Who Needs to Submit?

What Type of Animal Activities Requires IACUC Review and Approval?

Basically, if your activity involves vertebrate animals conducted under the auspices of the University, submit an application to the Office for Research Protections for review and approval by the IACUC.

According to Penn State University's Policy RA15, all animal activities, whether sponsored or unsponsored, conducted under the auspices of the University fall under the jurisdiction of the IACUC.

But, what is a vertebrate animal?

A vertebrate animal is any non-human animal possessing a well-developed nervous system as characterized by the presence of a dorsal notochord protected by a vertebral column.

What if I'm using animal tissue or established cell lines?

• Animal tissue or parts collected from euthanized animals covered by approved IACUC protocols or from USDA inspected slaughterhouses, are exempt from IACUC review and approval. The principal investigator of the IACUC protocol is still responsible for ensuring that all tissue is disposed of appropriately. Investigators collecting material from USDA slaughterhouses need to dispose of the tissue in an appropriate manner. The Office for Research Protections is to be contacted if there are any questions regarding tissue disposal.
• Established cell lines, as well as biological fluids and foods available as standard inventory from a conventional commercial supplier, are exempt from IACUC review and approval.
  

What about preserved whole animals?

The use of whole animals (live or dead) requires IACUC review and approval.

Who Needs to Submit for IACUC review and approval?

If University faculty, staff, administrators, or students use vertebrate animals in a University activity, an application must be submitted to the Office for Research Protections (ORP) for review and approval by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

Policy RA15 is applicable to all Penn State colleges and locations except the College of Medicine located at the Hershey Medical Center. The College of Medicine maintains a separate assurance with the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare for compliance.

University activities involving the use of vertebrate animals at other institutions must receive IACUC approvals from both the cooperating institution and Penn State University. In the case of collaboration between the College of Medicine at Hershey and any other University location, the College of Medicine at Hershey will be treated as a cooperating institution.

Can I be a Principal Investigator on an IACUC Application?

A principal investigator can be a faculty member, post-doctoral student, or staff member. For post-doctoral students serving as principal investigators, their supervising faculty member must be listed as an adviser and sign on the designated line. For staff serving as a principal investigator, their unit manager/leader must sign the application on the designated line. All principal investigators are required to have their department head sign the application on the designated line.

Although graduate and undergraduate students cannot serve as principal investigators, they can be listed as co-investigators with a faculty member serving as the principal investigator.