submitted using the SPARCS system and approved by IACUC before implementation of any modification to a protocol. Included under this policy are changes in personnel. The purpose of these reviews is to ensure the university remains in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act including the provision of necessary training of personnel.

NOTE: Submitting a continuing review does not replace the amendment process and vice versa. If you would like to make changes to you protocol at your continuing (annual) review, an amendment and continuing review must be submitted. These processes can be done simultaneously.

OLAW FAQs

OLAW Guidance on Animal Care

Training

All personnel working with live vertebrates must receive sufficient training in all procedures in which they will participate to ensure that animals are properly cared for and maintained. New faculty, staff, and students are required to complete the CITI IACUC modules, along with any other applicable species or technique modules before beginning work with animals. Student and staff training will be supplemented by the principal investigator who is responsible for maintaining his/her own training level.

The Adjunct and Associate Adjunct Veterinarians will provide training, as needed, to any investigator who wishes to engage in surgical techniques with which they are unfamiliar. It is the principal investigator's responsibility to maintain training records for themselves and any other participants working under their approved protocol. Training records must be provided for inspection by any oversight authority including the IACUC.

Facility Inspections

There are three types of facility inspections performed during the course of each year. Each type of inspection has a specific purpose.

APHIS Veterinarian Inspection.
- The USDA APHIS Veterinarian makes one or more unannounced inspections during the course of each year. The purpose of the inspections is to verify that the IACUC is properly overseeing the use of animals in research and teaching.
- The IACUC may be cited during the course of such inspections because of deficiencies observed in the laboratory facilities or for various aspects of committee operation, especially record-keeping.
- Investigators may be contacted during this visit by the IACUC Office to ensure that someone is present in each laboratory during such visits. Whenever possible, the IACUC Chair will be present during part or all of these visits.
- Following receipt of the inspector's report, the IACUC Chair will notify appropriate investigators of any citations requiring corrective action by an investigator and include a time limit for such correction.
- Failure to correct a deficiency can lead to IACUC withdrawal of authorization to continue work so as to protect the university and other investigators from being denied the authority to conduct research by the federal regulatory agencies.
Announced IACUC Inspections.
- The IACUC will make announced semiannual inspections following its semiannual meetings.
- These inspections will occur on William & Mary campus on the day of the meeting, or within one week of the date of the meeting, as appropriate.
- The VIMS campus inspections will be conducted on the same day, or within one week of that day (unless notice is given in advance changing this schedule).
- Inspections at each facility, conducted in accordance with The Guide, involve the veterinarian and at least one member of the committee (preferably the Chair), who is not a member of the facility staff or the PI.
At least two times per year, the Adjunct Veterinarian or his/her associate and the IACUC Chair or his/her designee will perform unannounced inspections of all facilities.
- The purpose of these inspections is to confirm that appropriate veterinary care is being provided to all animals; that proper sanitation, feeding, housing, etc. are being provided; and that approved protocols are being followed.
- The inspections are intended to be supportive of investigators, not punitive, by providing an independent evaluation of animal conditions leading to corrective action when appropriate.

Semi-Annual Meetings

The IACUC will hold semiannual meetings in the spring and fall in accordance with the Assurance Statement of the university and the Animal Welfare Act and associated regulations.

Collapsible table with list of IACUC Policy resources.
Resources The IACUC makes available a library of materials that may be used for self-training and updating knowledge. Assurance Statement of the university, IACUC policies, Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (OLAW, PHS), USDA regulations (Subchapter A), Guidelines for the Use of Fishes in Field Research Guidelines for the Use of Live Amphibians and Reptiles in Field Research Acceptable Field Methods in Mammalogy Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research (The Ornithological Council, 1999). Internal Resources: Useful references and training materials will be made available from the committee; a partial bibliography of pertinent information, a list of IACUC Members with contact information, other materials deemed as appropriate to assist investigators in meeting the requirements under the Animal Welfare Act.