IACUC Resources

93-R-0131

A3369-01

You may submit a proposal online through this website, or by e-mailing the proposal in Word or PDF format to rblaser@sandiego.edu. Prior to submission, the applicant must complete a CITI training module, and submit their completion report along with the proposal. The Regulations form and Risk Assessment forms must also be signed and submitted along with the proposal.

You need to have IACUC approval if (1) you are working with any non-human vertebrate animal, and (2) your work is for research, testing, or teaching purposes (i.e. any school-related activity), and (3) the project could have any effect on the animal, the animal’s environment or habitat, or the people observing the animals. If in doubt, assume that you do need approval. Some examples are below.

• I want to do a class project involving privately-owned pets – mine and my friends. Do I need approval?
  • It does not matter who owns the animals, whether they are wild,  privately owned or owned by USD. If the pets are vertebrate animals and the project is for school, IACUC approval is required.
• I want to go to the aquarium or zoo and observe the animals.
  • If you will be acting as a standard zoo visitor (looking at the animals, taking notes on their behavior or appearance), you do not need IACUC approval.  If you wish to influence the animals in any way (e.g. something that would require working with an employee, such as feeding or touching the animals), you need IACUC approval. Note that the zoo has its own IACUC, and you would need approval from theirs as well.
• Do I need IACUC approval to study development of an animal in an egg?
  • Approval is only required for procedures conducted on animals after hatching. However, keep in mind that if the eggs hatch, care or euthanasia of the animals requires IACUC oversight (and oversight is required of the parents that produced the egg, if they will be involved).  
• I want to do a field observation.
  • If you will not influence the animals in any way (such as feeding or touching the animals), you will not influence the ecosystem or habitat of the animals, and your own safety and health will not be at risk, you do not need IACUC approval. For example, you could photograph animals or collect fecal samples without approval.
  • If your study will “harm or materially alter the behavior of an animal under study” (e.g. capture, transport, feed, collect) then you require IACUC approval. Even if you will not interact with the animals, if you will be influencing their environment (e.g. adding or removing shade, planting plants, etc.) you need IACUC approval.
  • Please keep in mind that in field research, additional regulations are likely to apply – ensure compliance with any permits or other wildlife regulations.
• I want to do a class project with animals, but not a science project. It’s an art (or theater, history, etc.) project.
  • If you will simply be observing animals with no interaction (e.g. photograph from a distance), approval is not required.
  • If you will be acquiring animals for the project, or altering their behavior in any way – i.e. doing anything that they do not already experience as part of their daily life - you need approval. It doesn’t matter whether it is for a research project, art project, or any other type of school activity.
•  I plan to do a collaborative project with another institution that has its own IACUC (e.g. Zoo, SeaWorld). Who needs to approve the project?
  • If all of the research will be conducted at the other location, approval from their IACUC is sufficient – simply provide us with a copy of your approval. If any of the research will be conducted at USD (e.g. animals will be on campus), we also need to review the project.

IACUC proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis. If there are no revisions or clarifications required for your proposal, it will generally be approved in 2-3 weeks. Realistically approval generally takes about 4-6 weeks.

If your students are designing their own projects with vertebrate animals, they will need to obtain IACUC approval for their specific study. We review proposals as rapidly as possible, but the 2-3 week timeframe is usually as fast as it can be done. Because this may be difficult to schedule within a single semester’s timeframe, so you may want to consider alternatives. One alternative is to have students work with invertebrate animals, since these are not covered and therefore do not require approval. Another option is for the instructor to design the projects in advance, and gain approval prior to the beginning of classes.

All researchers and students (including those in lab classes and directed research) must undergo appropriate training through the CITI program. New proposals must include a completion certificate for the PI and any affiliated researchers or students. For information on how to take the CITI training, see here.

The goal of the IACUC is to determine the relative balance of costs and benefits for each proposal. All animal research has the potential for a cost to animal welfare, and our job is to ensure that he benefits are likely to outweigh those costs. Most often the IACUC considers the scientific merit of the project – whether the project is likely to succeed, whether the results will make a contribution to the scientific field (e.g. posters, presentations, publications), and the value of the contribution. However, other types of benefits are also considered, including projects that teach students important skills or values, enhance human or animal welfare in the community, or raise awareness about important social issues.