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Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees the use of animals for research, teaching, and testing conducted at or by UAB. The responsibility of the committee is to provide support, guidance, and oversight to research investigators and all staff working with and caring for animals in the animal use program while upholding the regulatory requirements and standards of federal and international oversight agencies. Compliance with international, federal, and university policies, regulations, and standards is important for animal welfare and continued financial support of the researchers and the university.

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) office is responsible for maintaining proper record-keeping required to ensure clear accountability for the quality of the program, proper record-keeping for the issuance of approval for use of vertebrate animals (and some invertebrate animals), and ensuring that the laws governed by the Public Health Service (PHS)/Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) are followed.

In order to assure institutional compliance with sound principles of humane animal care and existing laws, and to protect the research interests of the community, all protocols requiring the use of animals must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. This policy extends to all grants submitted for extramural funding, all internally funded research projects (including pilot studies), all testing, and any teaching involving the use of animals.

 

IACUC Protocol Review: Response Memos
The UAB IACUC publishes a triannual newsletter with information about changes to the protocol process, upcoming site visits, compliance issues, and many other details involving animal research at UAB. The April Newsletter contains information about Response Memos to be included with revised protocol forms. This inclusion to response submissions during the protocol review process will be mandatory starting MAY 1, 2023. This newsletter will be sent out using the ARP listserv email (to subscribe, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the following in the body of the message "SUBSCRIBE ARP"). For help, please see: Adding Attachments to the Protocol Form

 

IACUC Changes Annual Renewal Requirements
In an effort to reduce regulatory burden, our oversight agencies have changed their requirements for review frequency. In accordance with these changes, the UAB IACUC will no longer require an annual continuation/renewal for most projects. The exceptions are protocols funded by the VA and DOD as these agencies have not yet officially changed their annual requirement. All other projects will only require review every 3 years and for any modifications that are needed. Automated renewal reminder emails have been adjusted in the system to reflect these changes. If you have received a reminder recently for an annual continuation, you are not required to submit a Modification/Continuation unless the protocol is sponsored by VA or DOD, or requires amendment. Please continue to adhere to the Third Year Renewal reminders.

 

Anonymous animal welfare reports may be submitted through: UAB Research Compliance Hotline Callers are assured of confidentiality and no reprisals 1-866-362-9476

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