Research@UIC > OACIB > ACC > FAQs: General Protocol Submission

Frequently Asked Questions: General Protocol Submission

General Protocol Submission | Completing Protocols | Protocol-Funding Matches

When will my protocol be reviewed? How long does the process take for approval?
Who needs an ACC protocol?
How do I submit an animal protocol?
When can I begin research?
What do I need in order to purchase animals?
What Assurances, Registrations and Accreditations does UIC hold?
What constitutes a modification of a protocol and how is one submitted?
How long may I keep animals in my laboratory?

1. When will my protocol be reviewed? How long does the process take for approval?

The review process is a multi-step process as outlined below.

Step 1 - Veterinarian Review

All submitted protocols must have a veterinary review, even if you have discussed your protocol with the veterinarians prior to submission.
The veterinarians will review the protocol and contact the PI with any concerns.
Veterinary concerns must be addressed before a protocol will be forwarded for review to the ACC.
The deadline for submission of corrections to veterinary concerns is the first Tuesday of the month. PI must submit protocols to the ACC office at least one week prior to the deadline.

Step 2 - Subcommittee Review

All protocols (except those that only require Form A) are reviewed by subcommittee.
Subcommittee chairs prepare reports of protocols (summaries, concerns and recommendations) for the full committee. (The Subcommittees cannot approve protocols; they can only make recommendations to the full committee.)
Subcommittees meet during the second week of the month. Depending on the nature of your protocol, the subcommittee chair may forward the concerns of the subcommittee to the PI. Only if all of these concerns are addressed by the date of the full committee meeting and the full committee does not raise additional concerns would the protocol be approved at the full committee meeting.

Step 3 - Full Committee Review

All protocols are presented to the full committee. Depending on the nature of the protocol, the entire protocol may be reviewed again at the full committee level.
The full committee will vote on each protocol. The decisions made include - approval, approval pending clarifications, deferral, and rejection.
When clarifications to approved pending protocols are addressed, they will be administratively evaluated for completeness and accuracy and your protocol may be approved.
When clarifications to deferred protocols have been addressed, the protocol must be re-reviewed at the subcommittee/full committee level. It cannot be administratively approved.
Rejected protocols will not be accepted or approved. Substantial changes in the protocol would be needed and it must be resubmitted as a new protocol thus starting the process over again.

Note: The submission deadline for corrections to veterinary concerns and corrections on deferred protocols is the first Tuesday of the month in order to be considered at the Animal Care Committee (ACC) meeting for that month. Protocols can only be approved by the ACC, which meets the third Tuesday of every month. Expedited review does not exist.

It may take approximately two months to complete the ACC review process (submission to final approval). Therefore, investigators are advised to submit new protocol applications approximately 90 days prior to the termination date of your current protocol.

2. Who needs an ACC protocol?

According to the UIC Animal Care Policy, Section V.A.:

" The investigator in charge of the project that involves vertebrate animals shall prepare a Protocol for Animal Use if the project:

Is conducted by UIC Students or paid personnel, or
Is conducted in UIC facilities, or
Uses funds administered by UIC

The Protocol for Animal Use must be approved by the ACC prior to the commencement of the activity."

The policy is interpreted as follows:

Any use of living animals at UIC requires an approved animal protocol. Field research involving animals conducted by UIC investigators (faculty, staff or students), even observational studies, also requires the investigator to have an approved ACC protocol.
UIC investigators who are conducting animal research at another institution using monies administered by the UIC and outside investigators who are conducting research at UIC are both required to have a protocol approved by the UIC ACC. Depending on the outside institution, a protocol for animal use may also need to be submitted and approved at that institution.
Animal protocols are also needed for outside contract work to companies or other institutions when it involves the use of animals specifically for the investigator's project (e.g., custom polyclonal or monoclonal antibody production, subcontracted portions of grants). In addition, the company or institution where the work be conducted must be AAALAC accredited and if PHS monies are being used, the company or institution must have a letter of assurance with OLAW. See FAQ- Protocol-Funding Matches
If an investigator is receiving animal products from a slaughterhouse, this does not require an approved animal protocol. The PI must write a letter to the Director of the BRL, Dr. Jeffrey Fortman, requesting permission to bring the animal products on campus.

3. How do I submit an animal protocol?

If you are a new investigator, you are strongly urged to contact the veterinary staff at the Biologic Resources Laboratory (312-996-7040) and/or the ACC office (312-996-7427) prior to submission of your animal protocol.
Use the resources on this web site to complete ACC Protocol forms and follow UIC's policies and procedures regulating animal use.
Refer to the UIC Animal Users Manual on the BRL web site.
Once protocol forms are completed, the newly submitted protocol should be sent to the ACC Office, Room 206 AOB, M/C 672.
For questions regarding protocol submission, contact the ACC office.

4. When can I begin research?

The UIC policy regarding ACC protocols states that a protocol must be approved prior to initiation of any animal work. Upon notification that a grant application has received a favorable review or that it will be funded, the investigator must submit a complete protocol in which ALL studies involving animals are completely described. The protocol must be reviewed and approved prior to the awarding of funds. It is the investigator's responsibility to submit a completed protocol for review in a timely manner, in order to avoid a delay in research award.

5. What do I need in order to purchase animals?

Investigators need an approved ACC protocol and a BRL account number prior to ordering animals for their research.
BRL accounts can be created on-line at the BRL website with an active ACC number and a Banner number. Note: Each banner number used to purchase animals will require its own BRL account number.
Only animals on the approved protocol can be ordered. All animal orders must be processed through the BRL unless special permission is granted from the Director of the BRL.
All new investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss research projects with the BRL veterinary staff prior to submission of ACC protocols.
It is recommended that animals be procured from the list of commercial sources approved by the Director of the BRL. Requests to procure animals from commercial sources not on the approved source list and/or from noncommercial sources will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Director and/or veterinary staff of the BRL to determine the health status of the animals and potential risk to UIC animal colonies. The Director of the BRL reserves the right to disapprove the procurement of animals from any sources for health status and regulatory compliance reasons.
The procurement of animals from nonapproved sources may result in additional costs related to extended quarantine periods and/or in the case of mice rederivation. The additional costs associated with procuring animals from these sources is the responsibility of the investigator.

6. What Assurances, Registrations and Accreditations does UIC hold?

The University of Illinois at Chicago holds an assurance with the Public Health Service. This assurance is essential to obtain funding from the NIH. UIC's PHS Assurance number is A 3460.01.
UIC is registered with the USDA for all species that are covered by the Animal Welfare Act. Our registration number is 33-R-0018.
UIC is accredited by the Accreditation by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC, Int.). Our last AAALAC site visit was October 26-28, 2005. Accreditation is voluntary; however, it assures funding agencies and the public that animals used at accredited institutions receive the highest standard of care. Please see to the Accreditation Letter to provide verification to a funding agency.
Contact the ACC office if additional verification is need for grant submission.

7. What constitutes a modification of a protocol and how is one submitted?

Read the UIC guidelines on what changes require a modification request and what level of approval is necessary for the modification.

Modifications to approved protocols should be submitted to the ACC office (OPRS- ACC, 206 AOB, M/C 672) on Form D. Modifications must be approved prior to initiation of the changes.

8. How long may I keep animals in my laboratory?

Animals may be housed in an investigators laboratory for up to 12 hours. The room animals will be housed/used in should be indicated on Form A, item 8 b/c.
To house animals between 12-24 hours, the investigators laboratory will need to be designated a study area. The designation of the laboratory as a study area requires that the ACC inspect the investigator's laboratory semi-annually as part of the ACC's semiannual facilities inspection mandated by federal regulations.
To house animals for greater that 24 hours, the laboratory would need to be designated as a satellite facility and would require special permission from the ACC and the investigator's laboratory must meet the housing standards outlined in the Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
Note: Investigators should talk to the BRL veterinary staff if they are planning on housing animals over 12 hours prior to submission of an ACC protocol.