Animal Research

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.

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About the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

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.

Appointed Members

• David Boone, Ph.D., IU School of Medicine- South Bend
• Mayland Chang, Ph.D., (Chair) Research Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry 
• Eric Felde, JD, CIP, Director, Research Integrity 
• Nicole Herndon, Attending Veterinarian and Director of Freimann Life Sciences Center
• Joanna Larson, Ph.D., Biodiversity Museum & Herbarium Assistant Curator, Assistant Professor of the Practice
• Xin Lu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
• Alex Molesan, MS, MB(ASCP), Biological Safety Specialist, Risk Management and Safety
• Felipe Santiago-Tirado Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
• Herman Sintim, Ph.D., Associate Director, Harper Cancer Research Institute
• Amanda Synder, Assistant Director of Laboratory Safety, Risk Management and Safety
• Dr. Nicholas Timm, MD, (Local, Non-Affiliated) Emergency Medicine

Upcoming Meeting Dates

The IACUC meets once a month. New protocols and amendments must be submitted at least two weeks before the meeting for review at that IACUC 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.

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.

Training Requirements

All faculty, staff, and students that are involved in the care or use of animals for research, utilizing animal tissues, or listed on an animal protocol at the University of Notre Dame are required to complete training. Details available on the training page here.

Need More Information?

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