02/04/08 - AAALAC site visitors will tour the UMN campuses February 18-21, 2008. Their visit will include Research Animal Resource (RAR) managed housing areas, and Investigator Managed Housing Areas (IMHAs), animal labs, and procedure rooms.
A PowerPoint document is available summarizing "What Every Researcher Needs to Know about the AAALAC Site Visit."
02/01/08 - IACUC 101/201 PLUS is a two-day interactive training course for both new and seasoned IACUC members and affiliates, including IACUC administrators, trainers, veterinarians, animal care staff, researchers, regulatory personnel, individuals responsible for their institution's animal care program, and others interested in IACUC roles and responsibilities. Attendees can register for IACUC 101 or IACUC 201 PLUS individually, or for both programs.
The course will be held June 17-18, 2008 at the Continuing Education and Conference Center
University of Minnesota, Saint Paul campus.
For more information visit the IACUC 101/201 PLUS website.
09/26/07 - During October, the IACUC will review the University of Minnesota’s facilities and animal research program to ensure the well-being of animals on campus and that the institution is in compliance with federal regulations and guidelines.
The committee website has been updated with tip sheets and information for researchers about the semiannual inspection process, noting the deficiencies commonly found during semiannual facilities inspections and providing information regarding points of emphasis.
The IACUC, mandated by federal laws detailed in PHS Policy and in the USDA Animal Welfare Act, must have access to all investigators’ laboratories for the purpose of verifying that activities involving animals are conducted in accordance with the proposals approved by the committee.
4/09/07 - The IACUC now requires all study personnel complete their University of Minnesota’s Research Occupational Health Program (ROHP) requirements. It is the Principal Investigator’s responsibility to ensure their personnel have completed their training and medical requirements, or study approval and continuing approval may be compromised. Personnel can visit the https://eresearch.umn.edu/rohp/ to check their status.
This regulation, which is detailed in the Guide to Animal Care and Research and within AAALAC accreditation requirements, requires that all persons having contact with animals in research be enrolled in an occupational health program. The basic elements of a program include hazard identification and risk assessment, personnel training and protection, written procedures and policies regarding hazard use and monitoring, and medical evaluation and preventive medicine.
The University of Minnesota ROHP consists of two major components – a medical component and a training component. Only Boynton Health Service is able to change medical requirements from “Not Completed” to “Completed,” while training requirements are self reported in the ROHP database. For additional information or assistance please use the contact information below.
7/24/06 - This is the first in a series of researcher resources published by the Research Subjects’ Protection Program to assist the research community adhere to the rules and regulations for conducting research at the University of Minnesota.
Transferring animals between protocols is a common task requiring the attention of researchers while conducting their IACUC approved research. This task is necessary when there is a change of investigator, when moving animals from a breeding protocol to a research or teaching protocol, when a renewal protocol is approved, or when a lapse in approval occurs.
Any time one of the events previously listed occurs, a transfer form (available for download on the RAR web site) must be completed and submitted to Research Animal Resources to officially track the animals and ensure that every animal is associated with the correct, currently approved protocol.
While researchers are adept at completing these forms when moving animals between currently active protocols, RAR often finds that researchers incorrectly assume that animals housed under an expiring protocol will automatically be transferred to their three-year renewal protocol. Also the IACUC will sometimes see investigators forget to list animals needing to be transferred in the animal request table of their renewal protocol. If these animal numbers are not included in the transfer column of the animal request table within their three-year renewal protocol, then the animals needing to be transferred from the expiring protocol will be deducted from the number of animals approved for purchase.
It is crucial to make sure that your animal activities and records comply with university and federal regulations in this age of intense scrutiny of research and teaching activities involving animals. If you have any questions about when or how to perform protocol transfers, please contact RAR at 612-624-6169 or e-mail the Director of RAR, Cynthia Gillett.
7/1/06 Vice President for Research announces that
effective July 1, 2006 administrative support for the Institutional
Biosafety Committee (IBC) will transition from Department of Environmental
Health and Safety (DEHS) to the Research Subjects Protection Program
(RSPP), Office of the Vice President for Research. The change addresses
a need for greater direction from the Vice President for Research
regarding IBC operations and to achieve a higher level of harmonization
across the Universitys three regulatory committees (IRB, IACUC
and IBC). Associate Vice President for Research and Regulatory Affairs,
Richard Bianco, will expand his Institutional Official oversight
responsibilities to include the IRB, IACUC and now IBC.
Questions about the IBC administrative support transition should
be directed to Moira Keane, Director, RSPP at 612-626-5654. For
more information about the IBC and for updates about the changes
see: http://www.ibc.umn.edu
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