Submitting Proposals

The IACUC ensures compliance with federal standards by reviewing all research involving vertebrate animals before, during, and after it is conducted. Students and faculty engaging in research with regulated animals at UR must conduct research in compliance with ethical standards established by the federal government and reviewed by UR’s IACUC.

To conduct research on vertebrate animals, faculty and students must submit research proposals for approval prior to beginning their work. To receive approval, an investigator must complete the Animal Care and Use Form (ACUF).   

Review of ACUFs occur regularly. The ACUF must be submitted at least one week prior to a scheduled IACUC meeting to Robert Plymale in the A&S dean’s office, Boatwright Library Administration Wing, Room 011. Note that depending on demand, IACUC meetings may be cancelled so you are encouraged to contact the IACUC chair well before planning an ACUF submission. The attending veterinarian is also willing to review proposals before they are submitted to facilitate the review process.

UR’s IACUC chair is Dr. Jory Brinkerhoff, professor of biology. View the upcoming meeting schedule and proposal submission deadlines.

As you complete your application, you may wish to consider additional information provided by the federal Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, AAALAC, IACUC.org, and the National Institutes of Health.

Once an ACUF has been approved, the approved research must be reviewed and renewed annually. You must submit an annual review form to the committee. An approved ACUF will be viable for three years, at which point a new ACUF must be submitted.