Animal Research

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All research involving live vertebrate animals must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before the initiation of the research and before a research award can be accepted.

Guidelines

The University of Notre Dame recognizes an inherent obligation that all research utilizing animals is performed with strict adherence to federal guidelines and with the utmost concern for the welfare and well-being of the subjects.

The federal government and University policy require that the care and use of all vertebrate laboratory animals be monitored by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). IACUC review and approval is required when animals are used in any research studies and instructional programs. The University of Notre Dame has an approved Assurance of Compliance on file with the National Institutes of Health, Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare.

Submitting an Application

On behalf of the University of Notre Dame, the IACUC monitors the care and use of all vertebrate laboratory animals in research studies or instructional programs. Therefore, in compliance with federal law and institutional policy, all research involving live vertebrate animals must be reviewed and approved by the IACUC before the initiation of the research and before a research award can be accepted.

Please review the following guides for step-by-step instructions on how to navigate the eProtocol system, create and submit a protocol, amend an approved protocol, and print a PDF version of the protocol:

  1. Intro and Overview to eProtocol
  2. Creating A Protocol
  3. Submitting A Protocol Application
  4. Responding To Reviewer Comments
  5. Amending An Approved Protocol
  6. PDF And Print A Protocol
  7. Clone (Copy) A Protocol

Review and Approval Process

This diagram features an overview of what steps will unfold once the PI submits a protocol or amendment. Once submissions pass the initial pre-review and veterinary review stage, they progress to one of four sequences in the IACUC workflow.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

The federal government and University policy require that the care and use of all vertebrate laboratory animals be monitored by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). IACUC review and approval is required when animals are used in any research studies and instructional programs.

Appointed Members

  • Rebecca Wingert, Ph.D., (Chair) Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Family Professorship in Adult Stem Cell Research and Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
  • Iris Bolton, DVM, Attending Veterinarian and Director of Freimann Life Sciences Center
  • David Boone, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences
  • Deborah Clements, (Local, Non-Affiliated) Owner, Heatherwood Equestrian Academy 
  • Eric Felde, JD, CIP, Director, Research Compliance
  • Jennifer Knowlton, Veterinary Care/Training Manager, Freimann Life Sciences Center
  • Xin Lu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
  • Alex Molesan, MS, MB(ASCP), Biological Safety Specialist, Risk Management and Safety
  • Jennifer Robichaud, (Vice Chair) Director of Undergraduate Studies, Biological Sciences
  • Thersea Sikorski Highbaugh, Vivarium Manager, Freimann Life Sciences Center
  • Amanda Synder, Assistant Director of Laboratory Safety, Risk Management and Safety

Upcoming Meeting Dates

The IACUC meets once a month. New protocols should be submitted at least 10 days before the meeting for review. Protocol renewals and amendments should be submitted at least 5 business days before the meeting.

To view the upcoming meeting dates, please visit the IACUC Meeting Calendar. To stay up-to-date on meeting dates (subject to change) and submission deadlines, click the "+ Google Calendar" in the bottom right-hand corner to add this calendar to yours.

Training

For information on Animal Research Training, please visit Notre Dame Research Training.

Occupational Health Disclosure

The University operates an occupational health and safety program to identify health hazards related to animal care and use and protect those working with animals from them. To participate in this program, any individual entering an animal facility or working with animals in the wild must complete a disclosure that covers health history and potential exposures.

Before completing an occupational health disclosure using the link below, please review the following documentation:

Notre Dame Occupational Health Disclosure Form

Any Notre Dame faculty, students, staff, or other affiliates should complete the Medical and Occupational Health History Form for Animal Exposures - through OnBase.

Non-affiliated Health Disclosure Form

Those individuals not formally affiliated with Notre Dame who need to access to campus animal facilities (e.g., research collaborators from external institutions like IU, facility maintenance personnel, etc.) must also complete an occupational health disclosure. Please email compliance@nd.edu to describe your duties, and request the paperwork to complete this process.

Need More Information?

For questions regarding animal research, please contact compliance@nd.edu. For relevant forms, codes, and policies, please visit the Resource Library