FAQs

For details, go to the Reporting Animal Concerns page. In short, any incidents, concerns, or questions regarding the inappropriate care and use of live vertebrate animals should be reported in writing or verbally to the IACUC office, Attending Veterinarian or DARS office.

 

	IACUC office	Interim Attending Veterinarian	Director of Animal Care Operations
Phone	209-228-4805	530-312-1839	209-757-8763
Email	iacucoffice@ucmerced.edu	kristinevans@ucmerced.edu	ewerner@ucmerced.edu
Mailing Address	5200 N. Lake Road Merced, CA 95343	5200 N. Lake Road Merced, CA 95343	5200 N. Lake Road Merced, CA 95343

Only individuals with Principal Investigator status at UC Merced can submit a new AUP. 

 

Protocols are approved for three (3) years. Throughout the three years, each AUP goes through a less arduous review once a year (annual review) and then an in-depth review at the end of the three years (de novo review).

 

For help in preparing an AUP, or for advice about the laws, regulations, and policies that may affect your proposed use of animals, please contact the IACUC office at iacucoffice@ucmerced.edu.

For assistance in planning specific animal care or use procedures (e.g., use of anesthetics or analgesics, surgical procedures, special animal care requirements, transportation, etc.), please contact the Attending Veterinarian at 209-228-4040.

 

Many biological materials (e.g., infectious agents, viral vectors, human cell lines) require a Biological Use Authorization (BUA). Please visit the Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) BUA web page for a list of what agents require a BUA, application and amendment forms, as well as details regarding submission, approval, duration, and termination of a BUA.

 

Additionally, in consultation with Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) must be developed for the safe handling of hazardous materials (e.g., carcinogens, reproductive hazards, highly toxic materials). Some examples of hazardous materials that require an SOP for use in animal research include formaldehyde, urethane, BrDU, ENU, DMBA, and acute toxins (e.g., TTX, diptheria toxin).

 

Use of controlled substances must comply with federal (Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA), state, and UC Merced regulations. Please visit the Controlled Substances Used in Research page of the Office for Environment, Health, and Safety (EH&S) website. For additional information, please contact EH&S ehs@ucmerced.edu.

 

Use of radioactive materials and/or radiation requires a Radiation Use Authorization (RUA). Please visit the Environment, Health & Safety Radiation Safety Programs page for information regarding forms, training, and safety. For assistance, please contact EH&S at ehs@ucmerced.edu.

Prior to starting any procedures, any individual who uses animals in instruction or research must be included on personnel list in Cayuse IACUC. These individuals must include the Principal Investigator (PI), including those that are only in supervisory role for the laboratory, laboratory personnel (i.e., undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students), technicians, research assistants/associates, rotation students, students taking a course that involves direct interaction with live or freshly euthanized vertebrate animals, visiting scientists, and volunteers.

 

Each individual on the personnel sheet is required to complete the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) web-based training. Please view our Training Video for this course.

Please use this form to add personnel to Cayuse IACUC. 

 

All individuals who are working or will come in contact with animals are required to complete the Health Surveillance Questionnaire.

Please see the Occupational Health and Safety Program page for more details on the program.

 

 

Please submit a modification form in Cayuse IACUC. If your protocol is paper based please submit a Project Revision/Amendment Form to iacucoffice@ucmerced.edu at least 10 business days before the next IACUC meeting. 

 

Yes, you can let your AUP expire. To do this, please send an email to iacucoffice@ucmerced.edu indicating 1) the date you will cease animal work, and 2) what should happen to any remaining animals that are still in the animal facility under your protocol. Submit a close out report in Cayuse IACUC or if paper based protocol complete the close-out report.

 

If your protocol expires, all work with vertebrate animals must stop immediately.

 

The expired protocol cannot be reactivated. A new AUP must be submitted for review.