micorscope

IACUC Review Process

Submissions to IACUC may be reviewed and Approved by Full Committee Review, Designated Member Review or Expedited Review.

IACUC Review Process

Submissions to IACUC may be reviewed by (1) Full Committee Review (FCR) by a convened quorum of the members of the IACUC, or (2) Expedited Review (ER) by a subcommittee of the IACUC.  See  IACUC Policy on the IACUC Review Procedures & Voting Categories  for full details.

Full Committee Review (FCR)

The IACUC convenes monthly (IACUC Meeting Dates) to discuss proposed animal research and practices of animal care and use at Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center. During the convened meeting, the IACUC votes for one of the following voting categories for each submission.

  • APPROVAL – no additional changes are required, and approval can be granted.
  • DISAPPROVAL – the research cannot be conducted at this time.
  • MODIFICATIONS TO SECURE APPROVAL:
  • NON-SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES– non-substantive modifications are required to secure approval. The revision is submitted to Designated Member Review (DMR) described below.
  • SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES- If a protocol requires substantive modifications, the revised protocol or amendment must be submitted back to FCR. The revision can either be approved or the committee can require further modifications to secure approval by either DMR or FCR of the required modifications.

Expedited Review (ER)

Documents submitted for ER are sent electronically to all members for a specific duration that enables enough time to perform an adequate review.  The members are instructed to review the submission and are given a deadline by which to respond.

  • If anyone calls for FCR during this timeframe, the submission must then be submitted to a convened IACUC meeting for FCR.
  • If no member calls for FCR, the submission continues to DMR.

Designated Member Review (DMR)

A subcommittee of the IACUC is designated to review proposed research. DMRs have the authority to approve, require modifications to secure approval, or request Full Committee Review. If a DMRs calls for a FCR, then the proposal is reviewed at a convened meeting of the IACUC.  The Designated Member Reviewers must be unanimous in any decision and cannot disapprove a protocol or amendment.