IACUC Frequently Asked Questions
Florida Atlantic’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is composed of individuals dedicated to the humane care of animals used in research, teaching and testing and provides oversight and assistance in ensuring compliance to all laws, regulations, and policies governing the care and use of animals.
Any activity that involves the use of vertebrate animals or cephalopods in research, teaching and testing requires IACUC oversight, regardless of whether the activity is funded or not.
IACUC protocol applications and amendments to IACUC protocols using USDA Pain Category D and E procedures require full committee review and must be submitted to the IACUC office by the application deadline for consideration at the monthly IACUC meeting. The IACUC meeting dates and application deadlines are available on the Florida Atlantic IACUC website.
All other protocol applications and amendments using USDA Pain Category B and C procedures are eligible for the Designated Member Review process and may be submitted at any time.
All other protocol applications and amendments using USDA Pain Category B and C procedures are eligible for the Designated Member Review process and may be submitted at any time.
The latest version of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC must be installed on your computer in order to open the forms. The forms also work best when using Internet Explorer. If you are experiencing issues or prefer using Google Chrome or Firefox to access the forms, then please refer to the
All research personnel are required to complete a combination of on-line CITI courses, didactic session on the ethical and humane use of animals in research, teaching and testing, in-person hands-on workshops (applicable to rodent animal users only), and enrollment in Florida Atlantic’s medical monitoring program for animal research. The detailed list of training requirements is available in the training section of the Florida Atlantic IACUC website.
Please contact Dana Mulvaney (IACUC Coordinator) at dmulvane@fau.edu or Dr. Kristen Ware (Associate Director, Research Integrity) kcware@fau.edu.
An adverse event (AE) is an unexpected side effect associated with a study compound, experimental procedure, or new animal model (e.g., a new genetically modified strain). These events result in:
Injury or illness
Unrelieved pain or distress
Death of an animal enrolled in a research study
Injury or illness
Unrelieved pain or distress
Death of an animal enrolled in a research study
The Principal Investigator (PI) or their designee is responsible for reporting adverse events to the IACUC. Notify the AV and/or IACUC office as soon as possible after becoming aware of the event, preferably via email or phone. The AE report form must be submitted within 7 calendar days of the event.
In an emergency:
Immediately contact the AV for urgent medical intervention or guidance.
Inform the IACUC as soon as possible via email or phone.
Immediately contact the AV for urgent medical intervention or guidance.
Inform the IACUC as soon as possible via email or phone.
The report will be reviewed during the next IACUC meeting. The IACUC may:
Request clarification
Acknowledge and document the AE, closing the issue
Determine if further investigation is needed
Recommend or require additional actions to prevent recurrence of the AE
Request clarification
Acknowledge and document the AE, closing the issue
Determine if further investigation is needed
Recommend or require additional actions to prevent recurrence of the AE
Events that meet the following criteria do not need to be reported:
Injury or illness unrelated to the approved experimental procedures and are being treated by the AV.
Events that are described in the approved protocol and occur at or below the expected frequency stated in the protocol.
If you're unsure whether an event qualifies as an AE, please consult with the AV or IACUC office for guidance.
Injury or illness unrelated to the approved experimental procedures and are being treated by the AV.
Events that are described in the approved protocol and occur at or below the expected frequency stated in the protocol.
If you're unsure whether an event qualifies as an AE, please consult with the AV or IACUC office for guidance.