Things You Need to Know
1. Activities Requiring IACUC Oversight
The following types of activities require IACUC review and approval:
- A course using vertebrate animals in teaching.
- Any research, research training, experimentation, biological testing, and related activities involving live vertebrate animals and conducted at this Institution, or at another institution as a consequence of the sub-granting or subcontracting of a Public Health Service (PHS) conducted or supported the activity by this Institution.
- Any research involving vertebrate animal cadavers from an extramural (non-UNC Charlotte) source.
- Research and teaching activities using tissues derived from vertebrate animals (dead or alive).
- Field studies involving trapping, capturing, physical/chemical restraint, and/or invasive procedures.
Although a UNC Charlotte IACUC protocol is not typically necessary, federal regulations require orders of custom antibodies to be reviewed in advance of order submission. Custom antibodies are those produced in vertebrate animal species using antigen(s) provided by or at the request of an investigator (i.e., not purchased off-the-shelf). If you are planning to order custom antibodies, contact the IACUC Coordinator at uncc-iacuc@charlotte.edu with information about your order.
2. Forms: Applications, Amendments and Annual Renewals
New and continuing IACUC protocols (and renewals/amendments of current protocols) must be initiated and submitted electronically through Niner Research.
3. Changing an IACUC-Approved Animal Care/Use Application
Please submit an amendment to your Niner Research IACUC protocol to request changes such as:
- addition/removal of personnel;
- change in procedures;
- change in PI;
- changes in the use of anesthetics/analgesics;
- addition of animals.
Please refer to the IACUC Policy Amendment Classifications and IACUC Review Processes for information on what constitutes minor and major amendments and the review procedures required for each type of amendment.
4. Approvals and Required Paperwork
You must have an Animal Care Application reviewed and approved by the IACUC BEFORE you can order or begin research/work using vertebrate animals.
For educational observational studies: You will need to submit and Educational/Observational protocol for IACUC review and approval PRIOR to the use of animals in teaching lectures or laboratories. You will receive formal approval notification from the IACUC via the Office of Research Protections and Integrity (ORPI).
5. Personnel Requirements (before you begin)
Before an individual is permitted to work with live animals, he or she must complete the following to be deemed “cleared” to engage in animal research or animal care activities:
- Completion of online educational modules via CITI;
- Completion and submission of an Initial Health History Form, including the most recent tetanus immunization date. Submission of this form enrolls the individual in the Occupational Health program. Subsequent clearance by the Occupational Health Physician is required;
- Completion of orientation training for the Vivarium with the Attending Veterinarian/Director of Laboratory Animal Resources (only for protocols that involve work within the Vivarium);
- Inclusion on an Animal Care Application as study personnel with specific roles and duties assigned related to the activities proposed.
These requirements apply for ALL faculty, staff, post-doctoral fellows, students, and anyone else handling or exposed to live vertebrate animals. In addition, these requirements also apply to foreign students or visiting fellows or faculty, summer students, and high school students working in labs where animal research is being conducted. Additional details are described in the IACUC’s SOP Requirements for Personnel Listed on IACUC Protocols.
NOTE: Application approval will be held until all personnel listed on the application have completed all animal care and use personnel requirements.
6. Can one application be submitted for several species?
No. Each species must be covered under a separate application.
7. Using Animal Tissue in Research
If you are obtaining animal tissue from another investigator on campus or from another source, you need to register your research with the IACUC. Submit a Tissue protocol for IACUC review and approval PRIOR to the acquisition of animal tissues.
If you intend to purchase live animals to be brought to UNC Charlotte in order to euthanize them and collect tissue for research purposes, an experimental application must be completed and submitted to the IACUC for review and approval.
8. Breeding Animals for Research Purposes
Federal regulations require that animals to be purposely bred for research be approved through and monitored by the IACUC.
9. Grant Proposals and Funding for Animal Research
It is good practice to submit an IACUC application between 30 and 60 days before you expect to receive notification of funding status regardless of the sponsor.
For grant proposals submitted to any of the Centers or Institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), you can submit an IACUC application EITHER when you receive “Just-In-Time” funding notification OR prior to award release. Per the NIH Grants Policy, an IACUC protocol consistent with the grant’s experimental aims and objectives associated with animal research must be approved prior to release of award funds.
10. Approval and Renewal Cycle
IACUC applications are approved for 3 years and must be reviewed annually. The annual renewal form is submitted through Niner Research.
If a PI wishes to continue a research study beyond the 3-year “life cycle” of IACUC approval, a de novo application must be submitted to the IACUC for review and approval.
11. Length of Time Involved for IACUC Review and Approval
All new and de novo applications where proposed animal use activities could cause more than momentary animal pain and/or distress must first be discussed with the Attending Veterinarian (AV) PRIOR to submission to the IACUC. Please allow 1-2 business weeks for initial AV consultation. If there are no special considerations or requests associated with the application (i.e. performing research at a USDA pain/distress Category E level or requesting exceptions to regulatory/institutional policies) applications are then distributed to the full IACUC electronically for initial review and determination of formal review process (e.g. review by a Designated Member Reviewer [DMR] or Full Committee Review [FCR] at a convened meeting). Depending on the subsequent process chosen, review could take an additional 2-4 weeks. The IACUC meets on a monthly basis. Please see the IACUC Meeting Schedule to view the current meeting dates and submission deadlines.
NOTE: Review times mentioned here are average times and the review may take longer depending on how quickly investigators work with the IACUC and ORPI to resolve questions and respond to review comments. Investigators are asked to carefully consider their research schedule and allow adequate time for the IACUC review. Animal research may not begin until IACUC approval is obtained.
For animal care/use protocols which involve use of biohazards, chemical hazards, or radiation hazards, a concurrent protocol/submission will need to be approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (for biohazards) or the Environmental Health and Safety Office (for chemical and/or radiation hazards). PIs must have these approvals in place BEFORE the IACUC can approve the protocol.
Contact the Office of Research Protections and Integrity (ORPI) if you are not sure whether additional compliance or regulatory approvals are needed. PIs should plan submissions accordingly and should note that a longer timeframe may be involved to procure all approvals.
12. Use of Hazardous Materials in Animal Research
All hazardous agents to be used in animals should be listed in Appendix D of the protocol form. Consult with the Attending Veterinarian before submitting an application or amendment proposing the use of such agents for full IACUC review. Finally, consult with the Office of Research Protections and Integrity (ORPI) at uncc-iacuc@charlotte.edu or (704) 687-1872 to see if concurrent protocol submissions to other compliance committees are required or to obtain additional information about safety and/or regulatory requirements needed before acquiring and using these materials.
1. Listing All Personnel on the Protocol Application
Include all people who will have a role in conducting the research, such as the PI and research personnel performing procedures on live animals (i.e. surgical procedures; tumor/test article injections; genotyping; oral gavage, etc.).
2. Training Requirements and Personnel Qualifications
The IACUC must determine that all personnel conducting proposed activities are qualified and trained per AWA Regulation 2.31(d)(1)(viii) and PHS Policy C.1.f. Consult the IACUC’s SOP Requirements for Personnel Listed on IACUC Protocols for a description of all requirements and training expectations.
3. Bringing High School, Undergraduate or Graduate Students or Interns into the Lab: IACUC Requirements?
All personnel who will be handling and performing procedures on live animals must be trained appropriately and qualify to be listed on an IACUC protocol. Requirements for working with animals include completion of all applicable CITI training modules, enrollment in the occupational health program via completion and submittal of a health history form with clearance from the Occupational Health Physician (OHP), and an orientation to the Vivarium. The student must also be listed on all relevant IACUC protocols and certified as proficient in any techniques used in the animal work. See Requirements for Personnel Listed on IACUC Protocols for full details.
For students performing work on animal tissue in the PI’s lab (blood, organs, whole carcass), the “Working with the IACUC” CITI module must be completed as well as enrollment in the occupational health program via submission of the health history form.
For students who only will be performing in vitro work but still may be exposed to animal research being performed around them in a lab, a quick orientation to the basic animal care/use regulatory environment and potential occupational health risks associated with working in such a lab must be completed prior to beginning work in the lab. Orientation can be arranged through the Office of Research Protections and Integrity (ORPI) at uncc-iacuc@charlotte.edu or (704) 687-1872.
1. Ordering animals
You will be asked by the animal care staff to complete an Animal Order Form. Contact the Vivarium at (704) 687-5017 for more information on ordering animals.
2. Guests, Visitors or Collaborators: Special considerations before entering the Vivarium
All attempts will be made to honor requests for visits to the Vivarium. Visitors will be asked to sign a logbook that contains a few simple assurance statements to which the visitor agrees upon entry. Personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the Vivarium must be worn when entering procedural or animal holding areas.
Visitors who have been in other animal facilities housing rodents or who have rodents as pets will be asked to refrain from entering the Vivarium for 48 hours after the last exposure.
Contact the Vivarium at (704) 687-5017 for more information or to schedule a visit.
1. Animal Welfare Assurance Number
D16-00363 (formerly A3600-01)
2. USDA Animal Facility Registration Number
As of March 2021, UNC Charlotte is no longer registered with the USDA. Please contact the Attending Veterinarian at (704) 687-5017 if you are planning to conduct studies involving USDA-covered species.
3.Institutional Official
Dr. John Daniels is the Institutional Official (IO). Dr. Daniels also serves as the University’s Interim Vice Chancellor for Research.
1. IACUC Administrative Office: Location and Contact Information
The Office of Research Protections and Integrity is located on the 3rd floor of the Cameron Hall. Signs are posted at the entrances to the 3rd-floor suite of offices.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
c/o the Office of Research Protections and Integrity
9201 University City Boulevard
Cameron Hall Third Floor
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001
FX: (704) 687-0980
EM: uncc-iacuc@charlotte.edu
IACUC Coordinator
325 Cameron Hall
PH: (704) 687-1872
Executive Director, Office of Research Protections and Integrity:
300 Cameron Hall
PH: (704) 687-1876
2. Reporting an Animal Welfare Concern
Any individual with a concern regarding the care or use of animals at UNC Charlotte is encouraged to report the situation promptly. Several mechanisms for reporting are described on the page Reporting Animal Welfare Concerns.
Animal welfare concerns may be reported anonymously. Should you choose to identify yourself, your identity will maintained in the greatest possible confidence. The information you provide will be investigated promptly.
NOTE: UNC Charlotte prohibits retaliation or sanctions against any individual who brings allegations of animal misuse, cruelty, or any other animal welfare concern to the attention of ORPI, anyone else in the animal care and use program, or University administration (see University Policy #803: “Reporting and Investigation of Suspected Improper Activities and Whistleblower Protection”).